Frosty, Scrooge or Santa? Kylie Minogue Plays F-M-K.

Yes, that’s pronounced X-M-A-S. And yes, I already know the dance.

The new tracks play out almost like a holiday itinerary, a freewheeling sleigh ride through genre and occasion for the festively inclined: Last night in the club: “Hot in December.” Last work Friday of the year: “Office Party.” Road-tripping back home: “XMAS.” Snuggling up on the couch before the rom-coms drop: “This Time of Year.”

The anniversary edition is available to pre-order now and will be released in various festive formats, from limited edition candy-cane vinyl to transparent red and pink-and-white marble colorways. (I’ll take the candy cane, for those asking.)

We caught up with Kylie to revisit her Christmas (album) past, chat holiday traditions, and hear more about the stories behind the new tracks.

You’ve had quite a year with a global tour, 66 shows, then launching the deluxe Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped) album, and all the performances that come with it. I can imagine…

My quote for that is: don’t even.

Like, it’s been a gigantic year. I mean, in the best way, my head just went and rested in my hand. It’s been a — you know, I wouldn’t say a mountain to climb, but now that I’ve done it, it was a mountain to do. And I’m really, really proud of this year and, I guess, the last three years since Tension and “Padam” kickstarting everything for me.

So getting the 10th anniversary of the Christmas album in, sneaking that in at the end of the year, wraps up a really incredible year for me.

We saw the Tension tour here when you came to the city and it was incredible.

Were you at MSG?

Oh yes, we were.

I can’t believe it. Two sold-out nights. It’s just incredible. And I want to come back. That’s all I’m gonna say.

Well, we want you back. The energy there was insane. Do you actually get a holiday break? Does Kylie Minogue get to unwind for the holidays?

Kylie Minogue is planning to do such a wild and crazy thing as have a holiday. Yeah, I think I need to treat it like work. I really have done so much this year that I just probably need to take stock. I’m wildly grateful, but, yeah, just take stock and try to comprehend what 2025 has been. I’ll have a break with my family in Australia and, yeah, see how we roll into 2026.

What is a Minogue Christmas like? Are you a big tree decorator? Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

We try to keep it laidback each year. My nephews are teenagers now, so it’s not like there are little kids around. I would say we just repeat ourselves every year. Like, “Okay, we’ll try to keep it simple this year,” and, yeah, no one wants to make too much of a fuss. We don’t want my mom going crazy and going OTT. But also: Mom, you can, because it’s your rules and you can do whatever you like.

So we’ve said it again this year: Let’s try not to get too much food. Let’s keep it low-key. We’ll see how successful we are. Because, you know, you reach fever pitch right before Christmas and it’s all systems go. But it’s summer, so the days are long. Someone’s on the barbecue, someone’s in the pool. That’s what I’m looking forward to.

And for all of us as a family, it’s been a big year. My family helped me so much with the tour. They came to a lot of the shows. My sister was at MSG both nights. I’ve had a lot of family support.

So yeah, let’s hope we manage to slightly underplay it — which is probably weird coming from me, talking about a Christmas album.

Congrats again on the re-release. Ten years — it’s an obvious classic now. And I must say, “Santa Baby” plays on repeat all season in my household. I’m curious: What initially inspired the Queen of Club to record a Christmas album to begin with?

You know, I was just asked that and I don’t know the answer. I honestly don’t. I couldn’t even tell you why I recorded “Santa Baby.” I’d have to ask my producer. People have different memories of events.

I covered “Santa Baby” in 2001 and it was a B-side on a single. So I feel like it might have been — this is a bit of a guess — something like a Christmas special, some kind of show in the UK, and I must have gravitated toward “Santa Baby” as a performance. Did it. It kind of suited me. So it was put on as a B-side.

At that point, I didn’t think about doing a Christmas album. Then if we cut to 2015 when I did the first Kylie Christmas album, I think I’d done X, Aphrodite, Kiss Me Once and I probably thought: Now’s the time. This is a terrible answer, but I don’t know. I just don’t know. But we did it.

Maybe it was a more accessible thing to do than trying to come up with what’s next. I don’t think we were calling them eras back then, but what’s the next thing? But I loved being in the studio and making music. And yeah, we really went for it.

