"Wouldn't Change a Thing" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
, recorded for her second studio album ''
Enjoy Yourself'' (1989). The song was written by
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW and also known as the Hit Factory) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s throug ...
, and was released on 24 July 1989 by
Mushroom
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom.
The standard for the n ...
and
PWL Records. The song was released as the second single off the album.
Musically, "Wouldn't Change a Thing" is like Minogue's previous singles, which is
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
related, with instruments including
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
s,
drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
and
tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...
effects. Commercially, the song received success on the charts, peaking in the top 20 in countries including Australia, Denmark, Finland, France and the United Kingdom, while just missing the top twenty in New Zealand.
Minogue has performed the song in most of her tours including
Disco in Dream/The Hitman Roadshow,
Enjoy Yourself Tour
''Enjoy Yourself'' is the second studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, released on 9 October 1989 in the United Kingdom by Pete Waterman Entertainment (PWE), and in Australia on 6 November by Mushroom Records. In the United ...
,
Rhythm of Love Tour,
Let's Get to It Tour, and
Golden Tour. She also performed the song on a TV special entitled ''
An Audience with Kylie'' (2001).
Background
"Wouldn't Change a Thing" was Minogue's second single from her second studio album ''
Enjoy Yourself'' (1989). In the UK, the B side was "
It's No Secret", which was released as a single in North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in 1988. It was intended to be the fifth worldwide single release from the debut album ''Kylie'' but was cancelled in favour of "Hand on Your Heart" and therefore was released as the B-side to "Wouldn't Change a Thing". The song was released in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. This single was heavily promoted on UK TV while Kylie was recording her 2nd album ''Enjoy Yourself'' shortly after completing work on her first feature film ''
The Delinquents''.
Critical reception
Jason Shawahn from
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
said that the song, along with "
Better the Devil You Know
"Better the Devil You Know" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, taken from her third studio album ''Rhythm of Love (Kylie Minogue album), Rhythm of Love'' (1990). The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and was rel ...
" and "
What Do I Have to Do
"What Do I Have to Do" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue from her third studio album, '' Rhythm of Love'' (1990). The song was written and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Originally, the song was planned ...
", "are nothing if not pop masterpieces." Bill Coleman from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described it as "a delicate dance/pop ditty". He added, "Take note of the pumpin' 12-inch mixes." By contrast, Phil Cheeseman of ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
'' considered the song an "utterly vacuous and predictable record". Retrospectively, in 2019,
James Masterton
James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a British music critic and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worke ...
described it a "fondly remembered second single" and a "breezy summertime pop song and one which once more conjured up the same memories of early 70s soul as "
Especially for You"", and added it that was "so effortlessly charming even the most cynical of reviewers struggled to find anything negative to say about it". In 2023, Robert Moran of Australian daily tabloid newspaper ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' ranked the song as Minogue's 77th best song (out of 183), adding, "You've gotta love an '80s pop song that overuses the hip-hop stutter effect: "Ah-ah-ah-I wouldn't change a thing!" The chorus, both uplifting and naive, is deceptively catchy".
Chart performance
Commercially, "Wouldn't Change a Thing" received quite modest success, but nevertheless had good peaks. The song debuted at number ten in Minogue's home country
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, staying there for two weeks. The song then rose to number six for one week, and stayed in the charts for eight weeks. In
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, the song debuted at number thirty-four, until the next week it rose to number twenty-one peaking there, missing the top twenty. It stayed in the charts for five weeks. In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, the song debuted at number two, staying there for two consecutive weeks, being held off the top spot by
Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers's song "
Swing The Mood". It descended the way out, and stayed on the charts for nine weeks. The song debuted at number forty-four on the
French Singles Chart
SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
, until rising to number 19 peaking there. It stayed in the charts for nine weeks. The song debuted at number ninety-seven on the
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore radio, offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" ...
, until rising to number forty-three, peaking there for two consecutive weeks. The song spent a total of seven weeks there. The song debuted at number twenty-seven on the
Swiss Singles Chart
The Swiss Hitparade () is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* Singles Top 75 (released since 1968)
* Singles T ...
, until falling out. The song then re-entered at number twenty-eight, until it fell out the next week. The single sold 370,000 in UK. In the US, the song peaked at number 83 on the US
''Cashbox'' Pop Singles chart in February 1990, following its 12 January 1990, release to US radio.
Music video
The accompanying
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "Wouldn't Change a Thing" was Kylie's first video not shot in Australia, with filming taking place in London.
With a tight filming deadline, the video was styled at the last minute, using mostly Kylie and her dancers' own wardrobes, with tuxedos hired from a wedding hire shop.
Kylie wears cut off jeans and a black chiffon shirt knotted at the middle and evening wear, a bustier and skirt made out of pearls, her dancers in, alternately, top-hat-and-tails and street wear. The clip shows Kylie playfully enjoying herself in a garden in London, which belonged to PWL executive David Howells.
These sequences were intercut with studio shots of her performing the routine both casual and formal. Some of the handheld camera sequences were filmed by
Jason Donovan
Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 millio ...
.
Track listings
7-inch and cassette single
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" – 3:13
# "It's No Secret" – 3:57
12-inch single
:A1. "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (Your Thang Mix) – 7:10
:B1. "It's No Secret" (extended) – 5:46
:B2. "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (instrumental) – 3:13
Australian CD single
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (Your Thang Mix)
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
# "
Turn It into Love"
UK CD single
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (Your Thang Mix)
# "
Je ne sais pas pourquoi" (Revolutionary Mix)
US and Canadian 12-inch single
:A1. "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (The Espagna Mix) – 5:44
:A2. "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (Your Thang Mix) – 7:10
:B1. "It's No Secret" (extended) – 5:31
:B2. "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (instrumental) – 3:20
Japanese 7-inch and mini-CD single
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (single version) – 3:12
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (instrumental) – 3:20
Japanese mini maxi-CD single
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (Your Thang Mix)
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (single version)
# "Wouldn't Change a Thing" (instrumental)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certification and sales
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wouldn't Change A Thing
1989 singles
Kylie Minogue songs
Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
1989 songs
Pete Waterman Entertainment singles
Songs written by Mike Stock (musician)
Songs written by Matt Aitken
Songs written by Pete Waterman