Don't Stop The Pop Gets all emotional (Robyn live-The Scala)

A few years ago Robyn entered the stage of Malmofestivalen. Back then the most famous Robyn song that had 'heart' in its titles was the ballad Underneath The Heart. It was also the first time she'd ever performed Who's That Girl and the audience were left screaming for more. And boy did she listen to those cries.


A year or so later, Robyn had set up her own label, released Be Mine and its follow-up was an amazing version of Who's That Girl. This time however it wasnt live-it was all finished off and neatly recorded in a studio. So anyway, last night she appeared at the major London venue The Scala.


The year has been quite amazing for the singer. She's expected to have her second single from her self-titled album enter the top twenty of the UK tomorrow and with The Scala being completely sold out I just wanted to take this little moment to take stock of things....


It seems like only a few moments ago she was there singing an amazing version of Janet Jacksons When I Think Of You & soaring versions of her songs Play & O Baby. Don'tStopthepop was created in her name (well, actually her 3rd album Don't Stop The Music).


She kept the 'pop' burning and this blog is all about celebrating that acute defiance of pop acts who bounce the pop from your mp3 player and into your eardrums.


Slowly but surely - and rather organically - the pop pioneer has been picking up more and more fans. More and more sites have rejoiced her brilliance and energetic performances-if you've seen her show you'll know exactly what I mean.

Buy Robyn's single here

Back then very few sites discussed Robyn. There was Jessica of DirrtyPop who still expresses the weirdness of hearing Robyn on UK radios and seeing her CD in UK stores without the import price tag. After years and years of writing about Robyn its both brilliant and overwhelming to hear & watch Robyn strut and ultimately say "hello, London!" just before she breaks into Be Mine. The experience is strange as a long-time fan of Robyn...but cool!

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Sadly I couldn't make last night at the Scala. I've always tried my best to keep the blog and personal life quite apart. I mean this blog is about pop music! Nothing more! Oh and an overuse of exclamation marks. Well, I've been kinda sick and yet life goes on but its the medication that I'm taking at the moment that have made me slow things down just a tad. They are some amazing drugs-let me tell you that. They totally knock you out. Some hours your fine and the next your in bed dreaming about unicorns and thrones. So I couldn't go. I so wanted to! I was invited to the aftershow party which would have been fun. However, sometimes you gotta listen to what the doctor is saying. But that doesn't mean this place will stop. It will continue. The fire will keep burnin' and all that jazz.

So, sorry I couldn't be there-I so wanted to be. I truly did. However 2008 is looking like a great year for pop. Robyn herself has more exciting things in the pipeline which I will try my best to strut to the left and dance to the right. Those hardcore fans reading this will take pleasure in the knowledge that Robyn is doing her fifth album (confirmed on this very site) and has many things planned coming up in the future. Its been an amazing couple of years watching Robyn's star rise and musically spread. Robyn, tack så mycket!!!!

Major thank you to the lovely & sublime Mr. Baranyai for all the amazing pictures which are taken from her live UK dates.

Coming up: exciting things including the Pop Awards!

ROBYN With Every Heart-Concert Of A Decade

In the past few days Robyn performed/released material in UK. I’d planned a review. I’d planned something “street-team”. I’d planned something fan-based.

Perhaps a bit kiss-ass. But That’s Ok. I’m a Robyn Fan.

Then I decided against all of that. The review. The set list. All scrapped. You can go to other places for those details. I want to do something else. Something for the fans of Robyn who were not able to attend the show.

You see reviews of amazing shows can be annoying for those who can’t be there due to time, geography, family responsibilities and work related issues. They read things that have passed. Its not nice. Its liking missing the last bus home when its raining…

So this is different. This is for the Robyn fans. Hopefully you!

Robyn performed a show in London on thursday. A concert for the fans. Some of which couldn’t make it. She exposed a physical existence of the exuberant. Something I noticed in Robyn all the way back in 1995. All her performances have that similar energy.

So what follows is a concert of sorts. A “set list” of Robyn’s best live performances of the past few years.

Most are from her Swedish only tours (Malmo, Malmofestivalen and Goteborg). They are extremely high quality and very rare. Most have only ever been performed for her home crowd and will never again appear on a Robyn set list. Like Play for example. Her recent shows, including those in Sweden, have utterly forgotten the second album. Not on this set list!

I want to share these songs especially for the fans that couldn’t make Cargo. So they can now nod their heads and sing along with fans who did manage to buy a ticket. Moreover, this is also to celebrate the week that sees Robyn's new album "Robyn" released in the UK. This concert took a decade to make, write, tour and produce...enjoy

ROBYN WITH EVERY HEART-CONCERT OF THE DECADE
(Sendspace link)

Small words for each song

1. Intro/Breakdown Intermission-Performed at Malmofestivalen in 2003. Includes brilliant fan fare. Check out audience members screaming “hurry up!”.

