Robyn (album)

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Robyn
Studio album by Robyn
Released 27 April 2005 (2005-04-27)
(see release history)
Genre Electropop, synthpop, R&B, dance
Length 38:20 (Swedish edition)
42:10 (international edition)
Label Konichiwa, Cherrytree
Producer Klas Åhlund, The Knife, Fabian Torsson, Johan Liljedahl, Patrik Berger, Teddybears, Kleerup
Robyn chronology
Robyn's Best
(2004)		 Robyn
(2005)		 Det bästa med Robyn
(2006)
Singles from Robyn
  1. "Be Mine!"
    Released: 30 March 2005
  2. "Who's That Girl"
    Released: 29 June 2005
  3. "With Every Heartbeat"
    Released: 15 January 2007
  4. "Konichiwa Bitches"
    Released: 26 March 2007
  5. "Handle Me"
    Released: 26 October 2007
Alternative cover
International release cover

Robyn is the fourth studio album by Swedish recording artist Robyn. It was released by Konichiwa Records on 27 April 2005 in Sweden. The album represented a change in Robyn's musical style, and featured pop and electronic dance music; inspirations were electronic duo The Knife and rock band Teddybears.[1] It also marks Robyn's first album release on her own record label, Konichiwa Records, which she founded in 2005.[1]

Contents

[edit] Background

In 2003, Robyn left her record label, Jive Records, because of the lack of artistic control offered to her by the label. The previous year she had released her third album, Don't Stop the Music, but felt disillusioned by the label's attempt to market her as the next Christina Aguilera in the United States. Robyn described the album as a "big compromise" and was upset because she "was going backwards" and not "doing what [she] wanted to".[1]

That same year, Robyn returned home to Sweden and discovered the electronic music brother and sister duo The Knife while browsing through a record store. She became inspired by how the duo self-financed and released their recordings and bought herself out of her recording contract with Jive Records. She was free from her contract, but did not want to sign with another major label because she felt that "it was totally illogical. Why would I do that? I felt like either I quit making music or I start my own record company".[1] Six months after leaving Jive Records, Robyn founded her own record label Konichiwa Records and began recording songs for her fourth album.[2]

In terms of the album's lyrical inspiration, Robyn told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul in March 2007: "I think the biggest lyrical inspiration for this album was going back to when I was like 15 and on the subway listening to hip hop. Back then - because I didn't know many people in Sweden who knew about rap, it was like my own music world - where the lyrics were very direct. So I tried to return to that age when you're so strong and self-confident, while acknowledging there's also a part of being a teenager when you're sometimes very insecure and feel very fragile."[3]

[edit] Singles
"With Every Heartbeat"
The song was a chart hit in several countries, and it is composed in the key of D major,[4] and is set in common time.[4]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"Be Mine!", the album's first single release in Sweden, reached number three and spent nineteen weeks on the singles chart.[5] The song received positive reviews from critics, and was named the fourth best song of 2005 by Stylus Magazine.[6] The second single, "Who's That Girl?", reached number thirty-seven in Sweden.[citation needed] Its lyrics discuss the feelings of a female who had been left beaten by the unpredictability of gender and image politics.[1] The songs "Handle Me" and "Crash and Burn Girl" were released as radio-only promotional singles in Sweden and were accompanied by music videos that featured Robyn dancing in a nightclub.

The album's lead single in the United Kingdom, "Konichiwa Bitches", received positive reviews from critics due to its "hip-hop sensibilities" and ability to illustrate "the zeal [Robyn] takes in making music".[7] The song received limited airplay and reached number ninety-eight in the UK.[citation needed] "With Every Heartbeat", a collaboration with Kleerup, was released as the second single in the UK. It reached number one and became Robyn's most successful single release in the UK. The album's third UK single, "Handle Me", backed by remixes by Soul Seekerz, reached number seventeen. "Be Mine!" was released as the album's fourth single on January 14, 2008.[8] and reached number ten.[9] "Who's That Girl" was the fifth UK single released from the album on April 28, 2008 and reached #26. "Dream On" was released on November 17, 2008 as the lead single from the special edition of the Robyn album and reached #29.

The lead single from the album in the United States, "With Every Heartbeat", was released January 29, 2008 as a digital download only. It was serviced to dance clubs and dj's and eventually reached #5 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart, as well as #12 on the Hot Dance Airplay chart. The second U.S. single, "Handle Me", was released on April 1, 2008 and reached #11 on Billboards Hot Dance Club Play chart and #4 on the Hot Dance Airplay chart.

