A Tiny Pop Genius
In the vein of my overexcited musical fixations, this one's LONG overdue
Not sure why I'm so fixated on the fact that she's little, but I always seem to refer to Robyn as being tiny (and a genius)...I think it's because it's easy to forget. She has such a big stage presence and confidence/sass level that her small stature fails to even be an issue.
It's wierd, we all knew her in the UK in about 2007 because she had a number one single: With Every Heartbeat (which was written/made with this cool fellow Swedish techno-type called Kleerup). That sort of gives you a good overview of Robyn's musical style. Which I'd describe as electro-pop. The kind of music that Scandinavians do so well for some reason (see Norwegian Röyksopp and Swedish The Knife - who are AMAZING) Maybe it's the cold weather. Anyhoo! Off topic...
SO Robyn had soem pretty sweet songs in the mid-2000s that I missed somehow (more fool me) AND in 1997 she was one of two Robins to release a song with the same name - WHAT are the chances man (Robin S released the dance classic Show Me Love and Robyn released the poptastic and unrelated Show Me Love - just WATCH below - 90s pop at its best).
I was fairly unaware of anyone but Boyzone and The Spice Girls as a musically clueless year old, but I remember this song. When I heard it while investigating Robyn last year, it was like hearing from an old friend you'd almost forgotten It's a brilliant pop song.
It's funny how I got really really into Robyn just a year or two ago. It was like the start aligned or something...I'd been watching an hilarious German soap opera called Hand aufs Herz (sort of German 'Glee') in which one of the characters sang a lovely acoustic version of Be Mine! (granted, Robyn's acoustic Be Mine! probably pips it to the post for loveliness) then I had 2 friends who'd never discussed Robyn before (I'd only just met one of them at a futureheads gig) who were saying I AGREE ROBYN IS SO COOL. Which gave me extra impetus to dive right into a new musical obsession that would eclipse even my Muse one (I've seen those guys 7times in concert - I went to Poland especially for them once).
So I listened to some recent Robyn stuff like Dancing On My Own (which I LOVE and have been know to air-drum down the street to and also has a beautiful acoustic version) but it was the song and video for Hang With Me that properly tipped me into the mad devotion of going to see her 4 times in a year. Just watch it. It's gorgeous:
Well done to oft-Robyn video director Max Vitali. It's beautifully shot and put together and I recognised Rough Trade East - a record shop I frequent whenever I got to London. Made me kick myself for not knowing about Robyn earlier...but I set about rectifying that and immediately bought her 2007 breakout album Robyn and the current Body Talk Trilogy (YES! THREE albums in ONE year!). In fact I was missing having the longest Body Talk with me on holiday so much I went and bought parts 1 and 2 just to tide me over - THAT'S HOW INTO THE ALBUMS I AM.
Wait, where was I? Oh I haven't even got to how amazing she is LIVE. So I booked a gig ticket and listened to the Body Talk and Robyn albums and talked about how much of a genius Robyn is non-stop and then found out she'd be playing Glastonbury! Which I had a ticket for!!
That. Seeing her live. From the front of the barrier, jeopardising my view for Beyoncé who was playing next about half a mile across the site from where Robyn was, was just SO UNBELIEVABLY WORTH IT. I don't think I've ever made a better decision than that. I was so excited - and she gave such and amazing live show. AMAZING. She throws herself around the stage with reckless dancing abandon and it just made me dance even crazier than usual (see above RE: air drumming) just to keep up with her! Plus you can't not dance to her music. It just sweeps me along with the beat! She's totally excellent. Also her audience interaction - she looks into the crowd and actually waves and points and sings to you! That added just this really simple extra element of connection to her and her fans - it's fantastic.
No wonder when I got back form Glasto I immediately booked a festival in London which I had to get up at 4am to go down just for the day just to see Robyn - IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Then was the gig I'd booked first in Manchester (incredible) and then I went to see her support Coldplay who are one of my fave bands (it was totally 60:40 to see Robyn) and she sang the end of With Every Heartbeat to me! So that was one of the best days ever. I honestly think I will NEVER get tired of listening to or seeing Robyn live. She blows my mind every single time.
Plus her fans are all as fanatical as me! She just inspires that in people - it's brilliant :) Like, my dream disco would be only Robyn songs - which sort of happened for real in Williamsburg a wee while ago - why am I not in NYC at all times?! Excellent!
Well in summation - I recommend (and never shut up about) Robyn to pretty much everyone I meet.
