With the recent release of Body Talk Pt. 1 and the imminent release of Pt. 2, I was eager to see how Robyn’s performance has evolved since I last saw her in 2008. The good news: Robyn’s headlining performance on Friday was everything I could have hoped for and more. The bad: she left “Konichiwa Bitches” off an otherwise strong set list. But personal gripes aside, Robyn’s set was hands-down my favorite of the week.
She started things off with ”Fembot” and went straight into “Cry When You Get Older” before kicking back to 2005’s Robyn with a retooled version of “Cobrastyle”. The set list was perfectly balanced between old and new songs, and included almost every track from Body Talk Part 1 (“Dancing On My Own”, “Dancehall Queen”, “None of Dem” and “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do”). As with “Cobrastyle”, Robyn offered up fresh interpretations of several old favorites, including “Be Mine”, “Who’s That Girl” and her breakout debut single, “Show Me Love”. She also played “Dream On”, a collaboration with Swedish musician/producer Christian Falk, and closed the show with an epic rendition of “With Every Heartbeat” in its full original glory.
The creativity that Robyn displays in her impressive body of work has already set her apart from the droves of pop stars that have come and gone over the course of her fifteen-year career. Add her showmanship to the mix and she is completely untouchable. Robyn had me captivated from the moment she took the stage for her first-ever U.S. show at Highline Ballroom in February 2008. She began the show with “Cobrastyle”, delivering the first four lines with a rigidity that matched the form of the song, then suddenly broke into a dance so uninhibited and natural, I can still remember the audience’s collective awe and delight.
What I find so admirable about Robyn (aside from her music, of course) is how high she set the bar back in 2008, and how easily she cleared it two years later. Almost all of the artists I’ve seen on multiple occasions have failed to live up to magic of the first time, but Robyn is a clear exception. Not only did she wisely wait until she had new material before embarking on a major tour, her effervescent personality is so infectious, it makes you wish she was your best friend.
Body Talk Pt. 2 will be released in the U.S. on September 7 with Pt. 3 on the horizon, also slated for a 2010 release. Click through for photos of Robyn’s amazing Øya performance, and CLICK HERE to see more photos from the festival.


















