Robyn and Royksopp went into a recording studio. Is it any wonder they walked out with some of the greatest music of the year?
No, of course not.
The last time we heard from the Swedish Queen of Pop, she was churning out 2010’s best album of the year, Body Talk, in the form of three EPs spread out over the course of the year. And Royksopp? They’ve only continued to evolve and become one of the most dynamic electronic duos in the world.
The first time the two Scandi-pop titans paired up on record was the masterful “The Girl And The Robot,” included on Royksopp’s 2009 record, Junior. A year later, the two regrouped for Robyn’s Body Talk Pt. 1, resulting in a moody ode to wanderlust: “None of Dem.” They’ve since toured together, and they’re doing it again. (Get it?)
As a result, the Robyn-Royksopp (Robsopp?) Do It Again EP was all but fated.
Earlier today, three songs from the upcoming EP surfaced: “SayIt,” “Every Little Thing,” and the upcoming single and title track, “Do It Again.” I’m saving my thoughts on the other two songs for a proper EP review (especially given that it’s not even out until the end of May), but “Do It Again” demands your attention immediately. Now. There’s simply no choice.
In a lot of ways, “Do It Again” is classic post-2007 Robyn: Hypnotic pulsations, robot sounds, heavenly strings and meticulously crafted hooks that capture the very essence of pop. And yet, it’s still something new.
The beats slam a bit harder into the speakers, perhaps in keeping the stadium-sized EDM that’s still very much a thing in 2014. And unlike the teardrop disco that Robyn’s become synonymous with as of late, “Do It Again” is generally blissful: Robyn just wants to do it! What is it, exactly? Dancing to a brilliant pop song? An all-night sexcapade? Whatever it is, she just wants to do it. And then do it again. (Why don’t cha DO somethin’?)
“The moment before the anticipation/You know, it’s like…mmmm/Wait for it, wait for the build-up, and then…let’s do it again!” she declares just before the chorus breaks. Why, that’s exactly how listening to this song feels. Meta overload!
“We should not be friends/We’ll just do it again,” she responsibly cautions during the song’s bridge. “If you stay around/We’ll just do it again.” We appreciate the concern Robyn, but we don’t want to hear it. WE WANT TO DO IT! AND THEN DO IT AGAIN!
You could draw comparisons to Robyn’s 2010 masterpiece “Dancing On My Own,” or even her Kleerup collabo “With Every Heartbeat,” but if anything, “Do It Again” reminds me most of Daft Punk‘s classic “One More Time.” It’s a straightforward, endlessly repetitive call to arms for the dance floor: Again, again, again, again!
It never ends. And really, who would want it to?
UPDATE: “Do It Again” is now available on iTunes.
The ‘Do It Again EP’ will be released on May 26. (iTunes)
