Padam Padam isn’t just Kylie Minogue’s latest banger – it’s also everyone’s new favourite meme
Kylie Minogue’s latest single “Padam Padam” has generated meme after meme (@matterial_girl, @sullyhasthots/ Twitter, @evanrosskatz/ Instagram/ Erik Melvin )
If you’ve been anywhere near Twitter or a homosexual’s Spotify account recently, you’ll have noticed or heard strange words floating about that sound a bit like a heartbeat: “Padam Padam.”
No, it’s not a planet in Star Wars or a new prescription drug. In fact, it’s the name of Kylie Minogue’s new single – and it’s got the gays in a chokehold.
The first aspect of the obsession, generated by the Australian superstar, is the track itself. Its slick dance beat and the lyrics: “Padam, Padam/I hear it and I know/Padam, Padam/I know you wanna take me home” are laced with deliciously camp replay value.
But if there’s one thing gay Twitter loves more than a pop girlie, or a pop girlie’s new single, it’s one that generates memes. And, as one Twitter user stated above a video of Drag Race contestant Miz Cracker performing some questionable dance moves, retroactively set to the song: “‘Padam Padam’ has taken over my timeline and I’m not mad about it.”
The craze is even spilling over into work environments and spoof public service announcements aimed at parents concerned about what their child’s acronyms mean while texting.
Instagramer Evan Ross Katz has joined in, too, photoshopping the words over scenes from A Star is Born and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Other users have referred to the slogan for the dystopian version of America featured in the Hunger Games novels, Panem, rewriting the motto as: “Padam today, Padam tomorrow, Padam for ever.”
In short, the world is awash with love for Kylie and the song, with fans ranging from drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova, who admits that she’s been listening to the song 25 times a day, to Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall, filmed dancing to the camp anthem in a club.
And as for the memes, well they just keep coming.
“Padam Padam” is the first single from Kylie’s new album Tension, which is set to be released on 22 September.
“I would say it’s a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high,” Minogue said of the album.
“Making this helped me navigate challenging times and celebrate the now. I hope it accompanies listeners on their own journeys and becomes part of their story.”
Kylie’s sister Dannii has also recently found her way to the top of the consciousness of gay Twitter by hosting the UK’s first gay dating show, I Kissed a Boy.
“Padam Padam” is out now.
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