It’s been an incredibly long time since we have had a proper new album from Swedish pop powerhouse Robyn, but the day has finally arrived.
What is technically only her sixth full length album since her debut in 1995, ‘Honey’ is a more muted affair than its predecessor ‘Body Talk’.
It was always going to be hard to follow up an album full of monster songs like ‘Body Talk’, but what the Swedish pop goddess is so successful at doing, is creating songs that are iconic moments in their own right.
And while only nine songs long (who does that to their fans these days?!), each song has an express reason for its existence.
Lead single ‘Missing U’ is the closest you get to the euphoric sad-pop highs of ‘Body Talk’ with its pulsing beats and meaningful lyrics. About the loss of a loved one (specifically her friend, co-writer and mentor Christian Falk) it’s a glittering piece of pop perfection.
The rest of the album generally remains in a more subtle, atmosphere realm of pop music, which for Robyn works beautifully.
Peak ‘Honey’ comes with the title track, which is an impossibly perfect song. Robyn has discussed how this song took a lot of work to get to its final state but you can tell attention was paid. With a strong message, it’s what good pop should be.
Other highlights on the album include ‘Because It’s In The Music’ and album closer ‘Ever Again’ for their balance. I love how simple the songs sound, yet there is a lot of complexity that lies underneath.
Working mainly with Joseph Mount (Metronomy) throughout has created a consistent feel across the nine tracks on offer.
Overall I am really impressed with this album. It’s not as bold and brash as I would have liked, but there is a cool throwback vibe to where it all started for Robyn, particularly in the latter stages of the album.
I would have also liked to have had some more songs included, preferably with a couple “big” tunes, but I am not complaining.
It’s great to have Robyn back creating outstanding pop music and saving pop music as we know it.
VERDICT : 4/5.
MUST LISTEN : Missing U, Because It’s In The Music, Honey.
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