Kylie and Garibay (EP)

In 2013, Australian singer Kylie Minogue announced she had signed a management deal with Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by American rapper and businessman Jay-Z.[1] A year later, she released her twelfth studio album, Kiss Me Once.[2] Minogue met with several songwriters and producers to create the album, among them was Mexican-American producer Fernando Garibay.[3] They recorded several songs intended for Kiss Me Once but none of them made it onto the final tracklist.[4] Months after the album release, they decided to finish the tracks and publish them for free on Minogue's SoundCloud channel as an EP, titled Sleepwalker, in September 2014.[5] Minogue also filmed an accompany short film for the EP, which was played during the Kiss Me Once Tour (2014–2015).[6]

Following the enthusiastic response Sleepwalker received among her fans, Minogue went on to record more material with Garibay.[7] The recording process started in September 2014, right after the release of Sleepwalker.[5] The sessions took place in London and Los Angeles.[8] The producer traveled to London to work with Minogue while she was on the Kiss Me Once Tour.[4] She later spent time in Los Angeles with Garibay during breaks in her tour schedule at his home studio, Paradise Studio.[9] The songs were written as a platform for creative expression, devoid of any agenda or expectations.[10] Garibay described a "sense of purity" that resonated throughout their creative process, and Minogue felt there was no pressure surrounding the project, calling it "a project made of love".[10] The singer was inspired by the work of Garibay and enjoyed being in the studio with him.[10]

The duo collaborated with Italian music producer Giorgio Moroder on "Your Body", the earliest song written for the EP.[11] It was the second collaboration between Minogue and Moroder, following "Right Here, Right Now" (2015).[12] Garibay has known Moroder since he was 16, and admired his early film scores for their sensuality.[11] "Your Body" deviates from Garibay's common songwriting style, as he struggled to evoke the erotic work of Minogue and Moroder.[11] Moroder agreed to co-write a poem in Italian with the duo, and he called an Italian acquaintance to double-check the words.[13] The duo wanted Moroder to record the poem in Italian to create a genuine and sensual impression.[14] "[Minogue] wanted it really sexy, like a Latin lover – heavy breathing. I think she was quite happy," Moroder recalled.[15] The recording session with Moroder lasted roughly two hours.[14] Jamie Hartman and Max McElligott of the British band Wolf Gang were also credited as the songwriters.[16]

Australian singer-songwriter Sam Sparro co-wrote "If I Can't Have You" with Garibay and Brian Lee.[16] Minogue was on the phone with the songwriters and she was "an active participant", according to Garibay.[4] She was not, however, given credit as a songwriter.[16] Sparro, a long-time fan of Minogue, claimed she was supportive during their session.[17] Garibay sought to find a male counterpart besides Minogue for "Black and White".[11] Martin Kierszenbaum, his manager at the time, introduced him to Jamaican artist Shaggy.[11] Garribay sent the instrumental track of "Black and White" to Shaggy and received a demo a day later.[4] Minogue felt that Shaggy's contribution "made that track come to life".[18]

Shaggy (left, pictured in 2018), Sam Sparro (middle, pictured in 2012), and Giorgio Moroder (right, pictured in 2008) co-wrote and contributed vocals to the EP

The songs on Kylie and Garibay incorporate elements from electronic, disco, and pop music.[19] The three-song set represents a departure from the dancehall and reggae-influenced sounds on Sleepwalker.[20] Mike Wass from Idolator opined that the tracks are more accessible than those on Sleepwalker, especially when compared with experimental tracks like "Walk" and "Chasing Ghosts".[21] Minogue found the three distinct tracks are linked sonically by Garibay's crisp production.[14]

"Black and White" is a 1990s-inspired chill-out Eurodance song, in which Shaggy raps over Minogue's delicate vocals.[22] John Earls, writing for Classic Pop, wrote the song is "a straight-up pop titan" despite Shaggy's reggae roots.[23] It is followed by "If I Can't Have You", a tropical-tinged combination of deep house and dance-pop.[24] Alistair Powell of Classic Pop called it an energetic floor-filler, while Julien Goncalves of PureCharts described it as a "melancholic yet danceable song" that was tailored-made for the UK charts.[24] Garibay defined the music of "Your Body", the EP's final song, as "indie meets disco".[4] The song has a seamless transition between the chorus and the verses, culminating in a guitar outro.[25] Minogue's vocals are heavily manipulated into whimsical and cartoonish syllables.[26] She can be heard chanting "Your body" amidst the moody analog synths during the refrain.[27] Pitchfork's Zoe Camp suggested that by processing Minogue's delicate soprano, Garibay has repurposed her into "a stiff, digitized rhythm instrument" that is similar to the work of Swedish singer Robyn.[28] Speaking on the New Zeland talk show Paul Henry, music reviewer Charlotte Ryan noted that the sensual track is not as danceable as Minogue's earlier work.[29]

