Better the Devil You Know
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| "Better the Devil You Know" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Kylie Minogue | ||
| from the album Rhythm of Love | ||
| Released | April 1990: Worldwide April 1998: Australia Re-release |
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| Format | CD single: Worldwide Vinyl single: United Kingdom Cassette single: Australia & U.S. |
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| Recorded | London, England | |
| Genre | Pop-dance | |
| Length | 3:54 | |
| Label | PWL/Mushroom | |
| Writer(s) | Stock, Aitken & Waterman | |
| Producer(s) | Stock, Aitken & Waterman | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Kylie Minogue singles chronology | ||
| "Tears on My Pillow" (1990) |
"Better the Devil You Know" (1990) |
"Step Back in Time" (1990) |
"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Aussie pop singer Kylie Minogue's third album, Rhythm of Love. It was released as the album's first single in April 1990 (see 1990 in music), and its music video helped Minogue break out of her early "girl-next-door" image. Minogue travelled back to her home country Australia to film it so that Pete Waterman would not be able to censor its sexualized content.[citation needed] It featured Minogue in very mild sexually suggestive scenes with a black man, who played the role of her lover. It caused some controversy as it presented Minogue in a much more mature image than videos from earlier years, for example "I Should Be So Lucky" (1987), that portrayed her as more innocent.
Although it is a departure from her earlier videos, focusing on her new image rather than a plot, it is still a favorite with her fans, who often label the song itself as "BTDYK". It is also often referred to as "Kylie’s anthem". Some years later, just before Nick Cave released a duet with Minogue, he said "Better the Devil You Know" had "the saddest song lyrics" he ever heard. The song was covered by the pop group Steps in 1999 (see 1999 in music) and by Atomic Kitten in early 2000.
Backing vocals for the song were provided by Minogue, Mae McKenna, Mike Stock and Miriam Stockley. The song is played at 12.30am every Saturday night at the "G.A.Y" club in London's Astoria. The song has become an all-time favourite amongst the gay community and is often considered a gay anthem.
[edit] Chart performance
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 4 |
| European Singles Chart | 6 |
| UK Top 40 | 2 |
| Belgium Singles Chart | 3 |
| Netherlands Top 40 | 22 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 5 |
| German Singles Chart | 24 |
| Irish Single Chart | 4 |
| Israel Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 27 |
| South African Singles Chart | 2 |
| French Singles Chart | 13 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 21 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 11 |
[edit] Sample
- Sample of "Better the Devil You Know" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
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Albums: Kylie · Enjoy Yourself · Rhythm of Love
Let's Get to It · Kylie Minogue · Impossible Princess
Light Years · Fever · Body Language
Discography · Awards · Unreleased songs · Tours · Films
