Body Talk Pt. 1

Every few years there is a sudden huge trend in the music industry. It starts with a little bit of influence creeping into mainstream songs, then slowly but surely everyone starts to catch on. Eventually the charts are stormed by it, and later even more independent artists begin to grasp on to it.

At the moment, that trend revolves around an electro inspired pop, with dashes of the 80's here and there.

But then there are a select few artists that seem to exist outside of that trend, despite the fact that the music is pretty much in line with it. And Robyn is one of those.

Her last album was pure magic. Even though I have, it felt like I had never heard anything like it. This year she plans to release three mini-albums full of new material, and I'm happy to say she's exactly the same.

Body Talk (Part One) finds Robyn doing exactly what she does best. Every single track sounds fresh and is full of attitude. She doesn't need to explore new sounds, because she defies all musical expectations.

That said, there elements that sound familiar. For example, the repetitive, Peaches-style delivery of Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do, the Rude Boy, M.I.A. Island-pop found in Dancehall Queen, and even the Björk-esque lullaby that is Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa.

But somehow, Robyn makes all of this her own, and never comes close to sounding like a rehash. Her style is effortless, her hooks inescapable.

The album talks a lot about technology (expected), most obviously in the dangerously catchy Fembots (single material for sure). But the most prevalent of all is Robyn's juvenile identity.

Despite her age, Robyn is still eager to come across as the kind of woman who will go out and party, not for the simple teenage rebellious fun, but in order to FEEL something. "You can cry when you get older" she warns at one point. The difference between her and the younger kids in the clubs is made clear many more times throughout the record, particularly on throbbing floor-filler, None Of Dem. "None of these beats are raw/None of these beats ever break the law" she sings, perhaps also commenting on how the style of music she has been dabbling in for some time now, has since become more and more commercialised and diluted.

But what really sets this album apart from any other competition, is the maturity. She knows she will always be seen as the outsider, and there's a dark, melancholic undercurrent deep within each song's core. New single Dancing On My Own is the wiser, older sister of Be Mine!, and is just as touching as the piano-led moments of previous songs like Eclipse.

And then of course we have Hang With Me. the "Acoustic" tag is a little misleading, suggesting a guitar driven version of something previously pop, but instead what we're subjected to is a PROPER BALLAD. Stirring strings? Check. Tinkly piano? Check. Vulnerable falsetto? Check, check, check.

Experimenting every now and then with flashes of other genre and style, Body Talk Pt. 1 is a welcome return. Splitting the release into three, bite-size parts is pure genius. No filler finds its way onto this disc, and it stands to reason that the next two parts will be just as impressive.

Trendsetter? Not a chance. But an example of a perfect pop artist? As close as you can get.