[edit] Commercial performance

Robyn debuted on the Swedish albums chart at number one, and became Robyn's first number one album release.[10] The album remained on the chart for thirty-six weeks, and was certified platinum in 2006.[11] The album reached the number thirty-five in Norway, and remained on the albums chart for one week.[12] Although the album charted only in Sweden and Norway, in May 2005, it reached number sixty on the European Top 100 albums chart.[13] The album became Robyn's first release to chart on the UK Albums Chart, where it debuted at number twenty on August 2007.[14] The following week the album peaked at number nineteen.[citation needed] On January 13, 2008, the album re-entered the top forty at number eighteen, then climbed to number eleven three weeks later.[15] In January 2008, Robyn was certified gold in the UK.[16]

In 2006, Robyn was certified platinum, and has sold over 40,000 copies in Sweden.[11] In 2007, Robyn signed a North American distribution deal with Interscope Records.[17] She was asked by Interscope to include a rapper on the album to highlight its hip hop elements. In an interview with Metro International, Robyn said she understood why the label wants her to include a rapper, but does not want to "work with Akon or some other lame rapper. I want to work with someone who's gangsta, like Snoop or Method Man".[18] On April 29, 2008, Robyn was finally released in North America and debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #100,[19] with 7,000 copies sold.[20] It would only spend one week on the charts.[21] "Dream On" later appeared on the North American release of Robyn without Ola Salo's vocals.[22]

[edit] Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[23]
Blender 4/5 stars[24]
Robert Christgau (A-)[25]
Entertainment Weekly (A)[26]
NME (8/10)[27]
Pitchfork Media (8.2/10)[28]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[29]
Slant Magazine 4/5 stars[30]
Stylus Magazine (A-)[31]
The Village Voice (favorable)[32]

Upon its initial release in 2005, Robyn was well-received by music critics. Allmusic editor John Lucas called Robyn "one of the finest pop albums of the decade".[23] Stylus Magazine's Jessica Popper wrote that the album "manages to combine several of the currently popular music genres whilst still making a perfect pop album. It's one of the few Europop albums that not only deserves worldwide domination, but also has a really good chance of achieving it".[33] Jaime Gill of Yahoo! Music described the album as "playful, self-effacing and sassy, and very very female" and named "Be Mine!" as its best song.[34] In a review for the Manchester Evening News, Paul Taylor described the album as "undeniably sexy" and called Robyn "a mini-Madonna in the making".[35] Larissa Dubecki of The Age wrote that the album is "bursting at the seams with breezy, three-minute confections", but describe songs such as "Robotboy" as "embarrassing".[36] Pitchfork Media reviewer Jess Harvell wrote that Robyn's "pop fun is a bit knowing--she's 26 after all. But trust the Swedes. They know what they're doing with this sort of thing."[28] The website also named Robyn one of the best albums of 2005.[37] Since mid-2007 Robyn has received heavy play on Maximum Shine's themed radio show "Music Fo' Grown Fo'ks" at WKDU in Philadelphia (rarely has Robyn been off the "Music Fo' Grown Fo'ks" weekly top ten for the last several months).

Robyn was also well-received by music critics upon its US release in early 2008. Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, referring to the album as "hooky dance-pop greatness".[26] Billboard praised its "sassy and sweet dance pop gems".[38] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave the album an A- rating,[25] indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction".[39] James Hunter of The Village Voice complimented its "fast electro arrangements tending toward the geometric" and commented "Her appeal is questionable when she tries to sound like an American rapper, but on tracks where she just sings [...] she gives Europop a swift Swedish energy and presence".[32] It has received a rating of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic. It was one of the best-reviewed albums of the year based on Metacritic, and was listed as the best reviewed pop album of the decade.[40][41] Entertainment Weekly also named it the fourth best album of 2008.[42] Online music magazine Pitchfork Media placed Robyn at 68 in their 200 Album of the Decade list.[43]

[edit] Track listing

Swedish edition
No. Title Lyrics Music Producer(s) Length
1. "Curriculum Vitae" (featuring Swingfly) Robyn, Klas Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 1:53
2. "Who's That Girl"   Robyn Robyn, The Knife, Alexander Kronlund The Knife 3:47
3. "Handle Me"   Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 3:47
4. "Robotboy"   Åhlund Åhlund, Joakim Åhlund Åhlund 3:31
5. "Be Mine!"   Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 3:27
6. "Bionic Woman" (Interlude)       0:16
7. "Crash and Burn Girl"   Robyn, Åhlund Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund 3:35
8. "Tomteverkstan" (Interlude)       0:17
9. "Konichiwa Bitches"   Robyn, Åhlund Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund 2:37
10. "Bum Like You"   Robyn, Åhlund Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund 3:42
11. "Eclipse"   Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 3:29
12. "Should Have Known"   Robyn, Kronlund Robyn, Kronlund Fabian Torsson 3:59
13. "Anytime You Like"   Robyn Robyn, Johan Liljedahl, Patrik Berger Berger, Liljedahl* 3:52
International edition
No. Title Lyrics Music Producer(s) Length
1. "Curriculum Vitae" (featuring Swingfly) Robyn, Klas Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 1:53
2. "Konichiwa Bitches"   Robyn, Åhlund Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund 2:37
3. "Cobrastyle"   Klas Åhlund, Joakim Åhlund, Patrick Arve, Ewart Brown, Fabian Torsson, Troy Rami, David Parker, Sylvia Robinson Åhlund, Åhlund, Arve, Brown, Torsson, Rami, Parker, Robinson Teddybears 4:10
4. "Handle Me"   Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 3:47
5. "Bum Like You"   Robyn, Åhlund Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund 3:42
6. "Be Mine!"   Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 3:27
7. "With Every Heartbeat" (with Kleerup) Robyn Robyn, Andreas Kleerup Kleerup 4:13
8. "Who's That Girl"   Robyn Robyn, The Knife, Alexander Kronlund The Knife 3:47
9. "Bionic Woman"         0:16
10. "Crash and Burn Girl"   Robyn, Åhlund Robyn, Åhlund Åhlund 3:35
11. "Robotboy"   Åhlund Åhlund, Joakim Åhlund Åhlund 3:31
12. "Eclipse"   Åhlund Åhlund Åhlund 3:29
13. "Should Have Known"   Robyn, Kronlund Robyn, Kronlund Fabian Torsson 3:59
14. "Anytime You Like"   Robyn Robyn, Johan Liljedahl, Patrik Berger Berger, Liljedahl* 3:52

