Robyn review

Robyn carries on her affairs without outside assistance

USA and England are the most influential countries on the world music market – this is a fact based on naked statistics. It is hard to say which of them takes leading positions but speaking about a third place in this geographical rating it is absolutely obvious that it goes to Scandinavian countries. Perhaps Swedish and Finnish outstanding artists are not so numerous but they can compete with many world starts quite efficiently. The reason why we see them in charts so infrequently is that world music market is a place difficult of access for foreign artists. At least precisely this problem was the main obstacle for Swedish pop diva Robyn. Despite that fact that her debut album Robyn Is Here released in 1997 managed to achieve platinum status and her singles were repeatedly entering Billboard's top ten Robyn's following albums were released only in Sweden. So it is no surprising that finally she decided to carry on her affairs without assistance and started her own label Konichiwa Records with its aim set on liberating Robyn artistically. Her fourth full-length album Robyn was released on this label.

The album's second release

The album that we are discussing today is not a new record. It was released for the first time two years ago and received distribution in Sweden exclusively so it couldn't enter world market and accordingly was staying outside radars of many admirers of qualitative pop music. The situation changed this year as Robyn finally managed to release this disk in UK. The two years gap between album's releases gives us a unique chance to estimate this record's potential judging by purely external signs. First of all the most positive factor is recurring release. Secondly, we can get acquainted with how this album was taken in Sweden. And it must be said that it achieved the highest performance their and gained Robyn three Swedish Grammy Awards in 2006 for Best Album, Best Writer and Best Pop female. All the awards were rightful ones. Robyn is indeed unusual, interesting and qualitative pop album. The record's stylistics meets the demands of world mainstream but covers a whole set of different musical directions at the same time. It samples influences of electronic, R&B, New Age and soft pop music. The record sounds unique and very interesting so if you are searching for good dance music you simply have to try it.

Another interpretation of mainstream sound

Pay attention to the album's singles in the first place. All the songs sound pretty divers but equally catchy. With Every Heart Beat for instance is a very tuneful song, it has lots of massive keyboard layers and Robyn's singing resembles Madonna sometimes. Konichiwa Bitches, in its turn, offers striped down beat and saucy rapping mixed with excellent electronic arrangement. Handle Me combines tunefulness and Hip Hop beat and Be Mine reminds mainstream hits of girl bands. Crash And Burn Girl sounds great too – this is an excellent dance hit in the vain of old-school disco. But this is not the end yet. Singles are not the only merit of this album. The overwhelming majority of the songs sounds just perfect, always interesting and unpredictably. Make sure you'll listen to Cobrastyle or Bum Like You – these tracks are the album's integral part. As for the production work, just like many other records from northern Europe, Robyn carries a pretty specific character. Let's put it like this, the album represents a different interpretation of mainstream sound. A little bit cold and not so sickly-sweet as a majority of modern radio hits. Robyn will be interesting to anyone who takes an interest in dance music. This album stands very close to be a worldwide hit so don't pass it by.