“Padam Padam” by Kylie Minogue

"Padam Padam" kicked off the Tension era in May 2023 as the lead single from Kylie Minogue's sixteenth album, and it runs on a pulse: the title is the sound of a heartbeat, and the song circles a sexual encounter. Norwegian songwriter Ina Wroldsen wrote it with Lostboy, who produced it, played the keyboards and recorded it, and Guy Massey mixed. It's dance-pop and synth-pop with an Eastern European tint.

Critics fixed on the hook and called it a standout of the album, and it went viral, turning into an LGBT anthem played at pride parades. It reached eight in the UK, topped the chart in Israel, and won the first-ever Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording. Sophie Muller's video, shot in Los Angeles, borrows from The Man Who Fell to Earth and from Americana.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.