This blog belongs to Radio Creme Brulee – an internet music radio station that broadcasts globally.

Cultural exchange has existed in all forms of art for decades. Hence, it is only natural that it would exist in modern pop music too. The borrowing of eastern influences in western pop music and a similar reverse assimilation has been quite commonplace for over a decade. Furthermore, with music getting increasingly more “international” in its flavor and sound, language is turning into less of a barrier for music to have a more global appeal. It has also paved the way for more cross-cultural collaborations wherein the two or more distinct flavors blend together while retaining their distinct musical identities. A noteworthy example of such a collaboration is Sting‘s “Desert Rose” – a pop track recorded and performed with Moroccan singer Cheb Maami. Aussie pop princess Kylie Minogue is no stranger to such a musical experiment. A few years ago, Kylie collaborated with Indian pop star Sonu Nigam on the horrendous and supremely embarrassing “Chiggy Wiggy” – a composition by music maestro AR Rahman for the soundtrack of the Bollywood flick “Blue“. Fortunately, she has got this type of duet right the second time around – with Italian pop queen Laura Pausini (known in the west for her hit single “Surrender“).

To celebrate 20 years in the music queen Laura Pausini is releasing a new greatest hits collection. Its lead single is a delectable mid-tempo duet with Kylie Minogue called “Limpido”. The beat sounds very mid-90s and is interspersed with the light strumming of a guitar which together frame the sonic backdrop of the song. The vocal interplay between Laura and Kylie is fantastically seamless – with Laura singing in Italian and Kylie singing in English. The two of them especially shine on their “dynamite hot” second verse wherein harmonies are overlayed over their individual parts. The soaring chorus is infectious:

Let it go,
No more fighting
Time will show you what you mean to me;

It leaves the listener longing for more. In a nutshell, “Limpido” is a multi-lingual duet done right and one that really plays on the musical fortes of both artists. Kylie does not try to sound Italian and Laura retains her musical and quintessentially Italian identity. Yet, their individual parts do not sound one bit disjointed. “Limpido” is a fantastic celebration of Laura Pausini‘s illustrious career and will undoubtedly reignite worldwide interest in Kylie Minogue as she completes her next album (which we hope will be out before the end of the year). Here is a full-length lyric video of the track:

STAR RATING: 4/5