Inspired by her journey, she enlisted several producers to create new music, including Ash Howes, Richard "Biff" Stannard, Sky Adams, Alex Smith, and Mark Taylor, among others.

Minogue co-wrote every song on the album, which features lyrics about failed relationships, death, escapism, family, ageism, and freedom.

Between 2014 and 2017, Minogue continued to appear as a featured artist in the works of Giorgio Moroder and Fernando Garibay, eventually branching out into film and television.

[6] Throughout 2017, Minogue worked on new songs with Amy Wadge, Sky Adams, DJ Fresh, Nathan Chapman, Richard "Biff" Stannard, The Invisible Men, and Karen Poole.

[7][8][9] Initial sessions began in London and Los Angeles, with Minogue describing the material as "synth-pop dance songs" that her fans would "expect from her".

"[10] She described the end result as "Dolly Parton standing on a dance floor" and added, "I did a lot of work on the album before that, but Nashville had a profound effect on me.

Regarding the album's sound, Laure Snapes of The Guardian stated "Kylie opts not for copper-bottomed songcraft, but the unholy intersection of country and EDM: drops beget scratchy fiddle breakdowns, while banjo clucks meet tropical house in a mush of mild euphoria.

"[15] Ben Cardaw from Pitchfork wrote that “She borrows from the sledgehammer-subtle EDM Americana of Avicii's "Wake Me Up," where fingerpicked guitars meet thundering bass drums and teeth-rotting synths in the year of our lord 2013.

"[16] Additionally, Slant Magazine editor Sal Cinquemani said that "While country signifiers abound, from foot-stomping to fiddling, the songs on Golden also smartly juxtapose contemporary pop elements like soaring synth hooks and pitched-up vocals.

[18] "Golden" is a self-empowerment anthem that appears on soundtracks for Spaghetti Western films, specifically referencing Ennio Morricone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly theme song with the yodelling.

[17][18] Lyrically, "A Lifetime to Repair" delves into failed relationships and contrasts "lolling" country guitars with "drawling" vocals and "glittery" pop music.

[19] "Sincerely Yours" is a pop ballad that serves as a "love letter" to her fans, sounding similar to the work of Canadian duo Tegan & Sara.

[16] "Live a Little" has a similar dance-country sound to the album's opener "Dancing", and the lyrics "slept by candlelight, scared of running out of time" describe her age expectations and desire to be free and have fun.

[22] "Raining Glitter" combines lilting acoustic guitar, disco beats, [and] a whooping vocal effect" that was compared to the Spiritual Life / Ibadan remix of Beth Orton's "Central Reservation".

[18][16] The standard edition album closer, "Music's Too Sad Without You", was written in collaboration with English-Italian musician Jack Savoretti and has been compared to American artists Beck and Lana Del Rey.

[24] The standard album contains 12 tracks totalling more than 40 minutes in length, while the deluxe edition includes four additional songs: "Lost Without You", "Every Little Part of Me", "Rollin'", and "Low Blow".

[31] In a lengthy article about the artwork, Idolator's Mike Wass wrote, "She casually poses on a sofa with tousled hair and minimal make-up.

Minogue released "Dancing" as the album's lead single on 19 January 2018, marking her first collaboration with BMG Rights Management.

Commercially, it performed moderately, reaching the top sixty of the United Kingdom and other component charts in Australia, France, and Japan.

[49] She performed "Dancing" and manned phone lines for Sports Relief the next day, as well as a special concert for Spotify fans at Porchester Hall on 22 March.

[61][62][63] On 9 September, she headlined the BBC Radio 2 festival in Hyde Park, and on October 28, she performed "A Lifetime to Repair" on The X Factor UK.

Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press observed that her songwriting abilities have become more reflective of her life; he says, "The lyrics fit a woman who turns 50 this year—regret, bad love, hope and yearning.

"[83] Nick Hasted of The Independent gave it three stars, saying it was better than her previous efforts because of its "authenticity", and naming "Shelby '68" and "Love" as two of the singer's most personal songs on the album.

"[20] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine rated the album three and a half stars, praising Minogue's experimentation with country music and describing it as her most "personal effort since 1997's Impossible Princess".

[17] Minor criticism was directed at her "tinny and over-compressed" vocals on certain tracks, but it was eventually determined that "Golden further bolsters Minogue's reputation for taking risks—and artfully sets the stage for her inevitable disco comeback.”[17] MusicOMH editor Helen Clarke gave it four stars and praised the singer's songwriting and production abilities.

[16] Larry Bartleet of NME felt that the best tracks occurred "when country serves as a delicate seasoning for Kylie's pop chops", citing "Dancing" and "Raining Glitter" as examples.

[18] In a negative review, Joe Muggs of The Arts Desk gave it two stars, claiming that the production and Kylie's songwriting were overshadowed by "bombast" musical styles.

[86] Golden outsold its closest competitor and previous week's number one, The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, by 13,000 units according to the Official Charts Company.