Robyn (album)
Encyclopedia
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
. It also marks Robyn's first album release on her own record label
, Konichiwa Records, which she founded in 2005.
, 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".
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". Six months after leaving Jive Records, Robyn founded her own record label Konichiwa Records and began recording songs for her fourth album.
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."
"Be Mine!
", the album's first single release in Sweden, reached number three and spent nineteen weeks on the singles chart. The song received positive reviews from critics, and was named the fourth best song of 2005 by Stylus Magazine
. The second single, "Who's That Girl?
", reached number thirty-seven in Sweden. Its lyrics
discuss the feelings of a female who had been left beaten by the unpredictability of gender and image politics. The songs "Handle Me
" and "Crash and Burn Girl
" were released as radio-only promotional single
s in Sweden and were accompanied by music video
s 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". The song received limited airplay and reached number ninety-eight in the UK. "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 remix
es by Soul Seekerz, reached number seventeen. "Be Mine!" was released as the album's fourth single on January 14, 2008. and reached number ten. "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.
, and remained on the albums chart for one week. Although the album charted only in Sweden and Norway, in May 2005, it reached number sixty on the European Top 100 albums chart. The album became Robyn's first release to chart on the UK Albums Chart
, where it debuted at number twenty on August 2007. The following week the album peaked at number nineteen. On January 13, 2008, the album re-entered the top forty at number eighteen, then climbed to number eleven three weeks later. In January 2008, Robyn was certified gold in the UK.
In 2006, Robyn was certified platinum
, and has sold over 40,000 copies in Sweden. In 2007, Robyn signed a North America
n distribution deal with Interscope Records
. 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
". On April 29, 2008, Robyn was finally released in North America and debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #100, with 7,000 copies sold. It would only spend one week on the charts. "Dream On" later appeared on the North American release of Robyn without Ola Salo's vocals.
'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". 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. 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". 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". 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." The website also named Robyn one of the best albums of 2005. 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". Billboard
praised its "sassy and sweet dance pop gems". In his consumer guide for MSN Music
, critic Robert Christgau
gave the album an A- rating, indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction". 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". 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. Entertainment Weekly
also named it the fourth best album of 2008. Online music magazine Pitchfork Media
placed Robyn at 68 in their 200 Album of the Decade list.
Special editions
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Swedish recording artist Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
. It was released by Konichiwa Records
Konichiwa Records
Konichiwa Records is a record label founded by Swedish pop singer Robyn. The label has no other artists signed. The word "Konichiwa" is an incorrect romanization of the Japanese greeting こんにちは meaning "Good Day" ....
on 27 April 2005 in Sweden. The album represented a change in Robyn's musical style, and featured pop and electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
; inspirations were electronic duo The Knife
The Knife
The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Teddybears
Teddybears
Teddybears is a Swedish band formed in 1991, known for mixing pop, rock, hip-hop, electronica, reggae, punk and many other genres.-History:...
. It also marks Robyn's first album release on her own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Konichiwa Records, which she founded in 2005.
Background
In 2003, Robyn left her record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, 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
Don't Stop The Music (Robyn album)
Don't Stop the Music is the third studio album by Swedish pop singer Robyn. It was released on 30 October 2002 in Sweden by BMG. The album peaked at #2 in her native Sweden, and the two singles "Keep This Fire Burning" and "Don't Stop the Music" were both top 10 hits...
, but felt disillusioned by the label's attempt to market her as the next Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Robyn described the album as a "big compromise" and was upset because she "was going backwards" and not "doing what [she] wanted to".
That same year, Robyn returned home to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and discovered the electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
brother and sister duo The Knife
The Knife
The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
while browsing through a record store
Record shop
A record shop or record store is an outlet that sells recorded music. Although vinyl records and audio cassettes are no longer sold in the majority of music stores, in favour of compact discs and home video recordings products, people in some countries, like the UK, still use the term "record...
. She became inspired by how the duo self-financed and released their recordings and bought herself out of her recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
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". Six months after leaving Jive Records, Robyn founded her own record label Konichiwa Records and began recording songs for her fourth album.