I mean, come on - how can you not love this woman? JUST LOOK:
( Source)
Not sure why I'm so fixated on the fact that she's little, but I always seem to refer to Robyn as being tiny (and a genius)...I think it's because it's easy to forget. She has such a big stage presence and confidence/sass level that her small stature fails to even be an issue.
It's wierd, we all knew her in the UK in about 2007 because she had a number one single: With Every Heartbeat (which was written/made with this cool fellow Swedish techno-type called Kleerup). That sort of gives you a good overview of Robyn's musical style. Which I'd describe as electro-pop. The kind of music that Scandinavians do so well for some reason (see Norwegian Röyksopp and Swedish The Knife - who are AMAZING) Maybe it's the cold weather. Anyhoo! Off topic...
SO Robyn had soem pretty sweet songs in the mid-2000s that I missed somehow (more fool me) AND in 1997 she was one of two Robins to release a song with the same name - WHAT are the chances man (Robin S released the dance classic Show Me Love and Robyn released the poptastic and unrelated Show Me Love - just WATCH below - 90s pop at its best).
I was fairly unaware of anyone but Boyzone and The Spice Girls as a musically clueless year old, but I remember this song. When I heard it while investigating Robyn last year, it was like hearing from an old friend you'd almost forgotten It's a brilliant pop song.
It's funny how I got really really into Robyn just a year or two ago. It was like the start aligned or something...I'd been watching an hilarious German soap opera called Hand aufs Herz (sort of German 'Glee') in which one of the characters sang a lovely acoustic version of Be Mine! (granted, Robyn's acoustic Be Mine! probably pips it to the post for loveliness) then I had 2 friends who'd never discussed Robyn before (I'd only just met one of them at a futureheads gig) who were saying I AGREE ROBYN IS SO COOL. Which gave me extra impetus to dive right into a new musical obsession that would eclipse even my Muse one (I've seen those guys 7times in concert - I went to Poland especially for them once).
So I listened to some recent Robyn stuff like Dancing On My Own (which I LOVE and have been know to air-drum down the street to and also has a beautiful acoustic version) but it was the song and video for Hang With Me that properly tipped me into the mad devotion of going to see her 4 times in a year. Just watch it. It's gorgeous:
Well done to oft-Robyn video director Max Vitali. It's beautifully shot and put together and I recognised Rough Trade East - a record shop I frequent whenever I got to London. Made me kick myself for not knowing about Robyn earlier...but I set about rectifying that and immediately bought her 2007 breakout album Robyn and the current Body Talk Trilogy (YES! THREE albums in ONE year!). In fact I was missing having the longest Body Talk with me on holiday so much I went and bought parts 1 and 2 just to tide me over - THAT'S HOW INTO THE ALBUMS I AM.
Wait, where was I? Oh I haven't even got to how amazing she is LIVE. So I booked a gig ticket and listened to the Body Talk and Robyn albums and talked about how much of a genius Robyn is non-stop and then found out she'd be playing Glastonbury! Which I had a ticket for!!
That. Seeing her live. From the front of the barrier, jeopardising my view for Beyoncé who was playing next about half a mile across the site from where Robyn was, was just SO UNBELIEVABLY WORTH IT. I don't think I've ever made a better decision than that. I was so excited - and she gave such and amazing live show. AMAZING. She throws herself around the stage with reckless dancing abandon and it just made me dance even crazier than usual (see above RE: air drumming) just to keep up with her! Plus you can't not dance to her music. It just sweeps me along with the beat! She's totally excellent. Also her audience interaction - she looks into the crowd and actually waves and points and sings to you! That added just this really simple extra element of connection to her and her fans - it's fantastic.
No wonder when I got back form Glasto I immediately booked a festival in London which I had to get up at 4am to go down just for the day just to see Robyn - IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Then was the gig I'd booked first in Manchester (incredible) and then I went to see her support Coldplay who are one of my fave bands (it was totally 60:40 to see Robyn) and she sang the end of With Every Heartbeat to me! So that was one of the best days ever. I honestly think I will NEVER get tired of listening to or seeing Robyn live. She blows my mind every single time.
Plus her fans are all as fanatical as me! She just inspires that in people - it's brilliant :) Like, my dream disco would be only Robyn songs - which sort of happened for real in Williamsburg a wee while ago - why am I not in NYC at all times?! Excellent!
Well in summation - I recommend (and never shut up about) Robyn to pretty much everyone I meet.
I mean, come on - how can you not love this woman? JUST LOOK:
( Source)