Body Talk

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<b>100 Best Albums</b> The original version of <i>Body Talk</i> opens with “Fembot”—a track that serves as a de facto mission statement for the Swedish pop star’s landmark seventh album. Released in 2010, <i>Body Talk</i> is a mix of tight electro and dance pop, with Robyn’s formidable vocals and songcraft so polished, you can practically <i>feel</i> the production gleaming. But as Robyn declares on the track: “Fembots have feeling, too.” And boy does <i>Body Talk</i> have <i>feelings</i>. The album, which compiles standout tracks from a series of mini-LP, would help launch two of the 21st century’s definitive “sad bangers”: “Dancing on My Own” and “Call Your Girlfriend.” Both tracks judder with achy, bittersweet emotion—while also encouraging you to grab your mate, throw your arms in the air, and let it all out on the dance floor. Not surprisingly, “Dancing on My Own” and “Call Your Girlfriend” both became worldwide smashe, so inescapable and influential that they inspired countless “crying-on-the-dance-floor” pop anthem. But <i>Body Talk</i>’s emotional core is embodied by more than just those two standout track. On “Love Kills” and “Hang With Me,” Robyn reminds listeners to steel themselves against the potential hurt and heartbreak of love. And with “Indestructible,” she revels in a new connection, and commits herself to dusting off past pain: “And I never was smart with love/I let the bad ones in and the good ones go, but/I’m gonna love you like I’ve never been hurt before.” Alongside those considerable moments of vulnerability, there are also plenty of <i>Body Talk</i> songs that teem with strutting, defiant confidence. There’s the stark and pulsing “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do,” the squelchy, Diplo-assisted “Dancehall Queen,” and the bizarre but wonderful Snoop Dogg collaboration “U Should Know Better,” with its pulsing beats and playful boasting (few pop stars save for Robyn could successfully pull off a line like, “Even the Vatican knows not to fuck with me”). .

via Apple Music

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