In terms of the album's lyrical inspiration, Robyn told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern 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."
Singles
"Be Mine!
Be Mine!
"Be Mine!" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, written and composed by herself and producer Klas Åhlund for her self-titled fourth studio album...
", the album's first single release in Sweden, reached number three and spent nineteen weeks on the singles chart. The song received positive reviews from critics, and was named the fourth best song of 2005 by Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
. The second single, "Who's That Girl?
Who's That Girl (Robyn song)
"Who's That Girl" is a song by Swedish pop singer Robyn, written and composed by herself and brother-and-sister production duo The Knife for her self-titled fourth studio album...
", reached number thirty-seven in Sweden. Its lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
discuss the feelings of a female who had been left beaten by the unpredictability of gender and image politics. The songs "Handle Me
Handle Me
"Handle Me" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her self-titled fourth studio album. It was written and produced by Klas Åhlund. The song was initially released as a promotional single in Sweden in 2005. It received a proper single release on 22 October 2007, as the album's...
" and "Crash and Burn Girl
Crash and Burn Girl
"Crash and Burn Girl" was the fourth single to be released from Swedish pop singer-songwriter Robyn's 2005 self-titled album. It was released as a radio-only single in Sweden only.-Sweden single:CD promo#"Crash and Burn Girl" – 5:38...
" were released as radio-only promotional single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
s in Sweden and were accompanied by music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s that featured Robyn dancing in a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
.
The album's lead single in the United Kingdom, "Konichiwa Bitches
Konichiwa Bitches
"Konichiwa Bitches" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her self-titled fourth studio album. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2007 as the first international single from the album. The term "Konichiwa Bitches" originates from a sketch with American comedian Dave...
", received positive reviews from critics due to its "hip-hop sensibilities" and ability to illustrate "the zeal [Robyn] takes in making music". The song received limited airplay and reached number ninety-eight in the UK. "With Every Heartbeat
With Every Heartbeat
"With Every Heartbeat" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn with Swedish producer Kleerup. It was released on 30 July 2007 in the United Kingdom as the second single from the international edition of Robyn's self-titled fourth studio album, Robyn...
", 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 remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es by Soul Seekerz, reached number seventeen. "Be Mine!" was released as the album's fourth single on January 14, 2008. and reached number ten. "Who's That Girl" was the fifth UK single released from the album on April 28, 2008 and reached #26. "Dream On
Dream On (Christian Falk song)
"Dream On" is an electronica song written by Christian Falk, Robyn, and Klas Åhlund. The song is produced and performed by Falk, with vocals from Robyn and The Ark's Ola Salo...
" 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
With Every Heartbeat
"With Every Heartbeat" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn with Swedish producer Kleerup. It was released on 30 July 2007 in the United Kingdom as the second single from the international edition of Robyn's self-titled fourth studio album, Robyn...
", 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
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart, as well as #12 on the Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
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.
Commercial performance
Robyn debuted on the Swedish albums chart at number one, and became Robyn's first number one album release. The album remained on the chart for thirty-six weeks, and was certified platinum in 2006. The album reached the number thirty-five in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and remained on the albums chart for one week. Although the album charted only in Sweden and Norway, in May 2005, it reached number sixty on the European Top 100 albums chart. The album became Robyn's first release to chart on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, where it debuted at number twenty on August 2007. The following week the album peaked at number nineteen. On January 13, 2008, the album re-entered the top forty at number eighteen, then climbed to number eleven three weeks later. In January 2008, Robyn was certified gold in the UK.
In 2006, Robyn was certified platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, and has sold over 40,000 copies in Sweden. In 2007, Robyn signed a North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n distribution deal with Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. She was asked by Interscope to include a rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
on the album to highlight its hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
elements. In an interview with Metro International
Metro International
Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41% since launch of the first newspaper edition in 1995. It is a freesheet, meaning that distribution is...
