| "Slow" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byKylie Minogue | ||||
| from the albumBody Language | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 31 October 2003 (2003-10-31) | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Kylie Minogue singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Slow" onYouTube | ||||
"Slow" is a song recorded by Australian singerKylie Minogue for her ninth studio albumBody Language (2003). It was written by Minogue,Dan Carey,Emilíana Torrini, and produced by Carey, Torrini, and Sunnyroads. The song is anelectropop andsynth-pop track on which Minogue invites a man to "slow down" and dance with her. It was released as thelead single fromBody Language on 31 October 2003, byFestival Mushroom Records andParlophone.
Upon its release, "Slow" was acclaimed bymusic critics, many of whom praised Minogue's sensual and seductive vocals. At the47th Grammy Awards ceremony, the song received a nomination in the category of "Best Dance Recording". Commercially, the song was a success and peaked at number one on thesingles charts in Australia, Denmark, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The song also reached number one on theBillboardDance Club Play chart in the United States. In Australia, the song was certifiedplatinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales of 70,000 units.
An accompanyingmusic video for the song was shot in Barcelona, Spain, and features Minogue singing the song while sunbathing next to thePiscina Municipal de Montjuïc swimming pool. Minogue performed the song on a number of television shows and included it on the set lists of all of her subsequentconcert tours to date, with the exception of theAnti Tour. In 2012, Minogue named "Slow" as her favourite song from her music career; in 2023, she cited it as a reference point for her album of that year,Tension.
"Slow" was written by Kylie Minogue,Dan Carey, andEmilíana Torrini, and produced by Carey, Torrini, and Sunnyroads.[2] In 2009, Torrini explained how she was approached for writing the song, saying "It was like I had just accidentally walked into the line of fire with, 'Hey! You There!'. It was all quite surreal. I still think Kylie's people were trying to callJamelia, and they just got the wrong number. It'd be much more funny if that is how it actually happened".[3] Through the lyrics of the song, Minogue urges a man, whom she meets at a club, to "slow down" and dance with her.[4] According to Minogue, the lyrics of the song are about "how time and space have a different meaning when you meet someone".[5] She further said that she "loved the way the song had this push-pull effect; the musical and lyrical combination gives you a sense of that".[5]
Musically, the song is an eighties-inspiredelectropop andsynth-pop track.[6][7] It utilises a very simple and "minimalist" style of production and was described as an "electro-pop/disco fusion with percolating crackle-and-pop beats and sugary vocal overdubs" by Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine.[6] Additionally, it contains elements ofelectroclash andclub music.[8] According to Tom Ewing ofFreaky Trigger, the gentle bassline and 'shimmering' backing of "Slow" are derived from the then-popularmicrohouse genre, comparing it to the music found on the German labelKompakt.[9] Dom Passantino ofStylus Magazine similarly described it as "Germanminimalist techno" similar to the work ofReinhard Voigt,[10] while Alex Macpherson ofThe Guardian, in an article of German minimal techno, said "Slow" was "essentially a minimal track with an added pop vocal" and an early instance of the sound achieving mainstream success.[11] Tim Sendra ofAllMusic called it a revamp ofdisco, specifically the subgenre ofspace disco.[12]
In late 2012, "Slow" was re-recorded by Minogue for inclusion in her orchestral compilation albumThe Abbey Road Sessions.[13] On the album, Minogue reworked 16 of her past songs with an orchestra, which, according to Nick Levine fromBBC Music, "re-imagine them without the disco glitz and vocal effects".[14] "Slow" is approached with a morejazz andtrip hop influenced take, with Minogue again delivering sultry and seductive vocals.[13][14] The song was written in the key ofB♭ minor.
