Cowboy Style

"Cowboy Style" was written by Minogue, Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman, and was one of the first songs composed for the album.{{cite AV media notes |title=An Interview with Kylie Minogue|others=Kylie Minogue|year=1997 |chapter=An Interview with Kylie Minogue booklet "Cowboy Style|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=29|type=Audio CD |publisher=Deconstruction |id=KM002|location=London, England}} Minogue wrote the song prior to being in a relationship with French photographer Stephane Sednaoui with different lyrical context, but it was completed while she was dating. Of the song, Minogue said "the way you start a new relationship with someone, they can bring out so many emotions within you and makes you question yourself a bit more." The title "Cowboy Style" comes from when she first met Sednaoui in person, where she recalled him looking "unusual" and felt like he was "the new cowboy coming into town".

Following the weak commercial performances of the album and its previous singles, Minogue left Deconstruction Records.{{cite book |last1=Baker |first1=William |last2=Minogue |first2=Kylie |date=7 November 2002 |title=Kylie: La La La |location=London, United Kingdom |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |pages=107–108 |isbn=0-340-73439-6 }} While performing on her Intimate and Live concert tour in Australia, Minogue confirmed that she would release "Cowboy Style" as the fourth single in Australia and New Zealand by Mushroom Records. The single's artwork was shot during the Intimate and Live tour by Simon Emmert, which featured Minogue with a leather bra and a cowboy hat on. Idolator listed the artwork as one of "Kylie's Best Single Covers", saying "Leather bra and a cowboy hat. Enough said."{{cite web|url=http://www.idolator.com/photos/kylie-minogue-style-evolution/kylie-minogue-did-it-again?page=1&t=|title=Kylie Minogue "Did It Again" Single Cover Art 1997|publisher=Idolator. Buzz Media|access-date=18 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904230751/http://idolator.com/photos/kylie-minogue-style-evolution/kylie-minogue-did-it-again|archive-date=4 September 2013}} An unedited shot of the cover was featured in her Kylie photo album book, released in August 1999.{{cite book |last=Minogue |first=Kylie |date=August 1999 |title=Kylie |location=London, United Kingdom |publisher=Booth-Clibborn |isbn=978-1-86154-137-6 }}

"Cowboy Style" was recorded at Real World Studios, Sarm West and DMC Studios in London, England and was mixed by Alan Bremner at Real World.{{cite AV media notes |title=Impossible Princess|others=Kylie Minogue|year=January 2003 |chapter=Impossible Princess booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=1|type=Double CD Album |publisher=Deconstruction |id=82876511152|location=London, England}} Instrumentally, Greg Bones and Anderson played the guitar, Johnnie Hardie played the fiddle, and all other instrumentals played by Anderson. "Cowboy Style" is a Celtic pop song that lasts a duration of four minutes and forty-four seconds. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine commented that "Cowboy Style features a tribal percussion break and a string quartet that sounds more Celtic than country."{{cite web |last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/kylie-minogue-impossible-princess/371 |title=Kylie Minogue: Impossible Princess |work=Slant Magazine |date=19 November 2003 |access-date=30 January 2009}} Online music critic Adrian Denning compared the song to the work of Icelandic recording artist and songwriter Björk.{{cite web| first=Adrian | last=Denning | url=http://www.adriandenning.co.uk/kylie.html |title=Kylie Minogue Albums |work=adriandenning.couk | date=17 July 2009 | page=1 | access-date=14 March 2015}} Nick Levine from Digital Spy said "Oh, and in 'Cowboy Style', it has a track that manages to sound a little bit Celtic and a little bit Middle Eastern. Pete Waterman must have wept."{{cite web| first=Nick | last=Levine | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/thesound/a223660/kylie-revisited-6-impossible-princess.html#~oH1A8rOhtbk4KA |title=Kylie Revisited: Album 6 – Impossible Princess |work=Digital Spy | date=6 June 2010| access-date=20 March 2015}}

