After a long vacation and work-related delays, I am returning to write for my blog. I’m realizing this project will not be completed within a year, which is a bummer but also reflects the breadth of the project itself. While I have heard a little over one hundred of the albums, there are still almost a hundred left, most of which I don’t own and have no easy way of obtaining. Hopefully I have some friends out there that will help.
When I saw Robyn’s name on my list of albums to hear, I was a bit perplexed. Had I heard this name before? Wasn’t there a “Robyn” that had released “Do You Know (What It Takes)” many years ago (the year I graduated high school, as a matter of fact)? Turns out she is the very same Robyn, who seemingly disappeared from the United States scene for many years. While Robin Carlsson (aka Robyn) remained relatively popular in her native Sweden and in parts of Europe, the lack of support from her record label through 2004, when she departed Jive Records (formerly she was with BMG before the record company consolidation in the mid-2000’s) and relatively disappeared.
In early 2005 she decided she would start her own record company to release her own records in order to gain total creative control over her material. She then released her fourth studio album, Robyn, in March 2005. Like leaving Jive and starting her own record company, Robyn represented a change of her sound and style. Robyn received strong critical reviews and sold fairly well. It is the topic of this blog entry.
#115 – Robyn, Robyn (Metascore = 86)
Unlike her previous albums, which were steeped in pop, Robyn introduced new musical elements to her songs, including electronica, rap, R&B and new age. While she still sings throughout the record, she also does a fair amount of rapping, which seems a little out of place for a former pop star. “Curriculum Vitae” hypes Robyn’s accomplishments and the skills that she possesses (though I find myself largely doubting and ignoring this). Robyn herself comes out like a prize fighter in “Konichiwa Bitches”, hyping her own assets while showcasing this new rapping ability. She actually presents herself very well, sounding assured and confident like Eve or Gwen Stefani.
“Cobrastyle” I recognized from the version from the band the Teddybears, of whom Klas Âhlund collaborates with Robyn on lyrics and music. “Cobrastyle” also sounds more reggae or ska, another element nonexistent in her pop work. “Handle Me” is her first blatant pop offering, but unlike the pop of her earlier career, the lyrics are darker, more mature than before. She harshly disses this guy that left her high and dry. “Be Mine!” was the album’s first official single and, like “Handle Me”, is a pop offering from the record with a darker twist, but the music here is the compelling aspect of the song, with the orchestral pieces interwoven with the electronic beats.
Overall, I have been very impressed with the growth in Robyn’s style. I like the creative depth she has made, showing off her abilities to work within contrasting styles such as reggae and pop. The music here is very good (especially “Crash and Burn Girl”) and innovative considering when the record was originally released (in 2004 in Sweden up through 2006 in the U.S.). I do have a few qualms, though. Lyrically there are places that I felt the lyrics lacked depth. “Who’s That Girl” seems cliché pop; it sounds like a Jennifer Lopez throwaway. “Robotboy” is a joke. The intermittent talk tracks (little to no music and altered voice tracks announcing something coming up) are annoying here, too. Had she edited her track list a bit, this album would have been a lot stronger. This is not to say that the record overall is weak; on the contrary, the album is pretty good despite its flaws.
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