 | | |
| | Robyn | | | Music Artist : | | Robyn | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | CherryTree | | Release Date : | | 2008-04-29 | | Store Price : | | $13.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $13.98 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
|
|
|
|
|
CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Curriculum Vitae
2. Konichiwa Bitches
3. Cobrastyle
4. Handle Me
5. Bum Like You
6. Be Mine!
7. With Every Heartbeat - with Kleerup
8. Who's That Girl
9. Bionic Woman
10. Crash And Burn Girl
11. Robotboy
12. Eclipse
13. Should Have Know
14. Any Time You Like
15. Dream On
16. Handle Me - RedOne Remix - Cherrytree Bonus Track
| |
Other Artist Albums
|
|
|
|
Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
|
 The long overdue return of Robyn
Submitted on: 2009-11-11 |
|
| Robyn had released her debut album "Robyn Is Here" back in 1997. She was considered to be an anomaly- a pop singer that wrote all of her own songs. Later on in her career she wanted more artistic freedom and creative control, much to the chagrin of her record label. Also, not helping the situation was that Christina Aguilera was her labelmate and other teenage blondes (namely, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears) had emerged around that time. Her popularity took a quick nosedive in the United States. Fast forward a decade later, Robyn returns- older, wiser and spunkier...with a Parental Advisory sticker to boot! Her self titled new album is dance oriented and slightly poppy, and is overtly influenced by the new wave era of music. There's the first single "Konichiwa Bitches" and the dancehall-inspired "Cobrastyle". "Handle Me" appears in both original and remix form, with the remix handled by RedOne, whose best known for producing Robyn's labelmate Lady Gaga. Although these songs sound happy on the surface, most of the tracks on this album center around the theme of breakups and lost love. Still in all, I think this album is a welcomed return for Robyn. Hopefully it won't take her another ten years for a follow-up. |
|
|
|
 One of the most uniquely amazing albums I've ever heard; EVER...
Submitted on: 2009-11-06 |
|
One of the greatest albums, not just of the past year or decade but of forever, Robyn's self-titled album is just delicious. When I was a pre-teen I remember loving Robyn's debut album `Robyn is Here', and then she disappeared. Now I consider her debut album a solid yet uninspiring pop album, so when I heard that she finally dropped another album here in the states (she has been releasing music overseas for years) I wasn't sure what to expect. Let's just say that absence has really made my heart grow fonder and fonder; that and the fact that she has reinvented herself in the most masterful of ways.
`Robyn' is a brilliant collection of hot tempered, spit-fire magic that escalates with infectious goodness from open to close.
I'm just going to get the `poor' out of the way right now and say that I don't like `With Every Heartbeat' and `Should Have Known'. I just find them forgettable and `less than' when compared to the rest of the album. Now that I've said that, I will continue the rest of this review with heap upon heap of endless praise.
I want to start by saying that the album's opening `Curriculum Vitae' is perfect.
As far as pop goes, the closest you get here to her 90's glory days is the infectious and beautifully dated `Be Mine!'. It has a memorable spunkiness to it, and it is catchy as all get out. `Dream On' also has a 90's vibe to me. It also stands out to me as one of those songs that doesn't really sound like anything else she's done. It has a chant worthy anthem quality to it.
One thing that Robyn doesn't lack anywhere on this album is style.
The opening track `Konichiwa (I won't even attempt to type the second word)' just oozes with that very thing; style. It is a brilliant opening track because it defines this artist. She is all over the place with clever wit, bone crushing techno pop beats and silky vocals. She has a really underrated voice to be honest. It has a nice texture to it that she deserves to called out for. Her use of sensual lyrics (almost crude at times) gives her an edge, but she never comes off as vulgar. She has chic sophistication to her content. `Cobrastyle' explodes with everything I just mentioned ("remember when you dig a hole it's two you gon' dig"). It may even be the best track on the album, and if not it is certainly up there.
I love the club worthy fabulousness of this entire album.
For me there are two songs that stand out as Robyn's newfound definition of pop music. `Handle Me' and `Who's That Girl' are definitely the most accessible, radio ready tracks. `Handle Me' has a great catchy quality to it that really simmers with repeat worthiness. Robyn's voice is also a standout here. The remix version at the end of the album is even better here, completely fusing her techno adoration with her commercial offering. `Who's That Girl' reminds me of a jazzed up version of something off of `Robyn is Here'. I gobble it up, seriously. There is a sweetness to her vocals that I just really adore here.