Garibay viewed the three-song EP as an extension of Sleepwalker, a project that chronologically portrayed the stages of heartbreak.[4] As the journey unfolds, a sense of celebration and accomplishment, highlighted by the act of dating and interacting with new people, replaces early feelings of devastation following a broken relationship.[4] Throughout this evolution, the music carries cathartic and transformative energy, with dance playing a vital role in conveying these messages.[4] "Black and White" depicts the end of a relationship, in which Shaggy reassures his lover, "I need you in my arms, girl".[30] Garibay wrote "If I Don't Have You" as a form of musical—it is an intimate conversation, where the protagonist is reaching a point of letting go and longing for someone else to fight for their affection.[4] Earls labeled the track "a laidback and soulful love lament".[31] On "Your Body", Moroder sighs and reads a poem about seduction in Italian during the song intro, with lines such as "Le tue carezze mi bruciano di passione" ("Your caresses burn me with passion").[26] Garibay explained his intention was to make Moroder sound like "a priest telling you how you should make love to a woman".[4]

In January 2015, Moroder confirmed his collaboration with Minogue and Garibay on their second EP.[15] He claimed the duo was working on four tracks that are "very sexy and very uncommercial".[15] A month later, Moroder and the duo performed a live version of "Your Body" for the first time at a West Hollywood nightclub.[14] In March 2015, Minogue parted ways with Roc Nation, after two years on their roster, and planned "to take more control over her career".[32] She also left her record label of 16 years, Parlophone.[32] Six months later, Kylie and Garibay was released without any prior official announcement on 11 September 2015.[33] Minogue issued a statement in which she expressed her excitement at "finally be able to share these songs with fans".[34] Despite Minogue's departure from Parlophone, Kylie and Garibay was still released under the label and Minogue's own production company, Kimberly Limited.[35] The EP was digitally distributed on the iTunes Store and streaming service Spotify, before Warner Music Japan and Parlophone released it as a promotional CD-R five days later.[36] The EP was alternatively titled Black and White on Minogue's website.[37]

The EP was accompanied by a music video for "Black and White", directed by English artist Katerina Jebb and edited by Benjamin Ricart.[38] It premiered on Purple magazine's website and Minogue's YouTube channel.[38] The singer described the video as a celebration of life, freedom, and her 25-year friendship with Jebb, saying "I knew we would produce something which speaks volumes of our friendship... No pressure, just love."[39] Inspired by vintage home movies, the video shows Minogue frolicking and dancing by the pool while wearing a tassel bikini and a wedding veil.[40] Shaggy does not appear in the video.[41] Robbie Daw of Idolator referred to Minogue's appearance as a "silver screen goddess from Hollywood's golden age".[41] On September 13, a black-and-white music video for "Your Body" was published.[42] Also directed by Jebb, it features body-conscious and S&M-related imagery.[42] Ryan praised Minogue's appearance in the video, calling it "delicious".[29]

Music critics highlighted Minogue's (pictured in 2015) versatility and her collaborations on the EP

A low-key experimental project, Kylie and Garibay has little success on the music charts.[43] A week after its release, the EP peaked at number 100 on the Australia Albums Chart,[44] while all of the tracks appeared on the French Singles Chart: "Black and White" (140),[45] "If I Can't Have You" (168),[46] and "Your Body" (174).[47] In the UK, "Black and White" reached number 34 on the Dance Singles Chart[48] and number 66 on the Singles Downloads Chart.[49] The track also peaked at number 72 on the Scottish Singles Chart.[50]

Music critics recognized the EP's experimental nature and its production.[51] Described the project as a "B-road left turn from [Minogue's] pop motorway", the writers of Classic Pop opined that the end result was unexpectedly enjoyable.[52] Goncalves and John Rowley of Junkee praised Minogue's willingness to embrace different musical styles while maintaining her unique elements.[53] Garibay's coherent and atmospheric production was lauded by Billboard's Keith Caulfield, who labeled the EP an "effortless pop music" project.[54]

Several reviewers remarked on the collaborators.[55] Shaggy's performance in "Black and White" was dismissed as unnecessary and inferior to Minogue's by Goncalves and John Earls of Classic Pop.[56] Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson from Digital Spy, however, found his rap verses "oddly warming".[57] "Your Body" was picked as the EP highlight by Rowley and Camp, who commended the labyrinthine production, Minogue's processed vocals, and Moroder's captivating monologue.[58] Goncalves enjoyed the high-pitched performance between Minogue and Sparro on "If I Can't Have You", and chose it as the standout track.[59] In 2023, Classic Pop's listed "Black and White" and "If I Can't Have You" among Minogue's best collaborations, and named "Your Body" her second-best deep-cut track.[60] Rowley picked "Your Body" as one of Minogue's most innovative dance tracks, calling it mechanical and compelling.[61]

All tracks are produced by Fernando Garibay.[62]

The following credits are adapted from APRA AMCOS[16] and Apple Music.[63]