Robyn : Body Talk

News of three albums from Swedish pop singer Robyn being released throughout 2010 caused ripples of excitement for fans of her energetic electro-pop. Following two strong mini-albums, the final cut was the definitive Body Talk, cherry-picking the best of the first two collections and adding a third of new material (which is also available as a separate EP). It’s perhaps a bit of a swindle for those who have already purchased Parts 1 and 2 of Body Talk, but the compilation of all Robyn’s finest moments over the year makes for a beefy album of very high quality, showing all sides of the eccentric star.

The cuts from Body Talk Part 1 are the strongest songs here and, tellingly, the trio of Fembot, Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do and – her crowning glory – Dancing On My Own are grouped as an arsenal to start off the album. Later on, the reggae-lite, Diplo-produced Dancehall Queen and excellent Royksopp collaboration None Of Dem resurface.

While the newest cuts like Time Machine and Indestructible don’t quite have the same impact, they thump along gleefully, like Eurovision anthems with a bit of thought behind them. And, later in the mix, tracks such as In My Eyes and Call Your Girlfriend have a more emotive core, thawing the icy electro wall built up by the more uptempo tracks and proving that Fembots do have feelings too.

Why isn’t all pop as euphoric as this? The sad truth is that, until the combined forces of everyone equates to anything close to good taste, Robyn will continue to be sidelined to minor cult status. But, with Body Talk, she cements this status with considerable force. Hopefully it’s less than five years for the next batch of new material, regardless of how it’s formatted and released.