One of the great unwritten rules of showbiz could be: Never write her off Kylie Minogue. As she turns 55, Kylie Minogue returns to the top of the charts with the single Padam Padaminspired by Édith Piaf’s 1951 song of the same name. The song topped the UK Big Top 40.

“Thank you, thank you,” Minogue said in her birthday Instagram post: “My heart is full of joy».

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A hallmark of Kylie’s career is her work ethic. There was a forced somber pause when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, which she later noted changed her attitude towards life.

For someone whose career has been full of glitz, Minogue also has a gift for normality. She’s seen as down-to-earth and humorous: as short as it was, she seemed to have fun returning to last year’s ‘Neighbours’ finale. She also exudes good manners, courage and the ability to dance and sing. However, not everything was rosy about her public relations. There have been less than adoring reviews of her acting.

Also, for many decades, she was poor, “childless” Kylie. For a time, too, Minogue rivaled Jennifer Aniston for “owning” the most speculated uterus in celebrity history.

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Still, unlike Madonna, who is nearly 10 years her senior, Minogue has somehow managed to avoid at least some of the industry-level sexist, misogynistic attacks that accompany older female artists.

Why is this happening; Is it – in part – because Madonna is the epitome of demanding stardom (Respect me! Admire me!). In contrast, Minogue was and always is more down to earth. Although thrilled by the success of ‘Padam Padam’, she also manages to seem a little surprised, as if this is all a wonderful, unexpected distraction from her winery and fragrance line.

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“I feel like I have one foot in the old world and the other in the new. I admire people who are really good at it“, she said. And, perhaps, it’s a sign that one of pop’s most versatile performers is ready to adapt again and keep up with the times.

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