One of my personal faves is the duet with Frank [Sinatra]. And I’m curious, since there are so many legends tied to the sound of Christmas, are there any icons of the past you wish you could collab with on another Christmas classic?

I haven’t thought about this in a Christmas sense, but just in general: Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Prince — those would be no-brainers. I just fantasize about what it would have been like to sing and perform with them.

But to work with Frank Sinatra’s vocals was almost like a small lesson. First off, the estate gave us permission, which was huge. We were punching the air with excitement about that.

Seriously.

Seriously. And then to get the master recording of his vocals — which you can even hear some of the band in it, because that’s just how they did it then. It was all done..

Yeah, it was all done as one performance.

Exactly. When we record now, usually, 99% of the time it’s to a click track, so you’re already in time. So to try and imagine what my interaction with him would have been, or what it was to be in the recording of that song, was wild. He’s known for his singular timing and phrasing, so hearing his voice and dancing with that while we recorded… it was pretty incredible.

Very special moment, I’m sure. But also, I love the new songs, especially “Office Party” — I’m already so obsessed with it.

I have to say, it’s hilarious.

I love that you say that. It almost feels like a playful nod to those golden age greats who leaned into the kitschy, theatrical elements of the holidays. I think one of my favorite songs is “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.

Oh, that makes “Office Party” seem less hilarious. "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," I don’t know that song.

You have to look it up. Gayla Peevey.

I'm going to write it down. I must have heard it before, I must have heard it.

It’s so pure. But are there any obscure Christmas songs you love?

Not until now, not until I listen to that one. I must have heard it at some point.

I can’t wait for you to hear it.

But with “Office Party,” we — myself and three other guys writing and recording in the studio — had a very funny alt album title list that goes no further than the studio — so I can’t share it — but there were a lot of LOLs. “Office Party” came from a couple of places. Obviously, the TV show The Office, which we all know and love. But also on tour, our whole team had to get visas done, and when visas are done — everyone's in suits. They just add your head and neck to a suit. And I went, “Oh my god, look at us -- that's not us.” And I said, that’s got to be our Christmas office party — everyone shows up in a grey suit.

So that was in my mind, plus the show, and especially in the UK, where Christmas is such a huge thing. And it is about the office party and Christmas sweaters, and Bridget Jones and Love Actually — and all of that.

Just for laughs in the studio, we added a photocopier sound at the end. I thought, “I’m going to get an email about this.” Like, “We love it, but not sure about the sound effect.” But we love it. It’s a great little button on the song. That’s the playfulness. Sonically, it’s leaning into that “Santa Baby” world — a little sassy.

And it totally lands that way. I also love “XMAS.” I can already hear it in the club. How did that one come about?

I can tell you exactly, because that one I do know the genesis of. After we recorded the first Christmas album, we did a performance somewhere in Berlin. After the show, we were all on the terrace bar at Soho House for my choreographer’s birthday. My guitarist, Luke Fitton who I adore, and I, we must have just had Christmas in our minds because we had just finished making the album. And...possibly had a glass or two of wine. And the two of us just started singing “XMAS” over whatever was playing at the bar and shaping the letters out with our arms. Just as a joke.

But then we thought, wait, this is catchy. And I’ve had it in my head for 10 years. And this year, being the 10th anniversary, I was like, "I've gotta get it out of my head. It can't live in my head and in my voice notes and in my notes -- any longer. I need to see this through." So now that I have people doing the “XMAS” dance with me and for me. It’s incredible.

And then "Hot in December," which is a total bop.

We need more December bops. The world needs more December bops.

Absolutely. I'm here for you.

Last one — totally off the cuff. Fuck, Marry, Kill: Santa, Scrooge, or Frosty?

Hang on, I’ve got to write this down. **pen clicks**

FMK: Santa, Scrooge, Frosty? Ahhh. You’re hitting me with the hard questions here.

I’m literally giving journalism.

This is cutting-edge. Oh my gosh. There’s no right answer, is there?

Maybe that is the answer. There is no answer.

I’ve written it down, the shorthand — FMK: Santa, Scrooge, Frosty. Just imagine, it's very: Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. That’s the calculation happening right now.

Interview edited for clarity and length.

Photos courtesy of the artist.