Swedish pop genre-bender
Robyn first hit the big time way back in the 90s with some gloriously danceable pop. Then, she seemed to
disappear. A few failed albums back home and then nothing much for a decade. But then, she came back.
For a year and a half, her
self-titled come back album was a hidden gem of pop music, beloved by devoted Popjustice readers, ignored
by the general public. Konichiwa Bitches, despite having one of the most perfect
music videos ever made, failed to take off. Then With Every Heartbeat reached number
one (the one and only thing we can thank Jo Whiley for), and suddenly her posters are plastered all over the London Underground.
One of the best things about
Robyn is that she is bold, brash and utterly brilliant. Even with some fantastic material under her belt, Be Mine! being one of the best songs I’ve heard all year, she still knows how to spoil her audience. Not
even halfway through her catalogue of songs, Robyn decided to cover (superbly) a Beverley Knight song, because
although she was sure Beverley’s version was lovely, she “just thinks she sings it better”. A bold statement,
but this is the woman who claimed on her album that she developed the cure for AIDS.
The good thing about a Robyn
concert is how quickly the atmosphere can change. Set opener Cobrastyle had the
crowds setting their systems to all-out lunatic dancing, whilst With Every Heartbeat
saw girls clinging to each other with pure love, boys setting aside their reputations to grin madly at their mates. Recent
single Handle Me was a pure anthem for the women in the audience (ironically, this
was when a drunk teenager in the audience tried to accost me), whilst Crash and Burn
Girl took the energy to new heights, with Robyn singing, dancing and playing the drums all at the same time.
The end of her tour, and on the brink of superstardom (Be Mine! is lined up to be the next single), this could be the last intimate gig Robyn plays in a long time. And
besides, who couldn’t love a woman who ends her gigs with Prince's Jack
You Off?