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Better the Devil You Know

 
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"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop
Dance-pop

Dance-pop is a style of electronic dance music and a subgenre of pop music that evolved from disco, circa 1981, that combines dance beats with a pop music/contemporary R&B song structure....
 song
Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
 written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman

Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a United Kingdom songwriter and record producer trio who had great success during the mid-late 1980s and early 1990s with many of their productions....
 for Australian pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 singer Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue

Kylie Ann Minogue, Order of the British Empire, , is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. She rose to prominence in the late 1980s through her role in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987....
's third album, Rhythm of Love
Rhythm of Love (Kylie Minogue album)

Rhythm of Love is the third album by Australian Pop music singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on November 12 1990, and received positive reviews....
 (1990).

ter the Devil You Know" was released as the album's first single
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 in April 1990
1990 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990....
, and its music video
Music video

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a pop music or rock music song with lyrics. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings....
 helped Minogue break out of her early "girl-next-door" image.

Backing vocals for the song were provided by Minogue, Mae McKenna, Mike Stock, and Miriam Stockley.

The release of 'Better The Devil You Know' marked a milestone in Kylie's career.






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"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop
Dance-pop

Dance-pop is a style of electronic dance music and a subgenre of pop music that evolved from disco, circa 1981, that combines dance beats with a pop music/contemporary R&B song structure....
 song
Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
 written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman

Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a United Kingdom songwriter and record producer trio who had great success during the mid-late 1980s and early 1990s with many of their productions....
 for Australian pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 singer Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue

Kylie Ann Minogue, Order of the British Empire, , is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. She rose to prominence in the late 1980s through her role in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987....
's third album, Rhythm of Love
Rhythm of Love (Kylie Minogue album)

Rhythm of Love is the third album by Australian Pop music singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on November 12 1990, and received positive reviews....
 (1990).

Background

"Better the Devil You Know" was released as the album's first single
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 in April 1990
1990 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990....
, and its music video
Music video

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a pop music or rock music song with lyrics. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings....
 helped Minogue break out of her early "girl-next-door" image.

Backing vocals for the song were provided by Minogue, Mae McKenna, Mike Stock, and Miriam Stockley.

The release of 'Better The Devil You Know' marked a milestone in Kylie's career. Taking creative control over her image, Kylie returned in March 1990 with a new look and a new sound.

Featuring a striking video which Kylie filmed in Australia away from the constraints of PWL, 'Better The Devil You Know' debuted at No.5 in the UK. The following week it moved up to No.2 to become her 10th Top 5 single in Britain and 12th worldwide.

'Better The Devil You Know' also hit the No.1 spot in Israel, made No.4 in Australia and Malaysia, No.5 in Finland, No.11 in Spain, and went Top 40 in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Sweden and Switzerland.

Continued popularity

The song is played at 12.30 a.m. every Saturday night at the "G.A.Y
G-A-Y

G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. On Friday 3 October 2008, it moved to famous gay venue Heaven ....
" club in London's Astoria. The song has become an all-time favourite amongst many people and is often considered a 1990s classic. In 1998, Australian record company Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records

Mushroom Records is an Australian record company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records....
 re-issued the song as part of their 25th Anniversary Celebrations. The re-issue reached #59 on the Australian ARIA Charts in 1998.

In Media

was heard in a Pepsi commercial in 1990. Was featured in the film If Looks can Kill.

Track listings


Kylie version

CD single
  1. "Better the Devil You Know" - 3:52
  2. "Better the Devil You Know" (Mad March Hare Mix) - 7:09
  3. "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)" (7" Mix) - 3:21


7" single
  1. "Better the Devil You Know" - 3:52
  2. "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)" (7" Mix) - 3:21


12" single
  1. "Better the Devil You Know" (Mad March Hare Mix) - 7:09
  2. "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)" (Extended Mix) - 4:54


KylieX2008
  1. "Better the Devil You Know" X2008 Studio Version - 4:19


Steps version

  1. "Say You'll Be Mine" - 3:32
  2. "Better the Devil You Know" - 3:49
  3. "Better the Devil You Know" (2T's 2 Go Mix) - 5:53


Chart performance


Kylie version

Chart (1990)Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart4
Austrian Singles Chart27
European Singles Chart6
French SNEP Singles Chart13
UK Top 402
Belgium Singles Chart3
Netherlands Top 4022
Finnish Singles Chart5
German Singles Chart24
Irish Single Chart4
Israel Singles Chart1
New Zealand Singles Chart27
South African Singles Chart2
Swedish Singles Chart13
Swiss Singles Chart21
Spanish Singles Chart11


Steps version

Chart (1999)Peak
position
UK Top 404
Netherlands Top 4047


Music video

Kylieminoguebetterthedevilyouknowvideo2
The video for "Better the Devil You Know" 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
I Should Be So Lucky

"I Should Be So Lucky" is a Pop music–Dance music song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie ....
" (1987), that portrayed her as more innocent.

Cover versions

The song was covered by the Australian singer-songwriter Penny Flanagan
Penny Flanagan

Penny Flanagan is a Sydney based singer/songwriter and novelist. Her musical career began in 1989 when she cut her teeth on the workings of the Australian music industry as one half of the widely acclaimed folk-pop duo, Club Hoy....
 in 1997, pop group Steps in 1999
1999 in music

See also:* 1999 in music * :Category:Record labels established in 1999...
, peaking at #4 in the UK charts as a double A-side with "Say You'll Be Mine", and by Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten

Atomic Kitten is an England girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1999 in music. Formed by Andy McCluskey, the trio is composed of singers and songwriters Liz McClarnon, Natasha Hamilton, and Jenny Frost....
 in early 2000.

X Factor performance

On 15 December 2007 Minogue performed the song with X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 4)

The fourth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in autumn 2007. The first show aired on 18 August 2007 and the series was won by Leon Jackson on 15 December 2007, with Rhydian Roberts the runner-up and Danni Minogue emerging as the winning mentor....
 contestant Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson

Leon Jackson is a Scotland singer and winner of the The X Factor of the British television talent show The X Factor in 2007. His debut single, "When You Believe ", was released in December 2007....
 in the show's final. Jackson, who was mentored by Minogue's sister Dannii
Dannii Minogue

Danielle Minogue is an Australian Singing, occasional actress, and TV Personality. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian talent show show "Young Talent Time", and in the soap opera Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in the early 1990s....
, went on to win the X Factor and its £1 million recording contract.

Sample