Kylie Minogue has opened up about the “quiet determination” that’s kept her moving forward for decades and her refusal to be “defined”.
The 57-year-old pop icon says she’s long rejected the idea of being pinned down or told what she can’t do, something she brings up in her Netflix docuseries Kylie, which lands on Netflix on May 20.
She told Variety: “I’ve tried to figure it out these last few days. And it kind of ties into not wanting to be defined, that we’re all works in progress, we’re all in motion.”
The I Should Be So Lucky hitmaker even compared her mindset to the famous Dumb and Dumber scene where Jim Carrey’s character clings to the tiniest sliver of hope.
She said: “It’s like Dumb and Dumber. He’s in love with the girl. He’s like, ‘What are the chances?’ She goes, ‘One in a million.’ He goes, ‘So there is a chance!’
That stubborn optimism has been a driving force throughout her career, especially when she felt others had already decided who she should be.
She said: “Don’t shut me down!
“I’m self‑aware enough to know that I wasn’t the person… they were expecting me to be someone else. So give me a chance! But thankfully, I gave myself a chance. I will thank myself for that.”
The singer admitted that her biggest battles often happen internally, describing her resilience as something quiet but powerful.
She explained: “I could get into all sorts of strife. Here we go again! What happens is in my mind, and it’s a quiet determination. It’s a quiet sense of achievement.”
Even with a major documentary laying out her life story, Kylie insists she’s still not easily summed up – and she prefers it that way.
She added: “I talk about not being boxed in, and I still don’t think I’m that definable after a three‑hour documentary. And I’m happy with that.”
Kylie launched her career in the late 1980s after breaking out on soap opera Neighbours, going on to sell more than 80 million records worldwide and becoming one of pop’s most enduring chart forces.