Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

In late April 2019, Minogue began hinting at a forthcoming greatest hits release by sharing footage from the music video for "Step Back in Time" on social media. A countdown subsequently appeared on her official website, initially set to end on 3 May but concluding one day early. When the countdown ended, the site displayed the album's slogan, “Pop Precision Since 1987”. Minogue formally announced the compilation, Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection, the same day, with pre-orders made available immediately. The release was designed to coincide with Minogue’s 30th career anniversary and her scheduled appearances at the Glastonbury Festival, Brighton Pride, and other summer events. It is her fifth greatest hits compilation, following Greatest Hits (1992), Hits + (2000), Ultimate Kylie (2004), and The Best of Kylie Minogue (2012). On the deluxe edition, the track "Breathe" appears on disc one between "2 Hearts" and "Red Blooded Woman", while “New York City” is included as a hidden final track on disc two. This sequencing is retained on the cassette and digital editions, with the exception of “New York City”. Several tracks from Minogue's catalogue were omitted from the original version, prompting criticism. ==Release==

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection was released on various formats on 28 June 2019 by BMG Rights Management. The album was released in two standard formats: digipack and 32-page hardcover book, both of which included two discs containing the album's material. Three vinyl sets were released in various colours: black, mint, and picture disc. All vinyl formats contain only twenty of the original album's forty-two tracks, but each copy also included a digital copy. Five two-set cassette tapes were also released in various colours, including clear, gold, green, pink, and white. In November, BMG added additional content to the album; the expanded version was released as a three-disc digipak and digitally on Minogue's website. ==Critical reception==

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection garnered positive reviews from music critics. Tim Sendra of AllMusic gave the greatest hits album four stars, calling it a "fitting tribute" in time for Minogue's 30th career anniversary. Sendra described it as "truly definitive and essential" and concluded by saying "This collection shows just how often that happened, especially after she was able to gain control of her own career." Quentin Harrison of Albumism wrote an article echoing similar sentiments about the lack of certain tracks on Step Back in Time, stating that Minogue's singles "Finer Feelings", "Where Is the Feeling?", "Some Kind of Bliss", "Flower", and "Into the Blue" should have been included on the album's original release. ==Commercial performance==

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection was a commercial success. It debuted at number one in Australia, becoming her sixth album to do so, and remained on the regional chart for four weeks. In New Zealand, the album spent one week at number 27 on the regional chart. Music Week reported that all formats sold 31,980 album-equivalent units in the region, with 25,992 of those units from physical sales, including 5,682 vinyl copies. The album spent a total of twenty weeks on the charts and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 100,000 units in the country. In Spain, the album debuted at number five on the Spanish Albums Chart and spent a total of 12 weeks there. Furthermore, it reached number nine in both Belgium (Flanders) and Switzerland (Romandy). It reached the top twenty in Switzerland and Germany, as well as the top forty in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal. Elsewhere, the album peaked at number 41 in Poland, and 45 in France. In the United States, the album reached number six on the Independent Albums chart, 32 on the Top Album Sales chart, and 23 on the Top Tastemaker Albums chart. ==Promotion==

The promotion for Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection began with the release of the stand-alone single "New York City". The song was first added to Minogue's Golden Tour setlist and, due to popular demand, was announced to be included on the compilation. It debuted as a digital single on 3 May 2019, and was featured on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 and The Graham Norton Show the same day. Six days later, Minogue's YouTube channel released a music video of the track featuring footage from her Golden Tour. Minogue went on tour in mid-2019 to promote the album. The show was announced during the European leg of her Golden Tour, and additional dates were added to coincide with Minogue's appearance at the Glastonbury Festival 2019. The show received positive reviews from publications, and her performance at Glastonbury received unanimous acclaim. Minogue's Glastonbury performance was the highest-rated show in history, with 3.9 million viewers. Minogue also toured Europe, including stops in the United Arab Emirates and Brazil. ==Track listing==

• Kylie Minogue – artist • Tony Huang – album artwork concept • Xevi Muntane – photography • F9 – megamix producer ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==