It was royal affair at Madonna’s Celebration Tour date in Los Angeles on Thursday night (March 7) as the Queen of Pop welcomed on stage Kylie Minogue, Australia’s very own Princess of Pop.
Kylie joined Madonna for a performance of Gloria Gaynor’s girl-power disco-era classic “I Will Survive,” timed perfectly for International Women’s Day, and for a rendition of Kylie’s 2001 hit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.”
For the thousands looking on, the spectacle of a Kylie and Madonna collaboration won’t get out of their heads anytime soon, as many shared images and video of the special moment on social media.
Kylie got in on the social media action by sharing a video of herself, dancing in the aisles to “Ray of Light,” the title track from Madonna’s William Orbit-produced LP from 1998. She writes, “MADONNA. It’s been a long time coming!!! LOVED being with you!!!! Celebration Tour AND it is now International Women’s Day …. THANK YOU and LOVE LOVE LOVE.”
And, for those pop fans with a long memory, Kylie paid the ultimate tribute to Madonna and her supporters by wearing a shirt emblazoned with the icon’s name, continuing a mutual appreciation society that can be traced back decades. Indeed, Madonna wore a “Kylie”-branded shirt when she performed at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm, Sweden back in 2000, with Kylie going on to repeat the favor.
Minogue is a wanted woman in the United States. On Wednesday, she was celebrated with the Icon Award at the Billboard Women in Music event; her Las Vegas residency, the More Than Just a Residency show at Voltaire at the Venetian, has been extended through May; she collected her second Grammy Award last month; and she recently signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for live representation in the U.S. and Canada and acting roles worldwide. The 55-year-old artist last week collected the BRITs Global Icon award at the 2024 BRIT Awards in England, where she’s adopted as a national treasure.
“Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” is one of Kylie’s two career top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7 in 2002 (the other is “The Loco-Motion,” hitting No. 3 back in 1988).
Madonna kicked off a five-night stand at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Monday, March 4, the L.A. leg of her Celebration Tour, a career-spanning look back on her hits, personal struggles, pop culture impact and enduring influence.
During the opening night of her L.A. stretch, the 65-year-old superstar revealed that the severe bacterial infection she suffered in June 2023 — which led to her hospitalization and the postponement of her current trek — at one point made it nearly impossible for her to move around. “This summer I had a surprise,” she told the crowd, holding a cowboy hat in one hand and gripping a guitar in the other. “It’s called a near-death experience.”