“Body Talk” is a slowly but surely concocted work that celebrates the drama of being a girl. Robyn’s third release and the culmination of her efforts for 2010, it draws five tracks each from the earlier “Body Talk Pt. 1” and “Body Talk Pt. 2,” adding five new stellar songs to the mix. Covering the heartache and despair of unrequited love, the spunk of female empowerment and the playfulness of being a girl, it all adds up to a wonderfully energizing dance floor LP. Bring on the pop.
Arguably Robyn’s biggest hit of the year, “Dancing On My Own” starts the album off. Originally off “Body Talk Pt. 1,” the single finds her at her strongest vocally while exposing her emotional vulnerability. While the spirited vocals ring out loud above the upbeat synth and bass lines, the lyrics tell another story. As the reject in the club, she sings of herself dancing: “I’m giving it my all, but I’m not the girl you’re taking home.” Never has a pop dance anthem felt as personal or heartbreaking before. Expect smeared mascara on the dance floor.
Not to worry, though. “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do” kicks in a couple of songs later to show who’s boss. A playful, repetitive electro-house tirade, the track starts off listing all of the annoyances that are killing her, starting off with her drinking and including her PMS (female empowerment, anyone?). “Kickdrum,” she demands halfway through the song, and the drum pad jumps for her. An awesome track that has you nodding the whole way through, reminiscent of Daft Punk’s “Technologic,” it culminates with the title rant, presumably meant for her man.
“Indestructible,” the first of the new tracks, brings in the hope and optimism of new love to gloss over the earlier letdowns conveyed in the album. With a string instrument arrangement mixed in over the synth lines, the track feels softer and less edgy than the earlier electro on the record. “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,” she sings throughout the chorus, although the energy of the line is somewhat sabotaged after being followed by one of the least ingenious lines in the album: “This is hardcore.”
Another new track, “Call Your Girlfriend” is one of the high points off the album. As Robyn sings to her lover to leave his girlfriend to be with her instead, one can see countless stories and lost hopes of “the other woman” come shining through. What seems like a straightforward pop song with a strong groove and synthesized vocals is actually an incredibly elaborate emotional development, which is at times desperate, at times seductive and coy, but mostly sad in its familiarity.
As the album comes to a close with the upbeat and slightly childish “Stars 4-Ever,” it becomes clear that this is the album that Robyn had wanted to release all throughout the year, but had not been able to conclude. The tracks are now in the order intended, with enough electro and even a bit of dubstep interspersed throughout the album to keep her dance pop anthems from becoming too sweet, and her collaborations with Snoop Dogg (“U Should Know Better”) and Röyksopp (“None of Dem”) are masterful. And although mass commercial success has shirked Robyn this year, the intimacy in her songs promises to captivate more than one. Girls, put on your heels: it’s time to dance to Robyn.