"Slow" was released as the lead single from Minogue's ninth studio album,Body Language, byFestival Mushroom Records in Australia and byParlophone in Europe on 3 November 2003.[15] The cover art of the single, as well as other promotion shoots related to the album, which was shot by fashion photographersMert and Marcus, show Minogue striking a pose in a black and white striped crop top, which reveals her midriff, and low-cut pants. Her appearance is similar to that of French icon, actress and singerBrigitte Bardot.[5] Minogue described the promotion shoots as "the perfect mix ofcoquette, kitten androck 'n' roll", and revealed that "We shot it on location in theSouth of France, so it was [easy to] channel the spirit of [Brigitte] Bardot. She's a great iconic reference, particularly that period where she was working withSerge Gainsbourg".[5]
_(cropped).jpg)
"Slow" was critically acclaimed bymusic critics. Ethan Brown fromNew York praised the production of the song and commented "Everything at the top of the pops should sound as good as Kylie Minogue's "Slow"". He further felt that most of the songs onBody Language "mimic its sound, [though] none of the other songs onBody Language come close to the achievement of "Slow" and concluded that ""Slow" should be a template for pop singers who fancy themselves aesthetes".[16] Adrien Begrand fromPopMatters commented that the song was "one of the strongest singles" of Minogue's career, praising her minimalistic approach on the song and its simple arrangement.[17] TheSpin magazine review of the song complimented Minogue's vocals, saying that they will "bring all the boys to the yard".[18] Eric Seguy fromStylus Magazine favoured Minogue's demanding vocals, saying that the listener "is open to Kylie’s demands, and willing to resort to any means necessary to impress her".[19] Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine felt that the song is one of the "few of the tracks onBody Language approach(ing) the club-thumping zeal ofFever".[6] Chris True fromAllMusic picked the song as an album highlight ofBody Language.[8] Olive Pometsey fromGQ deemed it Minogue's best and most "seductive" track, concluding that "featuring breathy vocals over seductive synths, it's the kind of song that would soundtrack that moment when you accidentally lock eyes with a hot stranger in a club perfectly [...] is indeed a slower track, but don't write it off that reason".[20]
The Abbey Road Sessions' version of the song also generated a favourable response. Tim Sendra from AllMusic enjoyed the "sultry trip-hop take" on the song and picked it as a highlight on the album.[13] Nick Levine from BBC Music felt that "Slow" received the "most startling makeover" on the album, and described it as a "slinky jazz shuffle, complete with vampish vocal performance".[14]Annie Zaleski fromThe A.V. Club appreciated the song's graceful nature, calling it a "slinky come-on".[21] Philip Matusavage fromMusicOMH appreciated the song's jazz influences, noting that it "suggests that Kylie and jazz could make for great things".[22] Jeff Katz fromIdolator singled out the song as the "Most Surprising Reworking" on the album.[23]Jude Rogers fromThe Quietus, however, felt that the song does not "respond well to this (orchestral) treatment".[24]
Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine included "Slow" on his list of "Top 10 Singles & Videos of 2004" at number five, calling it "one of the hottest tracks of the year."[25] At the 2004Ivor Novello Awards ceremony, "Slow" received a nomination in the categories "Best Contemporary Song" and "International Hit of the Year", but lost the awards toAmy Winehouse's song "Stronger Than Me" andDido's song "White Flag", respectively.[26][27] At the47th Grammy Awards ceremony held in the year 2005, "Slow" was nominated for "Best Dance Recording", but lost toBritney Spears's song "Toxic", which was originally written for Minogue.[28] In order to celebrateValentine's Day on 14 February 2012, UK copyright collection society and performance rights organisationPRS for Music compiled a list of the top ten "sexy songs" and placed "Slow" on the top of the list.[29] In 2012, Minogue picked "Slow" as her all-time favourite song from her25 years in music;[30] in 2023, she cited the song as a reference point for her album of that year,Tension.[31] Writing for theHerald Sun, Cameron Adams placed it at number 5 on his list of the singer's best songs in honor of her 50th birthday, calling it "'Can't Get You Out of My Head''s emo cousin – also with a deceptively simple electronic pulse, but taking a much darker tone [...] vocally Kylie moves from detached to carnal in the space of a verse, and somehow ["Slow"] sounds like everything and nothing is happening all at once".[32]
_(45741483474).jpg)
In Minogue's native country Australia, "Slow" entered and peaked at number one on theAustralian Singles Chart, marking her ninth number-one hit in the country, and would go on to spend a total of 11 weeks on the chart.[2] In this territory, the song was latercertified platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association for sales of 70,000 units.[33] In Austria, the song entered theAustrian Singles Chart at number 24 and peaked at number 20, spending a total of 13 weeks on the chart.[34] In the Dutch-speaking Flanders region of Belgium, the song entered theUltratop chart at number 15 and peaked at number nine, spending a total of 10 weeks on the chart.[35] In Canada, the song peaked at number six on theCanadian Singles Chart.[36] In Denmark, the song entered and peaked at number one on theDanish Singles Chart, spending a total of nine weeks on the chart.[37] In France, the song entered and peaked at number 45 on theFrench Singles Chart, spending a total of 18 weeks on the chart.[38] In Germany, the song peaked at number eight on theGerman Singles Chart.[39] In Italy, the song entered theItalian Singles Chart at number nine and peaked at number six, spending a total of eight weeks on the chart.[40] In New Zealand, the song entered theNew Zealand Singles Chart at number 10 and peaked at number nine, spending a total of six weeks on the chart.[41] "Slow" also debuted at number one in Spain.[42]
