You know that feeling when you're driving down a highway at 2 AM and the air just feels different? That's the vibe. Honestly, when I first heard that a masked cowboy, a dance-pop queen, and a polarizing DJ were teaming up, I thought it might be a mess. It sounds like the setup to a weird joke. A country singer walks into a club...
But then you hear it.
Kylie Minogue Midnight Ride isn't just a random collaboration thrown together by a label to hit two different demographics. It’s a very specific, shimmering piece of "disco-country" that actually makes a lot of sense if you’ve been paying attention to the career pivots of everyone involved. Released in June 2024, the track serves as a bridge between Orville Peck’s duets album Stampede and Kylie’s high-energy Tension II.
The Secret WeHo Pride Debut
People love a surprise. On June 2, 2024, Kylie was headlining the OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride in Los Angeles. The crowd was already losing it. Then, she brings out Orville Peck, fringe mask and all, along with Diplo. They premiered the song right then and there.
It was smart. It was the perfect audience for a song that celebrates queer identity, country aesthetics, and late-night dance floors. Orville Peck later said in a statement that Kylie was the very first person he asked to be on the Stampede project. He knew the "magic" they could make.
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The song officially dropped a few days later on June 7. It didn't just sit on Peck's album, though. Kylie fans were stoked to see it show up on the tracklist for Tension II later that year. It fits. It’s got that "Padam Padam" energy but with a mechanical guitar chug and a whistle refrain that feels like a spaghetti western directed by a disco ball.
Breaking Down the Sound
What is it, exactly? It’s 3 minutes and 30 seconds of weirdly infectious pop.
The production was handled by a small army: Diplo, the Picard Brothers, Christopher Stracey, and Peck himself. Kylie even gets a credit as a vocal recording engineer. She’s a pro. She knows exactly how she wants her voice to sit in the mix.
- The Verse: Orville Peck’s baritone starts things off. It's deep, almost Elvis-like.
- The Shift: When Kylie enters, the register jumps. Her voice provides this airy, light contrast to Peck's gravelly tone.
- The Spoken Word: There’s a moment where they trade lines about falling in love and promising to "never be bored." It’s camp. It’s theatrical. It’s 100% them.
Some critics on Reddit and various music forums initially felt the mix was a bit "flat" at the start, but most agreed that once Kylie’s vocals kick in, the whole thing gels. It’s a "dance track with a twang."
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Why This Collaboration Mattered in 2024
Let's talk about the charts. Kylie Minogue Midnight Ride performed respectably, peaking at number 7 on the UK Official Singles Downloads Chart. In Australia, the Sofi Tukker remix even clawed its way into the iTunes Top 30.
But the chart numbers aren't the whole story.
This song was part of a larger movement where country music started flirting heavily with pop and electronic genres. Think back to 2024. Beyoncé was doing Cowboy Carter. Post Malone was pivoting. Orville Peck was already there, but bringing in Kylie Minogue—an icon who has basically mastered the art of the "cool aunt" of pop—validated the crossover for a whole different set of fans.
Credits and Contributors
If you're a credits nerd, here’s who else was in the room:
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- Marta Cikojevic: Co-writer and backing vocals.
- Kane Ritchotte: Drums and percussion.
- Benny Bock: Rhodes piano.
- Spike Stent: The legendary mixer who made it sound expensive.
The Physical Release and Rarity
If you’re a collector, you probably already know about the 7-inch vinyl. It was released in Australia in August 2024. Because it was a limited run, the prices on the secondary market (like Discogs) started creeping up almost immediately. By early 2026, copies were being listed for well over $80, sometimes hitting nearly $200 for a mint copy.
Collectors have complained about the lack of a proper slipcase for some versions, but that hasn't stopped the "completionists" from hunting them down.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’ve only listened to the radio edit, you’re missing half the fun. To really get the most out of this era of Kylie’s work, here is what you should do:
- Listen to the Sofi Tukker Remix: If the original feels too "country" for your workout playlist, this version strips back the twang and leans heavily into the club beats.
- Check out "Stampede": Don’t just stop at the Kylie track. Orville Peck’s duets with Willie Nelson and Elton John on the same album provide the context for why he chose Kylie in the first place.
- Watch the WeHo Live Footage: The studio version is polished, but the live performance at Pride has an energy that explains the song's soul. You can see the chemistry between Peck and Minogue—it wasn't just a remote "send in your vocals" job.
- Track the "Tension II" Narrative: This song serves as track 12 on Tension II. Listen to it in the context of "Edge of Saturday Night" (with The Blessed Madonna). You’ll see how Kylie was intentionally curating a "collaboration" vibe for that record.
The "Midnight Ride" isn't over just because the song is a couple of years old. It remains a standout moment in Kylie's late-career renaissance, proving she can hop onto a country-tinged EDM track and still sound like the biggest star in the room. If you haven't revisited it lately, put on some headphones, wait for the sun to go down, and let that whistle refrain get stuck in your head again. It’s worth the trip.