"Cowboy Style" received positive reviews from music critics. A reviewer from Who magazine was positive towards the track, stating it was "an almost Eastern feel under a free-flowing melody", as well as "classic poppy Kyles."{{cite magazine|title=She should be so lucky in love: Impossible Princess is all smiles|magazine=Who|date=January 1998|location=Australia}} Cameron Adams from Herald Sun also commended the track, saying it "manages to border from country music and remain cool."{{cite magazine|first=Cameron|last=Adams|title=CD of the Week: Kylie Minogue – Impossible Princess|magazine=Herald Sun|date=8 January 1998|issn=1038-3433}} Gary James from Entertainment Focus praised all the songs on Impossible Princess written by Minogue, and selected "Cowboy Style", along with "Say Hey", "Too Far" and "Limbo", as tracks in which the singer was able to portray a "sense of claustrophobia and uncertainty".{{cite web| first=Gary | last=James | url=http://www.entertainment-focus.com/music-section/music-news/kylie-the-songwriter/ |title=Kylie the Songwriter – Entertainment Focus |work=Entertainment Focus | date=19 March 2014 | page=1 | access-date=15 March 2015}} According to Stockport Times{{'}} Anthony Loman, Brothers in Rhythm's production, as well as its "electric fiddle", make the song "work well".{{cite magazine|first=Anthony|last=Loman|title=Perfect pop in smiley Kylie's stylee|magazine=Stockport Times|date=1 April 1998|page=10}} Owen Myers of Pitchfork labelled it as one of the "slight almost-anthems" from the album.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kylie-minogue-impossible-princess/|title=Kylie Minogue: Impossible Princess Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Myers|first=Owen|date=22 January 2023|access-date=22 January 2023}}

John Mangan from The Age was positive in his review, saying the song was a "funky hoe-down sound".{{cite magazine|first=John|last=Mangan|title=Britsoap princess makes steady progress|magazine=The Age|date=11 January 1998|issn=0312-6307|page=31}} Online critic Adrian Denning found the track "impressive, eastern flavored".{{cite web|last=Denning|first=Adrian|url=http://www.adriandenning.co.uk/kylie.html|title=Kylie Minogue Reviews|publisher=AdrianDenning.co.uk|date=19 September 2010|access-date=2 September 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102225018/http://www.adriandenning.co.uk/kylie.html|archivedate=2 January 2022|url-status=live}} Louis Virtel from The Backlot listed the song at number 11 on their list of Minogue's best songs and stated: "This stylistic mishmash (featuring a deep Celtic sound that, maybe, Alison Krauss could fiddle along with) is a hard-driving, adrenalized, sexualized quest for freedom. How do you deal with the fact that Kylie sings, 'I am frightened, I'm aroused, I'm enlightened to the now' and totally sells it?"{{cite web |last=Virtel |first=Louis |author-link=Louis Virtel |date=18 May 2013 |title=The Top 50 Best Kylie Minogue Songs in Honor of her Birthday! |url=http://www.thebacklot.com/kylie-minogues-50-best-songs-in-honor-of-her-birthday/05/2013/3/ |access-date=20 March 2015 |work=The Backlot |publisher=Logo TV}} Josh Martin from MTV Australia placed the track at number 16 on his list of Minogue's best singles, commenting it was "one of the richest instrumentals on Impossible Princess".{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Josh|url=https://www.mtv.com.au/news/08p51b/kylie-minogue-s-singles-ranked|title=Kylie Minogue's Singles, Ranked|date=18 September 2020|access-date=24 January 2023|publisher=MTV Australia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111215210/https://www.mtv.com.au/news/08p51b/kylie-minogue-s-singles-ranked|archive-date=11 January 2023}} "Cowboy Style" entered on the ARIA Charts at number 39 on 18 October 1998.{{cite web | url = http://australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?year=1998&date=19981018&cat=s | title = Discography – Chart week of 18 October 1998 | publisher = Australian Charts Portal | date = 18 October 1998 | access-date = 11 May 2015 }}{{cite web | url = http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kylie+Minogue&titel=Cowboy+Style&cat=s | title = Discography – Kylie Minogue – Cowboy Style | publisher = Australian Charts Portal | date = 18 October 1998 | access-date = 11 May 2015 }} It became the lowest charting single from the Impossible Princess album.{{cite web | url = http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kylie+Minogue&titel=Some+Kind+Of+Bliss&cat=s | title = Discography – Kylie Minogue – Some Kind of Bliss | publisher = Australian Charts Portal | date = 12 October 1997 | access-date = 27 July 2011 }}

