Swedish singer takes listeners back in time
As bleached-haired and eccentrically clothed Robyn performed an acoustic version of her song “Be Mine” from her self-titled album on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” March 3, I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn’t Cyndi Lauper from the 80s. When Robyn started talking in the middle of the song, it highlighted even more similarities between the two singers.
As bleached-haired and eccentrically clothed Robyn performed an acoustic version of her song “Be Mine” from her self-titled album on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” March 3, I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn’t Cyndi Lauper from the 80s. When Robyn started talking in the middle of the song, it highlighted even more similarities between the two singers. In my overwhelming urge to check out what this Lauper imposter really sounded like, I decided to download her album.
The Swedish pop star put way more passion into the live version of “Be Mine,” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” than she did on the album. However, the album version serves its purpose and makes for a much better dance track than the acoustic-which is probably the point. The electronic version combines the utmost passion with petty lyrics I could have written when I was 13 years old. Because I wasn’t expecting much in the first place, it neither impressed nor disappointed me.
“With Every Heartbeat” is one of the better tracks on the album, with a dominating crescendo adding to the song’s appeal. A well-fitting violin perfectly compliments the song and adds an element of dramatic art that was missing in the previous song. If it was playing at a club, it definitely would get my tail moving.
“Who’s That Girl,” begins to make me cringe when it descends into overly poppy cheesiness, but some lively African drums toward the end are original and refreshing.
Robyn steps back from the 80s about a decade with the disco-inspired “Crash And Burn Girl.” Reminiscent of Prince at times, it’s authentic in this day and age and makes for an astounding dance track.
The Lauper eeriness I first had noticed is missing for most of the album until the slow jam “Eclipse” comes on. It could have been stolen from Lauper’s 1984 hit album “She’s So Unusual.”
I would be lying if I said Robyn’s self-titled album didn’t surprise me. I was expecting a Lauper rip-off, and didn’t really find one. Euro pop dance tracks, R&B and time flashbacks dominate most of the album and while that’s not normally my cup of tea, I found it bearable and unique. Perhaps it is not as easy to categorize this little songbird as I once thought.
GRADE: B
Download (don’t steal): “With Every Heartbeat” by Robyn.
