Well, folks, we're only one day away from June 15, and besides anticipated new releases from Sarah McLachlan, Drake and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the best pop album of the year so far also happens to be dropping on that date. Yep, Robyn — that saucy ex-'90's teen pop star — is bouncing back again with another electro-pop disc that I am devouring like a 12-year-old eating meatballs at the Ikea restaurant.
Yes, you can read my glowing review of the EP in Wednesday's Us Weekly, but in the meantime, I also spoke to the Swedish siren, now 31, last week to get her take on it — and all those other pop bitches who have sprouted up lately (like Kelis, who she'll be touring with this summer). Hear her out below and pick up Robyn's Body Talk Pt. 1 in stores tomorrow!
UsMagazine.com: This album is a little more varied than the last one, including everything from an electro vibe to an acoustic track and even a Swedish folk song. Did you want to do a little of everything on the album?
Robyn: I think I actually wanted the opposite. I wanted to do something that felt more consistent. I knew that it was going to be a fun album inspired by club music, so I think that's the thread for me. And it's true, it became quite an eclectic album anyway, which I'm happy about now.
Us: How would you describe your new tracks "Dance Hall Queen" and "One of Dem"?
Robyn: Well I think that they're pop songs, you know? That's what I do. I make pop music. It's inspired by club culture and by the things I grew up with as a kid in Europe in the '80s and the '90s. Our charts were very influenced by dance culture, and [the '80s] was this weird moment in time where underground music really influenced commercial music, kind of like the way it is now. I feel like what I do with pop music has to stand on its own and not try to adapt and imitate something that's cool. It has to focus on the song.
Us: Now the big question in pop music these days is Lady Gaga. What do you think of her and what she's doing?
Robyn: I think she's super and a really strong woman. I'm a little hesitant to answer questions about other female artists…we're always expected to have opinions about each other and somehow have some kind of conflict. There's space for every one of us and I think the pop industry has all of these amazing female artists at the moment — that has never been the case before. It's been one or two girls that have kind of dominated the scene, and of course Rhianna and Lady Gaga are huge at the moment, but there's so many other people now. It's definitely an inspiration for me and that’s a good thing. So I’d rather focus on that than talk about what I think about someone else's music.
Us: Tell Us about your upcoming tour.
Robyn: It's something I've been looking forward to ever since I came off tour last time. I love being on stage and performing with my band, but I think once you take the music out of the studio, something happens and it takes on a life of its own. That's the most amazing thing about being on the road because you get to experience how the music is making its own way into people's lives and that's really really nice. I grew up around the stage and my parents were always working with theater, so for me, it's a place where I feel at home.
Us: What was it like to open for Madonna?
Robyn: We met briefly and we said hi and she told me that she really liked my work. It was an amazing experience to see a big tour like that from the inside. To get to play for her audience was amazing. I've always been a fan of Madonna. She's done everything before everyone. But I can't say I know anything about her or who she is or what she's like because we met very briefly.
Us: Who else is inspiring you? Who are you listening to?
Robyn: I'm listening to a lot of old school dance music, everything from like American techno and house music from the '80s to European old acid. Some of the things that are really important for me are like, military European pop stuff like techno-tronic. I listen a lot of new things too…I'm more of an old records person really, you shouldn't ask me about anyone new, I'm not that updated!
By Ian Drew for UsMagazine.com. To read more of Ian's blog, click here and don't forget to follow him on Twitter.