In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number one on theUK Singles Chart with 48,500 copies in its first-week,[43] becoming Minogue's seventh number one single in the region.[44][45] It earned her a record for being the female artist for spending the longest duration as a UK chart topper.[15] The single remained in the top ten for two weeks and in the top hundred for fifteen weeks.[46] In the United States, "Slow" peaked at numbers 91 and one on theBillboardHot 100 chart[47] andDance Club Play chart, respectively.[36][48] It is Minogue's last entry on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, to date.[47]
The accompanying music video for "Slow" was directed byBaillie Walsh and choreographed byMichael Rooney.[50] The video was shot in Barcelona, Spain,[51] and begins with a scene of a man diving into thePiscina Municipal de Montjuïc swimming pool[52] and coming out of its edge, where a number of very lightly beachwear-clad people aresunbathing. Minogue stands out in a series of different zoom central shots lying on a sky-blue towel wearing a dark blue bodyhuggingBalenciaga dress.[49] The next scenes of the video capture her singing the song through different camera angles, particularly during the chorus when the camera angle shifts to a "bird's eye" view and show Minogue amid beach models performing synchronised choreography to the dance beats.[51] A reviewer from District MTV commented that the video showed that "synchronised sun bathing is more fun than it sounds".[51] Ben Taylor fromSwide Magazine included the video in his list of Minogue's "Best Music Video Moments".[53] Used for promoting the song, the video premiered earlier than the song's release date, on 21 October 2003.[50] Minogue talked about the video, saying:
"The video is set in Barcelona at the Olympic Diving site. I lie down for the whole video, which I thought was a very cunning plan. But then I ended up having to sing directly into the camera when the sun was right next it, so tears were streaming down my face! Videos always have a painful moment. It's either too hot or it's too cold or there's always something. That's part of the fun, I guess"[5]
.jpg)
Minogue performed "Slow" on 6 November 2003, at the2003 MTV Europe Music Awards.[54][55] She later promoted the song on various tv shows, includingBenissimo in Switzerland,Quelli che il calcio in Italy andWetten, dass..? in Germany.[56][57][58] Since its release, "Slow" has been featured on all of Minogue's concert tour set lists, with the exception of theAnti Tour. In 2003, she performed the song on the one-night only concertMoney Can't Buy, which was used to promoteBody Language and was held at major entertainment venueHammersmith Apollo in London.[59] In 2005, she performed the song on herShowgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour. Minogue was unable to complete the tour as she was diagnosed with earlybreast cancer and had to cancel the Australian leg of the tour.[60] After undergoing treatment and recovery, she resumed the concert tour in the form ofShowgirl: The Homecoming Tour in 2007.[61] In 2008, she performed the song on theKylieX2008 tour, which was launched to promote her tenth studio albumX. The show was split in five acts and "Slow" was featured on the fourth act entitled "Xposed".[62]
In 2009, she performed the song on theFor You, for Me tour, which was her first concert tour in North America.[63] In 2011, she performed a jazz-oriented version of the song on theAphrodite: Les Folies Tour, which was launched to promote her eleventh studio albumAphrodite.[64] In 2012, Minogue promotedThe Abbey Road Sessions by performing on theBBC Proms in the Park atHyde Park, London. During the event, she sang the orchestral version of "Slow".[65] In 2014 and 2015, Minogue performed the song during herKiss Me Once Tour andKylie Summer 2015 Tour respectly. The performances employed alaser lighting display and featured a "Matrix-style"break-dance routine.[66] For theGolden Tour in 2018–19, Minogue performed a "leather-bar version" of the song;[67] she was dressed in an all-leather ensemble and was surrounded by a group of motorbike-riding men.[citation needed] Writing fornews.com.au, Nick Bond felt the performance showcased the singer's ability to "breathe new life into some of her most inescapable hits via canny new arrangements".[68]
A "pulsating"mashup of "Slow" andDavid Bowie's "Fashion" (1980) was performed during Minogue's2019 summer tour. She wore a hot red racing driver outfit and was joined by male dancers in pink blazers andkilts.[69][70] The performance was highlighted by theEvening Standard's Thomas Hobbs as one of the show's best moments. Hobbs also praised the singer for looking "every inch the icon".[70] Minogue repeated the performance during her appearance atThe Graham Norton Show in November 2019.[71] A "sexy, languid disco" mashup of "Slow" andDonna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" (1975) was performed by the singer, who wore a gold1970s-inspired jumpsuit, on her 2020live stream concertInfinite Disco.[72] The performance was praised byi's Kate Solomon, who highlighted its "sultry, bassy arrangement".[73]
Australian CD1; UK and European CD2[74][75]
Australian CD2[76]
UK and European CD1[77]
| UK and European 12-inch picture disc[78]
Japanese CD maxi-single[79]
|
Weekly charts[edit] | Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[122] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[123] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States | — | 63,000[124] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 31 October 2003 | CD | EMI | |
| Australia | 3 November 2003 |
| Festival Mushroom | |
| Germany | Maxi CD | EMI | ||
| United Kingdom |
| Parlophone | ||
| France | 4 November 2003 |
| Capitol | |
| Japan | 10 November 2003 | Maxi CD | Toshiba EMI | |
| France | 2 December 2003 | CD | Capitol | |
| United States | 9 December 2003 | 12-inch vinyl |
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)