Body Talk Pt. 1
First of three mini-albums in Robyn's Body Talk series.
Body Talk Pt. 1, the fifth studio album by Swedish singer Robyn and her third to be released internationally, came out on 11 June 2010 through Konichiwa Records. It kicked off the Body Talk series, a set of three mini-albums. The record hit number one in Sweden, reached number four in both Denmark and Norway, and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
After relaunching her career and rebranding as an indie artist with her 2005 synthpop breakthrough Robyn, Robyn spent the next few years promoting and touring that album through various editions and singles. She used the mid-2000s social media boom to build a new online fanbase, a process that lasted until late 2008. Recording for this project began in July 2009 in Stockholm with Swedish producer Klas Åhlund, who also served as executive producer. To get back into the creative mindset, Robyn revisited records she loved, drawing inspiration from Laurie Anderson’s Big Science, Prince’s Dirty Mind, the Knife’s Silent Shout, Janet Jackson’s Control, Technotronic’s Pump Up the Jam, Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside, Black Box’s Dreamland, and work by Kraftwerk, David Bowie, KLF, TLC, Neneh Cherry, Dr. Alban, Gossip, DJ Mujava, Booka Shade, and Gui Boratto.
In early spring 2010, Robyn told Swedish magazine Bon that she planned to release three new albums that year. “I got all these great songs so why not?” she said. “It’s been 5 years since Robyn and I didn’t want to wait with a release until they are all recorded, so I decided to start putting them out right away.” She explained to Popjustice journalist Peter Robinson, “It’s been a long time since I actually made a record! And I was thinking of how to shorten that time down and Eric, my manager, came up with the idea of what if I just start releasing songs, then I can tour them, then I can make some more songs. We started working like that. I think once it starts it will make more sense – you can just keep releasing stuff without the long breaks.” The album was officially announced on 6 April 2010, along with its cover art and track listing. Robyn noted that “the songs that are on the first album are simply the first ones that were finished.”
Lyrically, Robyn told Pitchfork that the album is about loneliness, but she wanted to place that feeling in a club setting.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Robyn
- Released
- 11 June 2010
- Recorded
- 2009–2010
- Genre
- Synth-pop; dance-pop
- Length
- 30:31
- Label
- Konichiwa
- Producer
- Klas Åhlund
- Patrik Berger
- Diplo
- Röyksopp
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Following Robyn's career relaunch and 'indie' rebrand with the release of her synthpop breakthrough Robyn in spring 2005, she promoted and toured that record until winter 2008. Work on Body Talk Pt. 1 began in July 2009 in Stockholm with Swedish producer Klas Åhlund, who also served as its executive producer. Robyn revisited records she loved for inspiration, including works by Laurie Anderson, Prince, the Knife, Janet Jackson, Technotronic, Kate Bush, Black Box, Kraftwerk, David Bowie, KLF, TLC, Neneh Cherry, Dr. Alban, Gossip, DJ Mujava, Booka Shade, and Gui Boratto.
In early spring 2010, Robyn announced plans to release three new albums throughout the year, saying she had many songs and did not want to wait. The release of Body Talk Pt. 1 was announced on 6 April 2010, alongside its cover art and track listing. Robyn stated that the songs on the first album were simply the first ones that were finished. The album's main lyrical theme is loneliness set in a club environment, with Robyn describing the dancefloor as 'the new church' for her generation. Other themes include a 'juvenile' state of mind, an outsider perspective, and 'technology versus humanity'.
Reader's Guide
Body Talk Pt. 1 represents a pivotal moment in Robyn's career, marking her return to releasing music after a five-year gap and introducing an innovative release strategy of three mini-albums in a single year. The album received generally positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 76 based on 23 reviews. Critics noted its concise set of songs, its blending of commercial and tastemaker appeal, and its exploration of dancefloor catharsis. The album's only official single, 'Dancing On My Own', became Robyn's first number-one single in Sweden and reached number eight in the UK. The album also included collaborations with Norwegian duo Röyksopp on 'None of Dem' and American producer Diplo on 'Dancehall Queen'. The closing track, 'Jag vet en dejlig rosa', is a recording of a traditional Swedish folk song famously recorded by jazz singer Monica Zetterlund. Body Talk Pt. 1 helped solidify Robyn's reputation as an artist capable of balancing emotional depth with danceable pop production.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do | Robyn, Klas Åhlund, Åhlund | 4:11 |
| 2 | Fembot | Robyn, Åhlund | 3:35 |
| 3 | Dancing On My Own | Robyn, Patrik Berger, Berger | 4:49 |
| 4 | Cry When You Get Older | Robyn, Åhlund | 3:35 |
| 5 | Dancehall Queen | Åhlund | 3:39 |
| 6 | None of Dem (featuring Röyksopp) | Robyn, Svein Berge, Torbjørn Brundtland | 5:13 |
| 7 | Hang with Me (acoustic version) | Åhlund | 3:18 |
| 8 | Jag vet en dejlig rosa | Traditional | 2:11 |
| Total length | 30:31 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The album's only official single, 'Dancing On My Own', was released on 1 June 2010.
- Robyn co-headlined the All Hearts Tour with Kelis to promote the album.
- The closing track 'Jag vet en dejlig rosa' was recorded using the same microphone model that Monica Zetterlund used on her 1960s album Waltz for Debby.
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