Robyn: Exposed

Although she might look it, Robyn is no newcomer to the music industry. The Swedish singer has been in the public eye since she signed her first record deal at the age of 16. But it's with her current three-part 'Body Talk' series that the star has really hit her stride.

So, as she prepares to release 'Body Talk pt. 2', Gigwise thought it was only right to catch up with the singer to discuss her new album, as well as her plans for the future...

Gigwise: Now that we’re over halfway through with your Body Talk project how do you think things have worked out for you?

Robyn: “I think it’s worked great. I’m really happy with working this way and I feel like it’s making sense to the listeners as well it’s also enabling me to do more of the things I like to do and not just do one thing for a really long time so I’m really excited. I enjoy not having to do just one thing. You know usually you’re on the road for 2 or 3 years and then in the studio for three years. This way I get to do both of these things at the same time. It’s really nice.”

So do you think after the third one’s out you’ll carry on working this way?

“Yes I think so.

That’s what’s good about having your own record label.

Y”es exactly. That’s why I started the record company because I wanted to find a way of working that really made sense to me and I just felt like when I was making this album, why stop there? I wanted to see how far I could push it and really exercise that freedom.”

Do you think there’ll be another single, after 'Hang With Me', from Part 2?

“We’ll see. It’s all up to what people want and are requesting. There are definite enough good songs on there for us to release another single. It’s happening as I go along. It’s not a big plan or anything. I’m experimenting.”

You duetted with Snoop Dogg on this album, what was that like?

“It was fun. I’m a big fan and I have been since I was a little kid it was definitely a dream come true. It was everything I wanted it to be, just super cool and super down to earth and really funny which was good. I had a lot of ideas and he was super open to discuss. That’s why we decided to work together we just hooked up and talked about music.”

'Indestructible' is an acoustic version on Part 2. Can you tell me a bit about the other version?

“There is another version of Indestructible that’s going to be on the third album. I can’t tell you what it sounds like but you can imagine maybe when you think about how 'Hang With Me' has changed from the acoustic version.”

Robyn - 'Hang With Me'

Do you know what the plan is with Part 3?

“I’m recording now and I don’t really know much more than you do. We’ll see there’s a couple of songs finished but there’s a lot of songs that aren’t finished and we’re still recording and writing. It’s very hard for me to say at this point.”

So are they new songs?

“Yeah.”

Who have you worked with on the third album?

“Mostly Klas (Åhlund) who I work with most of the time anyway. At the moment it’s just me and Klas as usual.”

You performed a Bjork cover recently. Did she give you any feedback on that?

“Yeah she did. She really liked it. She told me that she was blown away by the whole evening and that she felt really honoured and happy about it all. That was nice because I was very very nervous.”

You sing songs about being an outsider. Why do you feel like an outsider?

“I think most people do. I don’t know anyone who feels totally accepted all the time for everything they do. I think it’s a part of being human.”

I think it’s also in the way you present yourself, there is this star aspect of it but there’s something quite straightforward and human about it too. Is that something you try and do?

“It is. It was one of the ideas behind this album to do something that felt really authentic and simple and just logical. I don’t know how to explain it. It was one of the strongest thoughts behind the album so if that comes through I’m really happy.”

How much do you think about the way you look?

“I like clothes. I like wearing stuff that expresses my personality. I don’t think too much about trends and fashion but I do think about what I’m wearing. I think growing up with a theatre family and seeing my people dress up and being in character all the time definitely had an influence on me but yeah I’m kind of conscious of not becoming an artist that’s dictated by fashion. I think it’s really important and all the artists that I grew up listening to, I was a fan of them because they had a personal style and it showed that they were true to who they were so I try to do that as well.”

What are you interested in outside of music?

“I’m interested in dance. Whether it’s myself in a club or watching modern dance on a stage or just watching other people dance is fun too. I like watching things that are funny like Sarah Silverman, Bugs Bunny. I like clothes, I like jewellery, I like good food, I like robots.”

What do you like about Sarah Silverman?

“I think she’s funny. That’s what it is. I think that she doesn’t censor herself and as a girl that’s very liberating and fun.”

Robyn - 'Dancing On My Own'

You’re feministic in a way that you don’t have to say it or justify it, it’s just there.

“Yeah but I’m not afraid of saying it either because I think that being a feminist almost becomes a thing like 'I hate men' or something which is not true. I think feminism is for everybody, men as well and I don’t understand anybody that wants to live in a world that’s not equal whether it’s between men and women or different cultures or whatever it is.”

Do you worry a lot about things?

“Yeah I think I do. Not worry but I do think about things a lot all the time, sometimes that’s worrying I guess.”

What do you worry about?

“I worry about people that I care about. I worry about my sleep, not getting enough of it. I worry about not having enough time.”

What ideas do you have about songs that you’ll do in the future?

“Hmm. Good question. I think it’s something I’ve just started thinking about again. I’ve been so busy writing for this album that it hasn’t really been in my system. I’m maybe thinking more about what the next album is going to sound like than what I’m going to write about because it isn’t something you control, it just happens. Sad love songs is something I’m always drawn to.”

Well a lot of people feel sad about love.

“Yeah! I think that sad and happy are two parts of the same thing and I don’t think that any sad love songs doesn’t have a streak of home in it and I don’t think that happy songs doesn’t have some kind of sadness to it. I think that melancholy is the best way to describe it when there’s a little bit of both.”

You’re performing at the VMAs. Do you know what you’re doing yet?

“I kinda know what I’m doing. I’ve been talking to Deadmau5 on e-mail and he’s remixing Dancing On My Own and it sounds really good. Of course I’m happy to perform there and that people are interested in what I’m doing.”

'Body Talk Pt. 2' is released on September 13.