"Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do"
More of an interlude than a real song – If Robyn did big arena shows like Madonna or Lady Gaga, this would be one of the tracks she would play with a big video presentation whilst she went and changed her corset and knickers. At first listen I didn't quite like this track – which is a bit "this shit is killing me" too much, but after the second and third listen, my head and shoulders are swaying to Robyn's killer PMS bitching.
"Fembot"
I've said this like a million times already, but "Fembot" just reminds me of "Konichiwa Bitches" a little too much – and that dear readers is not a negative comment at all. For all us robot boys and tech bitches, this song just sucks you right in. It makes you want to hump your hard drive with it's throbbing throttles and sonic sound beams. It's totally singleworthy with it's lyrical cleverness and I could picture Robyn in a space-age iRobot-esque music video for this one…
"Dancing On My Own"
The new single eh? Does Robyn ever get her guy? I mean seriously. She's always going on and on about how she's "dancing on her own" and how he'll never "be hers". She's the quintessential freak on the inside and standing in the corner watching her object of desire getting jiggy jiggy /groopy groppy with someone else – it's quite sad really. What makes this song epic? The electronic drum blast at 3:08 just makes you say "fuck yeah". Visions of St. Elmo's Fire sweep across my mind – another timeless Robyn track for the brat packer in all of us.
"Cry When You Get Older"
OK this is a little bit of an odd one. It's got a bit of summertime electronica feel to it – a beam of light that ebbs and flows into a perfect little three-and-half minute pop song. It's a keyboard heavy track about Robyn telling young boys and girls that this little thing called love isn't worth wasting tears over – you can have a good moan and emotional outpour about it when you're in your thirties and you can afford a good therapist. But as for now young ones – just fuck, cheat, break-up and be happy and emotionless. Words to live by.
"Dancehall Queen"
Robyn gets all "like Jamaica man" on all of us. Seriously after I listen to this track – I want to bust open a watermelon and poke some straws in it. You kinda have to wonder what inspired Robyn to record this Carribean-flavoured track? Did she have a pot-induced torrid weekend love affair with a big-dicked, dreadlock-sporting island man? I jest – I kinda like this track. It's a bit odd, but fun nevertheless.
"None Of Dem" ft. Royksopp
As you would expect from a collaboration with Royksopp – this track was always gonna be a bit left-field. This is probably my least favourite song on the collection with Robyn proclaiming she's just really bored and it kinda shows in this track. I love Robyn, but this track does absolutely nothing for me which is quite sad.
"Hang With Me" (acoustic)
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. It's like "Be Mine" part two from "The Rakamonie EP". A beautiful, heart-wrenching piano and strings ballad. This is Robyn doing what Robyn does best – standing in front of the microphone and her raw emotions just oozing out of her mouth – stripped down, subtle and erupting with pain. You just know she is gonna electrify this shit up too on one of the other albums later this year – one can hope.
"Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa"
A self-indulgent little closing number which translates from Swedish to mean "I Know A Lovely Rose". Imagine Robyn finding an old music box, opening it up and singing to the little ballerina in the mirror. I wish this song was in English.
Final Thoughts
"Body Talk Part 1" really reminds me of "The Rakamonie EP" quite a bit. It's a little weird and very much an emotional and continual exploration in electronic pop. With anything that Robyn does, you have to spend a lot of time with her and her work to really get it. I'm almost glad that she didn't really change her formula too much with this first taster from the three album project this year. It kinda shows that she isn't afraid to be just Robyn – she isn't pressured to become another Lady Gaga wannabe and that is something that I can appreciate. Not everyone is gonna like this first set of tracks, but for me it's a sign that the Robyn I know and love will always remain ear-pleasingly brilliant in the end. It's not about sales, it's not about shock value – it's about good fucking pop music.