, Robyn said she understood why the label wants her to include a rapper, but does not want to "work with Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
or some other lame rapper. I want to work with someone who's gangsta, like Snoop
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
or Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
". On April 29, 2008, Robyn was finally released in North America and debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #100, with 7,000 copies sold. It would only spend one week on the charts. "Dream On" later appeared on the North American release of Robyn without Ola Salo's vocals.
Critical reception
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". Stylus MagazineStylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
'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
Europop
Europop refers to a style of pop music that first developed in today's form in Europe, throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and ’90s...
albums that not only deserves worldwide domination, but also has a really good chance of achieving it". Jaime Gill of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
described the album as "playful, self-effacing and sassy, and very very female" and named "Be Mine!
Be Mine!
"Be Mine!" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, written and composed by herself and producer Klas Åhlund for her self-titled fourth studio album...
" as its best song. In a review for the Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
, Paul Taylor described the album as "undeniably sexy" and called Robyn "a mini-Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
in the making". Larissa Dubecki of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
wrote that the album is "bursting at the seams with breezy, three-minute confections", but describe songs such as "Robotboy" as "embarrassing". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
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." The website also named Robyn one of the best albums of 2005. Since mid-2007 Robyn has received heavy play on Maximum Shine's themed radio show "Music Fo' Grown Fo'ks" at WKDU
WKDU
WKDU is an award winning non-commercial college radio station located in Philadelphia, USA, broadcasting on 91.7 FM. It is owned and operated by Drexel University students, with several Drexel alumni among its on-air staff. It is the only free-format non-commercial FM station in Philadelphia...
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
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave it an A, referring to the album as "hooky dance-pop greatness". Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
praised its "sassy and sweet dance pop gems". In his consumer guide for MSN Music
MSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album an A- rating, indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction". James Hunter of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
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". It has received a rating of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. 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. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
also named it the fourth best album of 2008. Online music magazine Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed Robyn at 68 in their 200 Album of the Decade list.
Track listing
Bonus tracks
(*) Co-producerPersonnel
The following people contributed to Robyn:- Robyn – lead vocals, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Björn Yttling – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Georg Riedel – double bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Örjan Högberg, Johanna Tafvelin, Karin Liljenberg – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Malin Ny-Nilsson, Ida Nyman – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Mattias Helldén, Cecilia Linné – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Frippe Jonsäter, Ljunligan – special effectSpecial effectThe illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s - Klas Åhlund – string arrangementsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, mixing - Joakim Milder – string arrangements
- Björn Engelmann – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- 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 – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders Flanders Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp... ) |
73 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
35 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
52 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
11 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
29 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
48 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
100 |
End-of-year charts
| Year | Country | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
#97 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | Platinum | 65,000+ |
| United Kingdom | Gold | 242,000+ |
| United States | 33,000 |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
April 27, 2005 | Konichiwa Records Konichiwa Records Konichiwa Records is a record label founded by Swedish pop singer Robyn. The label has no other artists signed. The word "Konichiwa" is an incorrect romanization of the Japanese greeting こんにちは meaning "Good Day" .... |
KOR002 |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
|||
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
April 2, 2007 | KOR005 | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
|||
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
August 10, 2007 | Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and... /Edel Edel Music -History:Edel Music was founded in 1986 by Michael Haentjes in Germany as a mail order record company selling mostly soundtracks. With artists such as Scooter, SASH!, Holly Johnson and many others, it became a very successful pop music label... |
0181739 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... (re-release) |
August 13, 2007 | Island Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
1744780 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
October 5, 2007 | Modular Modular Recordings Modular Records is an Australian record label. It was established by Sydney-based music promoter Steve Pavlovic as a joint-venture with EMI, but is now distributed by Universal Music in Australia... |
MODCD074 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
April 29, 2008 | Konichiwa/Cherrytree Cherrytree Records Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree... /Interscope Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:... |
001095902 |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
May 14, 2008 | Universal Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
UICI-1070 |
Special editions
| Region | Date | Label | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
August 29, 2008 | Ministry of Sound/Edel | 01913339 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
November 24, 2008 | Island | 1792706 |
External links
- Robyn at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Robyn at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...