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Photo: Björn Borg

05/21/2022

The Robyn Party at Holocene, May 28th / Preview

By MATT HANSEN // Dance party celebrating the Swedish pop singer is now a decade long institution 

The year was 1997, MTV was dominated by the fem-positive hits of the Spice Girls, paving the way for other female pop imports to enter the scene. And two years after its release in Sweden, a single by a Swedish singer achieved Top Ten success in America, charting modestly in the fall of 1997. A notch ahead of Britney Spears – and before the ubiquity of Swedish producers on the billboard charts – there was Robyn’s “Show Me Love.”

With her cropped blonde hairdo and black tracksuit, Robyn (Robin Miriam Carlsson) struck a markedly different tone to the female pop stars of the time. It wasn’t just the sex-positive arthouse feel of her black and white music video, but rather Carlsson’s lyrical persona that made her a stand-out figure. Part love-therapist on “Call Your Girlfriend” and a feminist icon on “Handle Me,” Robyn’s fearless subject matter shows evidence of giving healthy contemplation to relationships, rather than simply exploiting their drama for entertainment.

With a willingness to pivot from R&B to dance, Robyn continues to stimulate fans by sticking to her guns and her hairstyle, while the radio pop contemporaries of her debut days have fallen short. But it’s not just Robyn’s fans who continue to celebrate her career, some DJs have even made a tradition of it. Taking a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, the event created to worship Robyn in full-blown club fashion is returning on Saturday, May 28th to Holocene. Just in time to celebrate its 10-year-anniversary of giving Robyn her due, ‘This Party is Killing You’ is a dance opus founded in honor of the pop star the world deserves.

Truly an international affair, its tour schedule has the party’s DJs performing at Pride celebrations in Brooklyn and later Sweden in August. It’s on this dance floor where we can relish in Robyn’s hits, B-sides, and lost tracks, while recognizing that an all-inclusive approach to pop is the one we’d prefer to thrive in. With a never-ending catalog of team-ups between Robyn and others like Röyksopp, Lorde, Basement Jaxx, and even Snoop Dogg, the party won’t skip a single beat of Robyn’s storied career. Secure your tickets now, as Holocene will fill up fast. Sweating and camaraderie is highly encouraged.

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