File:Kylie showgirl in manchester (cropped).jpg (2006).]]

The music video for "Cowboy Style" was directed by Michael Williams and taped at a sound check at one of the Intimate and Live shows in June 1998.{{cite web|title=Cowboy Style (1998) |url=http://imvdb.com/video/kylie-minogue/cowboy-style |publisher=IMVDb |access-date=15 August 2015}} The music video was dubbed with the radio edit, and it was featured on the CD single. The music video was released on the DVD version of Greatest Hits 87–99 in June 2003.{{cite AV media notes |title=Greatest Hits 87–99|others=Kylie Minogue|year=June 2003 |chapter=Greatest Hits 87–99|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=DVD |publisher=Festival Mushroom |id=337498|location=Australia, New Zealand}}

Minogue performed "Cowboy Style" on the Australian morning TV series Hey Hey It's Saturday.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhvLjmHLoT0 |title=Kylie Minogue – 'Cowboy Style ' – Hey Hey It's Saturday Live |via=YouTube |publisher=Nine Network | date=18 April 2008 | access-date=21 March 2015}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}} Minogue included the song on the set list for her 1998 concert tour Intimate and Live. The performance was recorded on 30 June and 1 July at Capitol Theatre in Sydney, and appeared on the related CD and DVD.{{cite AV media notes |title=Intimate and Live|others=Kylie Minogue|year=March 2002 |first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=DVD |publisher=BMG; Mushroom |id=MUSH33183.2|location=Sydney, Australia}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Intimate and Live|others=Kylie Minogue|year=November 1998 |chapter=Intimate and Live booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=6|type=Double CD Album |publisher=Deconstruction |id=MUSH33183.2|location=Sydney, Australia}} The live version also appeared on her promotional single "Dancing Queen".{{cite AV media notes |title=Dancing Queen|others=Kylie Minogue|year=November 1999 |chapter=Dancing Queen|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=Promotional CD |publisher=Festival Mushroom |id=Kylie-3|location=Australia, New Zealand}} "Cowboy Style" was included on her 2002 Australian and European Fever Tour.{{cite web | first=Annaz | last=Hassan | url=http://popdirt.com/kylie-minogue-fever-2002-live-in-manchester-review/11652/ | title=Kylie Minogue 'Fever 2002 – Live in Manchester' Review | work=PopDirt | date=28 December 2002 | access-date=21 March 2015 | archive-date=15 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015222853/http://popdirt.com/kylie-minogue-fever-2002-live-in-manchester-review/11652/ | url-status=dead }} The performance featured Minogue standing on a level of staircases, dressed in a bright-pink sleeveless jacket with white cargo pants. The performance was recorded on 4 May 2002 at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and was released on 4 November that same year.{{cite AV media notes |title=KylieFever2002|others=Kylie Minogue|year=November 2002 |chapter=KylieFever2002 booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=DVD |publisher=Capitol, Mushroom, Parlophone |id=7243 490101 9 2|location=Manchester, United Kingdom}} The song's most recent performance was on the Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour in 2006. The performance was recorded on 12 November 2006 in Sydney, Australia and was released as a double CD set.{{cite AV media notes |title=Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour|others=Kylie Minogue|year=September 2006 |chapter=Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=DVD |publisher=Parlophone |id=00946 385331 2 2|location=Sydney, Australia}}

