Robyn Suits Up For The ‘New York Times,’ Opens Up About New LP ‘Honey’
The pop gods have truly listened to our prayers. Earlier this week Robyn revealed she was ending a nearly decade-long drought between albums. The 39-year-old announced plans to unveil Honey, the follow-up to 2010’s Body Talk, October 26. And she kept the good news coming. Today (September 21), the icon shared some additional insight about the project with the New York Times. Suiting up in a retro, burnt orange look, the “Dancing On My Own” siren stunned in an accompanying shoot with Ana Cuba. “Feeling nervous telling you about the album as it was such a complex period for me, but I’m also excited,” she teased on Instagram. A dive into the conversation unveils a wealth of information.
For starters, it is clear Honey will be something of a departure from the dance floor diva’s previous releases. “I was like, I’m not going to write one single sad love song,” the heartbreak queen explained. However, that was not to be the case. “And then when I started writing, it was sad love song, sad love song, sad love song. But it’s in a different way.” Citing Michael and Janet Jackson and Prince as sonic influences, the project’s lead single, “Missing U,” helps transition to the new era. And her listing as a co-producer offered yet another hint. In fact, Robyn took on more creative control than ever before on the remainder of Honey.
The interview also provides a glimpse at several songs up for inclusion on the final tracklist. “Human Being” has been described as a spacey serving of future pop. “Baby Forgive Me” is said to feature a sensually throbbing production, while “Between The Lines” takes it back to the ’90s. Adam Bainbridge, also known as Kindness, worked on a track called “Send To Robyn Immediately,” and it contains a sample of Lil Louis’ “French Kiss.” Album closer “Ever Again” offers a departure from the sad-girl club anthems. Instead it sees Robyn promise that she’s “never gonna be brokenhearted again.”
However, the title track sounds like the most intriguing gem on the album. An early iteration of the anthem appeared on an episode of Lena Dunham’s Girls and was an instant fan-favorite. However, it has gone through a multitude of changes since then. A true serving of club music, she explained that its structure is different than that of a traditional pop song. “When you’re listening to club music, there’s no reward,” she said. “The reward isn’t, ‘Oh, here’s the chorus, here’s the lyric that makes sense.’ You have to enjoy what it is. You have to enjoy that there’s no conclusion.” She played a current version of the cut during her August interview, giving a sense of how the track has shifted.
“No, you’re not gonna get what you need,” she sings. “But baby, I have what you want. Come get your honey.” After working on the track for longer than any other, it sounds like “Honey” is a masterpiece. Robyn shared some additional insight about her relationship with club music. “It’s a hypnotic thing. Time stops, and I don’t even think about where I am when I hear music like that. That’s the high that I want,” she said. Based on this interview, it seems as though her highly anticipated album will deliver a similar rush for fans. Scroll through a gallery of pics from the shoot up top and check out the rest of her interview here. While you’re here you can also revisit “Missing U” below!
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