"Wouldn't Change a Thing" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue, recorded for her second studio album Enjoy Yourself (1989). The song was written by Stock Aitken Waterman, and was released on 24 July 1989 by Mushroom 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 related, with instruments including guitars, drum machine and tambourine 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.
"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. 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 said that the song, along with "Better the Devil You Know" and "What Do I Have to Do", "are nothing if not pop masterpieces."[2] Bill Coleman from Billboard described it as "a delicate dance/pop ditty". He added, "Take note of the pumpin' 12-inch mixes."[3] By contrast, Phil Cheeseman of Record Mirror considered the song an "utterly vacuous and predictable record".[4] In 2023, Robert Moran of Australian daily tabloid newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald 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".[5]
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, 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, 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 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.[6] The song debuted at number forty-four on the French Singles Chart, 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, 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, until falling out. The song then re-entered at number twenty-eight, until it fell out the next week.[7] The single sold 370,000 in UK.[8] In the US, the song peaked at number 83 on the US Cashbox Pop Singles chart in February 1990,[9] following its January 12, 1990, release to US radio.[10]
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Wouldn't Change a Thing" was Kylie's first video not shot in Australia, with filming taking place in London.[11] 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.[11] 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.[11] 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.[12]
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Australian cassette single sleeve). Kylie Minogue. Mushroom Records. 1989. C 929.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Australian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Kylie Minogue. Mushroom Records. 1989. X13400.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Australian CD single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. Mushroom Records. 1989. D 929.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (UK CD single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. PWL Records. 1989. PWCD42.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Kylie Minogue. Geffen Records. 1990. 0-21350.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Canadian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Kylie Minogue. Geffen Records. 1990. 92 13500.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Japanese 7-inch single vinyl disc). Kylie Minogue. PWL Records. 1989. 06B7-61.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. PWL Records. 1989. 09B3-61.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wouldn't Change a Thing (Japanese mini maxi-CD single liner notes). Kylie Minogue. PWL Records. 1989. 09B3-61.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
