New Sensation

Like all the original tracks on Kick, "New Sensation" was written by lead singer Michael Hutchence along with Andrew Farriss, who played a number of instruments in the group. Farriss came up with a guitar riff that carries the track musically; Hutchence added the "seize the day" lyric, encouraging us to live boldly, seeking out new sensations. "I felt that a lot of the lyrics on the Kick album were very positive lyrics," Farriss told Songfacts. "When I listen to that album, a lot of the lyrics are about celebrating life, and I find them particularly positive."

Listen carefully under the guitar and you'll hear a banjo line, which Andrew Farriss added using a sampler.

The video shows a different side of Michael Hutchence, putting him in a suit and ponytail (très chic in 1987) as the band performs the song at the Municipal House in Prague. INXS was fond of their visual effects, and this one used a combination of light waves mixed with a strobing look pioneered in the Wang Chung "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" video. Like most of their early videos, it was directed by Richard Lowenstein, their good friend from Australia.