Robyn

I shouldn't say "naturally a tough person," because it's about the voice, not the person -- but you probably know what I mean

I should add that "With Every Heartbeat" is my favorite Robyn track because her tentativeness for once works with and for the music instead of undermining it.

"with every heartbeat" is good again because it's on the more ballady side of things as well -- it's stuff like "fembot" that really grates

nabisco dropping dimes, as usual.

yeah even i love "with every heartbeat". she doesn't really sound like herself on it.

robyn's "tough" voice just makes me feel like i'm being attacked by a rubber, you know? i think björk does that tough-though-i'm-not thing a million times more effectively.

would party at non-robyn soundtracked parties w/jordan and surm.

this bears repeating:

and really if you want humor in your pop music, listen to mariah carey ffs

― J0rdan S., Friday, September 10, 2010 12:52 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark

Is Robyn disallowed from copping rap moves because she's white?? Because she's not American ... because she has a high voice ... is it because she doesn't sound like DMX? Because she's short???

it comes off as gimmicky, whether it's authentic or not - like i don't doubt that diplo really does love all the music he samples and plays, it's just the way he does it is so thoughtless and superficial - robyn is the diplo of scandopop really. i think there's something telling in how her urban moves are embraced so much by popjustice types, who are notoriously allergic to any actual rappers or dancehall artists.

she's not Real, yeah we get it Lex

don't know why authenticity matters for synthpop.

don't know why authenticity matters for synthpop.

^^^ Real talk.

i think there's something telling in how her urban moves are embraced so much by popjustice types, who are notoriously allergic to any actual rappers or dancehall artists.

This is the old, tired "the audience damns the artist" argument -- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

infinite xpost

Bjork hilariously utterly unmoved throughout the performance of "Hyperballad".

it's never about authenticity in any case -- most criminals are not good rappers, and most good rappers probably would not make good criminals -- it's about how you PULL OFF that authenticity -- even taking out their various talents as musicians, that's why young jeezy is respected and rick ross is largely seen as a clown

and i think that's the argument that lex is making

to use a pop example, katy b went to the same school as kate nash & adele but she can pull off singing over funky tracks while i don't think you could say the same about kate nash or adele, even tho they are all equally 'authentic'

yeah but i don't understand how you define 'authentic'

it doesn't really matter

it's obviously a subjective judgment -- you can make your case either way, but it comes down to whether or not you think she "pulls it off"

of course, i'm just not sure why she has to 'pull anything off', as opposed to just being.

because she's a performer?

jordan otm, though it's not so much "authenticity" that's the quality in question here as...attitude? i know how annoying the word "swagger" is but that might come close. cf neneh cherry, who robyn is oft compared to, who wasn't remotely street but who absolutely nailed the rude-gyal talk on "buffalo stance". or that girl cher lloyd, who did "turn my swag on" on the x factor last week - middle-class white girl from worcestershire, obv not remotely authentic, but she totally convinced as someone who knew what she was doing.

I guess I've always taken Robyn's rapping and 'attitude' on those songs as knowingly ridiculous, which I think she does quite well. I never really saw it as anything else.

"Knowingly ridiculous" totally encapsulates why it grates on me - it's that thing of Wackiness and Craziness and basically taking on signifiers of an entire culture as silly mannerisms, "comedy" hip-hop just for larks.

I wouldn't call it "comedy", as that implies mocking. More playful.

Should add that I understand why you or anyone really would find it grating though.

i was going to agree with the smiley face thing, even re: tracks like "dancing on my own" but then i remembered that she has done tracks like "eclipse" (WHICH SHE DIDN'T WRITE)

i'm not following the last few posts especially the katy b thing.

oh and also i did hear robyn at a party recently, someone put on "fembot". lol.

hi robyn love u forever

Lex it sounds like if someone cops rap moves you want them to do so convincingly i.e. measure up to the rules of the Rap Game - i.e. spit bars, get the accent right, etc - but i really don't think Robyn is interested in being a legit rapper. So to judge her on that and find her wanting seems either disingenuous, mistaking what she's trying to do, or want to fit everyone into the same sort of box. To me she seems interested - sometimes - in the kinds of performances, the kinds of characters, that rap enables - ridiculous boasting, shouting out to your crew, etc. And to me at least it never feels like she's laughing at that or doing it ironically, she's trying on these attitudes, borrowing them, revelling in them - the way millions of non-black non-Americans do with rap all over the world every day. It's just one of the ways she pushes against her "natural" strengths; it's been mentioned that her voice seems more suited to pure pop "Show Me Love" stuff and instead she often goes for ambiguity, bitterness and disappointment - and nabisco's said how often this obviously untough girl is trying to be tough in the face of lovesickness. If you don't like her I guess you say "bad call" but if you do, that's what you like about her.

She totally has the right to try on and borrow attitudes, but it comes down to how I feel about her voice, which can only project one emotion: an immersion in pleasure. I suppose it's the same problem lots of critics in the seventies had with Bowie, but Bowie's songwriting and arranging skills mitigated the ickiness of his (emotional) vocal chops.

not robyn exactly but im feelin rasmus seebachs latest single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFtnV6pMqvA

hang with me is drenched with goodness

i can't

even

<3 the new Pt. 2 album, though I can barely get past the first three tracks, all are so stunning.

yeah i've been feeling "hang with me" even more than usual lately. and yes i love the album.

The Singles Jukebox on Hang With Me

Martin Skidmore: I like this a lot: the lyrics are almost entirely those of a positive song of friendship, but her tone has a sadness and aggression that complicates it in fascinating ways, inserting a level of irresistible cynicism about the outcome.

otmx1000

the sadness in dancing on my own is similarly almost unbearable. in a good way.

http://i56.tinypic.com/658qio.jpg

No date yet for Body Talk Pt. 3, but "Indestructible" is due toward the end of November. psyched

"Hang with Me" got super-awesome once it got a great arrangement on Pt. 2 -- can't wait to hear how "Indestructible" fares.

really like Pt 2. the Diplo & Snoop tracks are the only kinda weak spots.

So I hear the final part of this trilogy is going to be five songs from part one, five from part two and then five new songs including the new version of Indestructible. I'm thinking this might just turn out to be the album of the year.

I really think it's going to be hard to narrow down part two to just 5 tracks, they are all really great.

That sounds like a bit of a gip having bought the first two parts.

the Diplo & Snoop tracks are the only kinda weak spots.

Agree re: Diplo but that Snoop track is the highlight of Side B, are you kidding?

So I hear the final part of this trilogy is going to be five songs from part one, five from part two and then five new songs including the new version of Indestructible.

What's yr source??

that is what digital spy says http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a281596/robyn-announces-new-single-details.html

she said early on that she might do that but hadn't decided yet

It's fine with me, tbh, because I haven't bought a physical copy of either of the eps so far.

Okay, that didn't take long: http://soundcloud.com/robyn/sets/indestructible

Not in the same league as Dancing on My Own or the redux version of Hang With Me, but still cool.

Yesterday @ Studio Brussel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wATmk1F4BLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-Hd3EoAn0