Since the late eighties, Australian soap opera 'Neighbours' has been something of an institution here in the UK and has been a launch pad for more than one wannabe musical career. By far the most famous graduate of this particular school is Kylie Minogue, with Jason Donovan in second place a few lengths behind. Natalie Imbruglia, Craig McLaughlan, Dan Falzon, Stefan Dennis etc have all had a crack to greater or lesser effect (usually lesser) but it took Holly Vallance (aka Felicity "Flick" Scully) to become the third of the alumni to score a UK number one.'Kiss Kiss' started out in life as 'Şımarık', an Eastern flavoured pop song by Turkish singer Tarkan. American Stella Soleil added an English lyric and title and gave it a rap/hip hop makeover in 2001 and now Vallance neatly takes the middle ground by keeping the Anglophile styling of Soleil but cutting back on her urban beats and grit to highlight the Eastern twang of its origins, albeit keeping the pop fizzing and not straying too far into the ghetto of 'world music'. All of which makes the resultant hybrid....something and nothing really, a watered down version of both worlds that takes without giving and doesn't leave Vallance a whole lot to do other than pout and preen in the video. Less 'Turkish Delight' and more 'Turkish Indifference', 'Kiss Kiss' is a harmless diversion but it's nothing that leaves the world in a better place with its passing.
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