Its appeal is enduring for countless reasons, arguably the most prominent of which is its lyrical portrayal of helplessness and longing. The decision paid off: the resulting eponymous album quickly spawned a #1 single back in 2007 in the form of “With Every Heartbeat”.Īlthough the song remains her biggest chart success, “Dancing On My Own” is often considered Robyn’s defining song. Her rationale behind establishing Konichiwa Records – a label that currently houses only herself and Zhala – was that she would rather release quality music without label interference. More importantly, the singularity of her creative vision is well-documented and exemplified by a decision made in 2005 to sever ties with a major label. Her albums may blend a poppish, universal appeal with more leftfield sonic experimentation, but her singles are always well-chosen and laden with emotion. Robyn is consistently hailed as a critical success – practically anything she touches is described as musical gold, and for good reason. How did he achieve success with a song that can most accurately be described as a cult favourite? More importantly, why is Robyn’s original still so commercially underrated? Even more surprisingly, his version has been a fixture on the charts for the last 20 weeks and has even been certified gold for selling in excess of 400,000 copies. A cover version by Calum Scott, an attractive talent show alumnus, peaked at #2 last week. Six years later, however, and the song is back in the charts – albeit in a very different form.
Despite being named the best song of 2010 by the likes of The Guardian and appearing in countless year-end round-ups, the song’s commercial response was comparatively lukewarm – it reached just #8 in the UK, and didn’t even chart on the USA’s Billboard Hot 100. There was “Be Mine”, a tale of unrequited love “With Every Heartbeat”, an exploration of pain experienced in relationships and of course “Dancing On My Own”, a heartbreaking depiction of seeing an ex with a new lover. The Swedish pop singer’s lyrics are melancholic, bittersweet, yet never saccharine. Few musicians are able to sonically narrate the trajectory of love as skillfully as Robyn.
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