Teases & Dares is the fourth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in 1984 via MCA Records.
In 1983, Kim Wilde left RAK Records, who had released her first three albums, and signed to MCA Records. Ricki and Marty Wilde produced this album together, and wrote most of the songs. However, it also featured for the first time two songs written and composed by Kim: "Fit In" and "Shangri-la", both made remarkable for their personal lyrics. "Fit In" was inspired by Kim's neighbours banging on the ceiling when she was playing a 12" single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, while "Shangri-la" seemed to describe a longing for a place without a care.
At first, the singles taken from this album seemed to continue the trend of receding sales figures, as both "The Second Time" and "The Touch" were relatively unsuccessful. Still, "The Second Time" reached the Top 10 in Germany and was welcomed as her big comeback single. By the end of 1984, Kim was voted for the third time since 1981 "Most popular female popstar" by Germany's biggest teen magazine ''Bravo''. In addition, "The Second Time" was Kim's second single to reach the US charts — retitled "Go For It", it peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "Rage to Love" (remixed by Dave Edmunds), was Kim's first in three years to break the UK Singles Top 20. By then, she had started her third live tour to mostly sold out halls all over Europe.
Wilde underwent a change of image during the making of the album, as she found herself being recast "in an entirely new light". She changed from a girl wearing secondhand clothes and self-dyed hair, to a Barbarella-inspired sci-fi goddess for "The Second Time". This was thought to have confused some fans who still regarded her as the girl-next-door. Wilde and her record company at the time bumped heads over creative control of the album cover as she was uncomfortable with the sudden change. Threatened with a potential album delay or cancellation, Wilde gave in. The album sleeve was cited as one of the reasons for weak sales, and Kim quickly switched back to an image she felt more comfortable in for the next two single releases. For "Rage to Love" promotion, she wore one of her father's Teddy Boy jackets; in keeping with the rockabilly retro theme of the song. Wilde taking control of her own image seemed to be a wise choice, as the success of her next album would prove.
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