2. Do You Know What It Takes-This kicked off her 2005 Swedish tour for her Robyn LP. Robyn makes her 1995 hit single all electro with amazing results.

3. Medley/Konichiwa Bitches-Performed as part of her 2005 Swedish tour in Goteborg. Includes her current UK single, Buffalo Stance and Leila K.

4. Blow My Mind-Performed as part of her 2005 Swedish tour in Goteborg. Blow My Mind is from her Don’t Stop The Music LP. Originally a light electric ballad, Robyn morphs the production and turns it into a tribute to the 1980s, PWL and Prince.

5. Dream On-With Christian Falk and Ola Salo from The Ark. This stunning song was performed on her UK dates. This recording is from the P3 Guld Galan last year.

6. Do me Baby-And now lets step back in time. DSTP premiered this last year. Do Me Baby was originally supposed to be on the U.S issue of Robyn Is Here. Robyn gave it to the singer Michele. Recorded circa 1996? We don't know. Like all good pop concerts theres got to be a random lost track included for good measure and Do Me Baby fits the bill perfectly. Is it a Show Me Love part II? What do you think?

7. Play-Robyn rarely performs songs from her second album. As you’ll hear, its amazing. Taken from her appearance at Malmofestivalen in 2003.

8. Should Have Known-One of the highlights of the Don’t Stop The Music LP. So much so its featured in her recent tours and even re-recorded for the album released today. Robyn goes “gospel” towards the end of this song. A case of the live version being better than the studio mix. Taken from the same tour as the one above.

9. Electric-The amazing lead single from My Truth. Sadly Robyn has never performed this song outside Sweden. This recording, like the one above, is taken from her appearance at Malmofestivalen in 2003.

10. Be Mine-the hit single that launched her Konichiwa Records. Recording taken from her 2005 tour in Goteborg.

11. Crash and Burn Girl-An amazing performance of her fourth single from the Robyn LP. Recording taken from her 2005 tour in Goteborg.

12. Handle Me-Taken from her 2005 tour in Goteborg. Includes all lyrics censored on the studio versions (both in UK and Sweden).

13. Bum Like You-Absolutely amazing version of her album track. I have to say, again, the live version is so much better than the one of the CD. Recording taken from her 2005 tour in Goteborg.

14. Message In A Bottle-A brilliant cover of the Police classic. Taken from her 2005 tour in Malmo.

15. Show Me Love-The hit! Nowadays Robyn performs this song in a stripped down manner. Here is a recent recording of Show Me Love in all its glory! From Malmofestivalen in 2003.

16. Keep This Fire Burning-A song that will always be in Robyn’s set lists! This version is amazing. From Goteborg in 2005.

17. Jack U Off-Rip roaring cover of the Prince gem that Robyn simply loves to perform ever since she recorded the song and included it on the flipside to Be Mine. Taken from her 2005 tour in Malmo. Check out the audience going wild!

18. Eclipse-One of Robyn’s best ‘slow-down’ tracks. Probably the defining Robyn song has ever recorded and in its live format it just blossoms. The pauses, the piano and the tears-simply beautiful. Recording taken from her 2005 tour in Goteborg.]

19. With Every Heartbeat-Performed with Kleerup. A very different version to the one available on the album and performed at her recent London shows. Nevertheless, it remains to be the most beautiful piece of music thats ever appeared on this blog and this "tour" is thus named after it. Performed this year in Stockholm.

Encore

20. Main Thing-Another long lost song from her second album that deserves a bit more sunshine. This song was written with Masters At Work and is a fan favourite. Sadly, Robyn has performed this only once! Performed in Stockholm in 1999.

21. Don't Stop The Music-This storming song about fitting in and misfits is now a firm favourite amongst all fans. Criminally the single, which was covered by girl band Play, wasn't anywhere to be seen during her recent UK dates. Don't Stop The Music is the how this blog got its name! Performed during her show in Goteborg in 2005.

22. Nummer Ett-To finish things up, a nice sing-a-long pop mini-gem performed when Robyn was about 12. Very much for the poptrash crowd!


NB: All recordings are bootleg and thus unofficial. They were recorded for fans by fans. Hope you enjoy. Buy the album today here and check out all the latest Robyn news here.

Photo Details: Taken of Robyn at Grona Lund in 2003 by Ola.

Thanks to Lena, Ola and Mike in NYC.

If you have any issues, questions or indeed corrections please email me at Dontstopthepop@hotmail.com.