"Cowboy Style" was released in mid-1997 in the UK on a cassette tape with all other album tracks as part of a promotional release and a CD sampler.{{cite AV media notes |title=Tracks from the forthcoming album|others=Kylie Minogue|year=1997 |chapter=Tracks from the forthcoming album booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=1|type=Promotional CD |publisher=Deconstruction |id=KYLIE01|location=United Kingdom}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Kylie Minogue sampler|others=Kylie Minogue|year=1997 |first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=Cassette |publisher=Deconstruction |id=Kylie001|location=London, England}} "Cowboy Style" has been featured on many of Minogue's compilation albums. Its first appearance was on her 2002 BMG greatest hits compilation album Confide in Me, a compilation consisting majority of her singles and tracks from her Deconstruction period; Heather Phares from AllMusic praised the Impossible Princess tracks including "Cowboy Style".{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/confide-in-me-mw0000121200 |title=Confide in Me (Album) – Kylie Minogue |publisher=AllMusic. Rovi Corporation |access-date=30 June 2009}} It then appeared on her 2003 compilation album Greatest Hits: 87–99, and her 2004 album Artist Collection, which included most of her Impossible Princess era.{{cite AV media notes |title=Greatest Hits: 87–99|others=Kylie Minogue|year=June 2003 |chapter=Greatest Hits: 87–99 booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=2|type=Double CD album |publisher=Festival Mushroom |id=337492|location=Australia, New Zealand}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Artist Collection|others=Kylie Minogue|year=2004 |chapter=Artist Collection booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=1|type=CD |publisher=Deconstruction. BMG |id=BVCM-37560|location=London, England}} It appeared on the first disc of Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie released in July 2007 by UK independent label Music Club and her K25: Time Capsule by Warner Music Australia.{{cite AV media notes |title=Confide in Me: The Irresistible ylie|others=Kylie Minogue|year=July 2007 |chapter=Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=4|type=Double CD album |publisher=Deconstruction. BMG |id=MCDLX043|location=London, England}}{{cite AV media notes |title=K25 Time Capsule|others=Kylie Minogue|year=October 2012 |chapter=Time Capsule booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|page=29|type=Box set |publisher=Mushroom, Warner Music |id=531054255|location=Australia, New Zealand}}

CD single{{cite AV media notes |title=Cowboy Style|others=Kylie Minogue|year=18 August 1998 |chapter=Cowboy Style booklet|first=Kylie|last=Minogue|type=CD single |publisher=Mushroom |id=MUSH01812.2|location=Australia, New Zealand}}

1. "Cowboy Style" (radio edit) – 3:51
2. "Love Takes Over Me" (single version) – 4:09
3. "Cowboy Style" (music video)

Digital music video download{{cite web|title=Cowboy Style – Music Video|url=https://music.apple.com/nz/music-video/cowboy-style/281889175|work=iTunes Store (NZ)|date=14 October 2006|access-date=15 August 2015}}{{cite web|title=Cowboy Style – Music Video|url=https://music.apple.com/au/music-video/cowboy-style/281889175|work=iTunes Store (AU)|date=14 October 2006|access-date=15 August 2015}}

1. "Cowboy Style" (music video) – 3:51

Personnel are adapted from the album's liner notes.

• Kylie Minogue – vocals, songwriting, vocal production
• Steve Anderson – songwriting, guitar, drums, keyboards
• David Seaman – songwriting, guitar, drums
• Greg Bones – guitar
• Alan Bremner – engineer, mixing production
• Paul Wright – engineer
• Johnnie Hardie – fiddle
• Stéphane Sednaoui – photography
• Andrew Murabito – sleeve design

{{Reflist}}

{{Kylie Minogue songs}}

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Category:1997 songs

Category:1998 singles

Category:Deconstruction Records singles

Category:Kylie Minogue songs

Category:Mushroom Records singles

Category:Songs written by Dave Seaman

Category:Songs written by Kylie Minogue

Category:Songs written by Steve Anderson (musician)