She is
Robyn. The most killingest pop star on the planet. A pint-sized atom bomb
dosed to the tits on electric and dispensing wisdom in three-minute modernist
pop bulletins on the post-adolescent condition.Discovered at the age of 13, Robyn was immediately signed to BMG who put out her debut album, a collection of R&B-influenced pop on which she collaborated with future Britney-hitwrangler Max Martin, in 1995. The release of her sweet, soulful single ‘Show Me Love’ cemented Robyn as an international pop star, and later released ‘Who’s That Girl’ – unquestionably one of the best pop singles of the past five years.
You haven’t released anything in the UK for a few years, what have you been doing in that time?
Some people think I was on a break but I wasn’t, I’ve been working the whole time. I just didn’t manage to get my records released in the UK. I was signed to different labels internationally and in Sweden.
Do you think you’ve lost fans since your last album?
I don’t think like that, I try to make the music I want to make and hopefully people will respond. I don’t think a lot of people outside Scandinavia know what’s been going on with me and I haven’t been in contact with my international fans. It might be the case that I’ve lost fans but I hope to regain them with this album.
How did you get to your new crazy sound from standard Pop?
I started my own label because I felt like I needed more creative control over my music. At first I didn’t see myself doing a record like this on the label I was on and wanted my own space. I knew it was going to be different to what I had done before and I needed time to myself. Music stopped being fun to me and I wanted to bring the fun back. There is a lot of thought behind the record but it’s not contrived, it’s just me playing around with some of my friends.
What was it like to set up your own label?
It was a long process which I’m not going to bore you with right now! I hooked up with three different people that I worked with before in Sweden. It took a while to find money and set up the company. The whole process of making a record is what a record company should start from. The record company is just for me to release my records; it’s not like a big office with lots of people working from it. It’s something that supports the release of the record. When you’re with a big label you don’t get to choose who you work with, you have to worth with who they hired for you. I now have the possibility of working with whoever I want!
Where did you get the idea for your single, Konichiwa Bitches?
I was always very inspired by hip hop and I think Konichiwa Bitches has a classic rap theme that I’m the best and everybody else sucks. I wanted to make a song that was about that. I started to have fun writing it and wanted to see how far I could take it. I also watched a lot of Looney Toons before making this record which inspired me too. I want people to feel on top of the world when they hear this song.
What can you tell me about your new album?
I think everyone should listen to it and decide what it means to them and what they think it’s about because it’s Pop music and Pop music can mean a lot of things. I hate putting labels on music, I think it’s uninspiring. It’s definitely a Pop album and very inspired by the kind of music that I grew up listening to from the 80’s like Prince, Madonna and Kate Bush. It’s about where I am in life at the moment.
You’ve been in the music business for a while now, what are the main things you’ve learned from it?
When you make a mistake don’t be scared or upset about it and be confident. I feel like I don’t have anything to prove and that I’m doing music for myself now. You always feel like you don’t want to do too much or be too demanding but you can always push it more. Even if you think you’re one hundred percent you can still go a little further without people thinking you’re too much. It’s all about finding your own expression and style. That’s what music is and I think I learned that sooner than others but maybe later than others too. If I could go back ten years and tell myself to be brave.
You were quite young when you first released a record…
Yeah I was sixteen when I released my first album. It was intimidating in some ways but in others, not at all. I was really enjoying myself and had a good time. I learned a lot and experienced some great things. It’s fine as long as you’re having fun but being famous in Sweden wasn’t what I did this for. Being recognised is not always fun but I love what I do.
www.robyn.com
www.myspace.com/robynmyspace
By Rashmi Shastri - Mar 2007