Kids (Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue song)

"Kids"
Single by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue
from the album Sing When You're Winning and Light Years
B-side	"John's Gay" "Often" "Karaoke Star" "Kill Me or Cure Me"
Released	9 October 2000 (2000-10-09)
Studio	Master Rock (North London, England) Sarm Hook End (Reading, England)
Genre	Rock[1] pop[2]
Length	4:47 (album version) 4:19 (radio edit)
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Robert Williams Guy Chambers
Producer(s)	Guy Chambers Steve Power
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Rock DJ" (2000) "Kids" (2000) "Supreme" (2000)
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"On a Night Like This" (2000) "Kids" (2000) "Please Stay" (2000)
Music video
"Kids" on YouTube

"Kids" is a duet between singers Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, released on 9 October 2000 as the second single from Williams' third studio album, Sing When You're Winning, and as the third single from Minogue's seventh studio album, Light Years.^[3]

Williams and his then-songwriting partner Guy Chambers co-wrote the song for Minogue after she approached Williams to write her some songs for her first album under Parlophone, Light Years. Feeling the chemistry between both himself and Minogue, he decided to turn the song into a duet, include the track on his album, and release it as a single. His rap verse on the song comparing himself to Sean Connery and including the line "Press be asking do I care for sodomy/I don't know/Yeah, probably"^[4] was entirely removed for radio play and the version on Minogue's album.^[5]

Minogue and Williams re-recorded "Kids" with an updated, funkier arrangement for Williams' compilation album, XXV, released on 9 September 2022.^[6]

Chart performance

The song became a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number two and selling over 200,000 copies to earn a silver certification from the BPI.^[7] The track also entered the top 10 in Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, and Portugal, and peaked at number 14 in Kylie Minogue's native Australia, where it was certified gold for shipments of over 35,000 copies.^[8] The lyrics, although penned by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, make numerous references to the careers of both Minogue and Williams. Minogue's lyric "I've been dropping beats since Back in Black" self-deprecatingly refers to her 1980s pop image when she was known as the singing budgie from Australia (Back in Black being a 1980s album by Australian band AC/DC, which starkly contrasted with her own style at the time). Later, in 2010, this song was used as the theme song of Junior Masterchef Australia.

Music video

The music video for the song contains several references to the musical film Grease, particularly in the choreography between Williams and Minogue.^[9]

Track listings

Australian CD1[10] "Kids" – 4:47 "John's Gay" – 3:40 "Often" – 2:46 "Rock DJ" (video) Australian CD2[11] "Kids" – 4:47 "Karaoke Star" – 4:10 "Kill Me or Cure Me" – 2:14 "Kids" (video) European CD single[12] "Kids" – 4:47 "John's Gay" – 3:40 "Kids" (video)

UK CD1[13] "Kids" – 4:47 "John's Gay" – 3:40 "Often" – 2:46 "Kids" (video) UK CD2[14] "Kids" – 4:47 "Karaoke Star" – 4:10 "Kill Me or Cure Me" – 2:14 UK cassette single[15] "Kids" – 4:47 "John's Gay" – 3:40 "Often" – 2:46

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Sing When You're Winning album booklet.^[16]

Studios

• Recorded at Master Rock Studios (North London, England) and Sarm Hook End (Reading, England)
• Mixed at Battery Studios (London, England)
• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering (London, England)

Personnel

• Robbie Williams – writing, lead vocals
• Guy Chambers – writing, all keyboards, production, arrangement
• Kylie Minogue – lead vocals
• Gary Nuttall – backing vocals
• Katie Kissoon – backing vocals
• Sylvia Mason-James – backing vocals
• Tessa Niles – backing vocals
• Paul "Tubbs" Williams – backing vocals
• Claire Worrall – backing vocals
• Neil Taylor – guitars
• Winston Blissett – bass guitar
• Phil Spalding – fuzz bass
• Andy Duncan – drum programming
• Chris Sharrock – percussion
• Steve Power – production, mixing
• Richard Flack – Pro Tools
• Jim Brumby – Pro Tools
• Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[17] 14 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 38 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[19] 10 Croatia (HRT)[20] 3 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[21] 11 Germany (GfK)[22] 47 Hungary (Mahasz)[23] 8 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[24] 3 Ireland (IRMA)[25] 9 Italy (FIMI)[26] 29 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 24 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 5 Portugal (AFP)[30] 10 Scotland (OCC)[31] 2 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 31 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 35 UK Singles (OCC)[34] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2000) Position Ireland (IRMA)[35] 90 UK Singles (OCC)[36] 76

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[8]	Gold	35,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[7]	Silver	235,000[37]
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	9 October 2000	CD cassette	Chrysalis	[38]
Australia	30 October 2000	CD		[39]

References

1. Sendra, Tim. Kylie Minogue - Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection (2019): Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
2. Petridis, Alexis (22 August 2022). "Robbie Williams' 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
3. "Kids | Kylie Minogue". Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
4. "Rob's Bum Rap". NME. 25 July 2000. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
5. "Kylie Loses Robbie's Rude Rap". NME. 14 September 2000. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
6. "Robbie Williams – XXV". Retropop. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
7. "British single certifications – Kylie Minogue – Kids". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
8. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
9. "Kylie's duet with Robbie Williams". 28 October 2021.
10. Kids (Australian CD1 liner notes). Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue. Chrysalis Records. 2000. 7243 8 89679 0 7.
11. Kids (Australian CD2 liner notes). Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue. Chrysalis Records. 2000. 7243 889577 0 0.
12. Kids (European CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue. Chrysalis Records. 2000. 7243 8 89578 0 9.
13. Kids (UK CD1 liner notes). Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue. Chrysalis Records. 2000. CDCHS5119, 7243 889441 0 6.
14. Kids (UK CD2 liner notes). Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue. Chrysalis Records. 2000. CDCHSS 5119, 7243 889441 2 0.
15. Kids (UK cassette single sleeve). Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue. Chrysalis Records. 2000. TCCHS 5119, 7243 889441 4 4.
16. Sing When You're Winning (UK CD album booklet). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2000. 7243 5 28125 2 3.
17. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
18. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
19. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids" (in French). Ultratip.
20. "HR Top 20 Lista". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on 19 November 2000. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
21. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 44. 28 October 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
22. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
23. "Top National Selers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 45. 5 November 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
24. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 15.12. – 22.12. 2000 50. Vika)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 15 December 2000. p. 12. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Kids". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
26. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids". Top Digital Download.
27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 45, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
28. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
29. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids". Top 40 Singles.
30. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 49. 2 December 2000. p. 17. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
31. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
32. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids". Singles Top 100.
33. "Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids". Swiss Singles Chart.
34. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
35. "Top 100 of 2000". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
36. "Best Sellers of 2000: Singles Top 100". Music Week. 20 January 2001. p. 25.
37. Myers, Justin (22 March 2014). "Kylie Minogue's Official Number 2 Singles' Sales Revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
38. "New Releases – For Week Starting October 9, 2000" (PDF). Music Week. 7 October 2000. p. 29. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
39. "Robbie Williams". EMI Music Australia. Archived from the original on 30 October 2000. Retrieved 1 August 2023.