You Wanna Rumble In My Jungle?

Back in 1997 I was totally smitten with what to me at the time was a faceless Swede behind my favorite song, "Do You Know (What It Takes)." It helped that she shared a name (and, more importantly, a spelling of said name) with my godsister and close friend Robyn, and perhaps that was the reason that despite never hearing anything from the artist again over the next twelve years, I still felt a fondness for her. Thankfully, a friend of mine with her Europop radar much stronger than my own, introduced me earlier this year to the bonafide masterpiece of a self-titled pop album Robyn put out in 2005 (in Sweden), 2007 (Europe and Australia), and 2008 (US, kind of). Robyn is an embarassment of pop riches, but for the final day of 2009 I think I want most to be rocking to this sweetly foul-mouthed joy.

Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn

"Konichiwa Bitches"

Robyn

Robyn

Konichiwa Records, 2007

Trivia: The reason I hadn't heard anything from this fantastic artist for so long was that poor Robyn has gone through the messiest of quagmires with her former labels, before finally getting fed up, buying herself out of her contract, starting her own label, and sending Robyn out into the world in bits and pieces however she can. Multiple tracks from the album appear on Pitchfork's notoriously indie rock-centric Top Singles lists, including their Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s megalist, and Robyn receives almost unanimous praise from any US critic who manages to come across her recent work. But even if all that weren't true, I'd still adore this woman for the brilliant video that accompanies this surprisingly raunchy track...but it gets better. Once after one of my repeated viewings I felt inclined to express my approval via Twitter, jokingly asking where I might get a similar killer bee outfit. I almost died when I received a reply from Robyn herself: "it´s in my attic babes locked up saving it for a rainy day."

DEFINITELY get the fantastic self-titled pop opus by Robyn.