[edit] Bonus tracks

(*) Co-producer

[edit] Personnel

The following people contributed to Robyn:[45][46]

  • Robyn – lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, mixing
  • Björn Yttling – piano
  • Georg Riedel – double bass
  • Örjan Högberg, Johanna Tafvelin, Karin Liljenberg – violin
  • Malin Ny-Nilsson, Ida Nyman – viola
  • Mattias Helldén, Cecilia Linné – cello
  • Frippe Jonsäter, Ljunligan – special effects
  • Klas Åhlund – string arrangements, mixing
  • Joakim Milder – string arrangements
  • Björn Engelmann – mastering
  • Andreas Kleerup, Linus Larsson, Henrik, Erik Wikström, Ollie, Christoffer Berg, Patrik Berger, Johan Liljedahl, Fabian "Phat Fabe" Torsson, Janne Hansson, Michael Ilbert – mixing
  • Cass Bird, Frederik Skogkvist – photography

[edit] Charts and certifications

[edit] Charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[47] 73
Norwegian Albums Chart[48] 35
Swedish Albums Chart[49] 1
Swiss Albums Chart[50] 52
Chart (2007) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart 11
Chart (2008) Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[51] 29
European Top 100 Albums[52] 48
U.S. Billboard 200[19] 100

[edit] End-of-year charts

Year Country Rank
2008 United Kingdom[53] #97

[edit] Certifications

Country Certification
(sales thresholds)		 Sales
Sweden Platinum 65,000+
United Kingdom Gold[54] 242,000+[55]
United States 33,000[56]

[edit] Chart procession and succession

Preceded by
Devils & Dust by Bruce Springsteen
Störst av allt by Carola		 Swedish Albums Chart number-one album
May 5–12, 2005
May 19–26, 2005		 Succeeded by
Störst av allt by Carola
Mezmerize by System of a Down

[edit] Release history

Region Date Label Catalog
Sweden[57] April 27, 2005 Konichiwa Records KOR002
Norway
France[58] April 2, 2007 KOR005
United Kingdom[59]
Germany[60] August 10, 2007 Ministry of Sound/Edel 0181739
United Kingdom (re-release)[61] August 13, 2007 Island 1744780
Australia October 5, 2007 Modular MODCD074
United States[62][63] April 29, 2008 Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope 001095902
Japan[64][65] May 14, 2008 Universal UICI-1070
Special editions
Region Date Label Catalog
Germany[44] August 29, 2008 Ministry of Sound/Edel 01913339
United Kingdom[66] November 24, 2008 Island 1792706

[edit] References

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  5. ^ "Robyn - Be Mine!". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  6. ^ Southall, Nick. "Top 50 Singles of 2005". Stylus Magazine. December 5, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  7. ^ Deusner, Stephen M.. "Robyn -The Rakamonie EP Pitchfork Album Review". Pitchfork Media. December 1, 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
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  9. ^ "Be Mine! World Chart Positions". Retrieved January 29, 2008.
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  14. ^ "UK Albums Top 75 (Monday August 20th, 2007)". aCharts.us. Retrieved December 23, 2007.
  15. ^ "The UK Top 40 Albums (January 13, 2008)". BBC. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
  16. ^ "Robyn British Certification". British Phonographic Industry. December 14, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
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  18. ^ "Robyn tillbaka i USA på egna villkor". Metro International. February 26, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2008.
  19. ^ a b "Madonna's the Queen of Charts". Billboard. 7 May 2008. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/charts/chart_alert/e3i592760732d99aa5adffd2054f7eb252e. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
  20. ^ "Madonna's the Queen of Charts". Billboard.biz. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003799832. Retrieved 2010-06-21. 
  21. ^ "Billboard.BIZ". Billboard.BIZ. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=The+Billboard+200. Retrieved 2010-06-21. 
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  26. ^ a b Reviewed by Chris Willman (2008-05-02). "Robyn | Music Review | Entertainment Weekly". Ew.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20197289,00.html. Retrieved 2010-06-21. 
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  29. ^ Robyn[dead link]
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  41. ^ "Metacritic - Best Music 2000-09". Metacritic
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  43. ^ [1]
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  56. ^ Swedish Pop Sensation Robyn Brings 'Body Talk' To United States
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[edit] External links

Robyn
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Concert tours
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