`Crash and Burn Girl' is just SO MUCH FUN. I love the background vocal beats and the way she just flows right through the track without skipping a beat or losing her breath. It's a marvelous example of what she stands for as an artist. `Bum Like You' has a dark edge that just croons with sensuality. I love the way she completely gives herself away to the song, and the subject matter. It's a cheeky song when you listen to it; like the anti-scrubs.
LOVE IT.
`Robotboy' took a while to grow on me. It is different, but I totally commend her for that. It is also a nice segue to her softer tracks. It has a catchiness to it, but it also has a very youthful vibe that reminds me of something almost too young, like children's music.
Hmmmm.
`Eclipse' is gorgeous. You may not expect it (I didn't) but it really takes you somewhere. There is an otherworldliness to it (I love that she kept a techno, space vibe to this even though it is such a soft and tender track). Her voice is magnificent here, so vulnerable and sharp. `Anytime You Like' has an Asian inspired musical arrangement, and there is a slinky vibe that just elevates the track. It's stellar, really.
The album is just the definition of the word COMPLETE. There is so much here, yet it all feels necessary and comfortable for Robyn. There are numerous standouts (Cobrastyle, Bum Like You, Crash and Burn Girl, Eclipse) but to be honest, the whole album is a standout. If you want something that just works on all sorts of levels, reeks of originality and just blows the competition away then this is the album you NEED TO OWN! |
|
|
|
One of her best albums, not to mention great acoustic versions
Submitted on: 2009-10-24 |
|
I started listening to this album last year and knew right away that it was going to be hit. I wish the acoustic versions of "Be Mine" and "Every Heartbeat" were on it though. The best way to hear these versions is via YouTube. Just use the search terms "Robyn - With every heartbeat piano version" and "Robyn - Be Mine! Acoustic Piano Version" and you'll find them. You'll love the acoustic versions of these songs, trust me!
My favorite songs include:
1. Be Mine - the video is awesome as well.
2. Bum Like You
3. Every Heart Beat (the best!)
4. Handle Me
5. Anytime You Want
I also love the Punks Jump Up Remix of Every Heartbeat. It's not on this album but again, if you search YouTube you can listen to it. Use the search terms "robyn punks jump up".
Enjoy! |
|
|
|
 vocals are great, engineering, production, arrangements are awful
Submitted on: 2009-10-21 |
|
I first heard Robyn's single "With Every Heartbeat" on my cable's music "dance" channel -- a driving remix with aggressive trance accompanying her great vocals. Whoa! says I, I better check this out. I went to her website, looked at some of her videos and Whoa!, says I, this isn't very good. Great vocals, but mediocre songs and stupid videos. Then I stumbled upon the link on her site to [...], and found videos of her doing three of her songs off the album, accompanied only by an electric piano. Friends, those performances are jaw-droppingly awesome. Slowing down the songs to ballad-like tempos with an intelligent keyboardist playing backup allows the songs to "breathe", opening room in the songs for Robyn to showcase her vocal abilities. More importantly, the emotion that she puts into the lyrics is heartfelt and blistering -- truly awesome performances. Hoping that the mainstream videos for her songs were a fluke, and that her songs on the CD were more inline with the remix that I heard on the music channel, I bought the album. I should have borrowed it from the library first, to check it out completely.
Please, people, check out the Cherrytree Records site or find the Cherrytree Treehouse session EP at your Borders store, and stay far far away from this CD "Robyn". I hate to give it one star, as her voice is really great within the proper musical context, but the simplistic "sparse production" of the album is flat-out awful. The music sounds like it was played on a cheap Casio keyboard, the arrangements show no musical intellect or experience, and her forays into rap are excruciating. It's hard to believe that Robyn actually chose this team, since her previous work is evidently more pop music-oriented, and this album is some sort of hybrid rap / r&b / electronica mush. This album is one-listen disposable, and that's sad, because although she has limited range, she does have a great and expressive voice that is way better than her pop-tart cohorts. This album desperately needs a remix to better showcase Robyn's vocal abilities, and I sincerely hope she sacks this crew and finds a better team to display her vocal chops for the next album. I give this album an overall 1-star rating for the abysmal production and juvenile musical arrangements that mar Robyn's stellar vocal performance.
|
|
|
|
Robyn's the best, hand's down!
Submitted on: 2009-08-19 |
|
| Actually, I bought the CD off of Zune. I didn't know what I was getting into, but Robyn quickly swept me up and away with her lyrics, vocals, and the music. She's a little different at first, but I don't see why anyone couldn't love this pop sensation! |
|
|
|
