This 2013 Kings of Leon cover of Robyn’s Dancing on My Own inspired Callum Scott to sing Dancing on My Own for his audition for Britain’s Got Talent, which eventually lead to Scott’s version of the song hitting #2 on the UK charts in 2016 and becoming the #1 download in the UK that summer. The original version topped out at 8.
Here’s the original.
Here’s a country version.
Here’s a punk cover validating my theory stating pop songs usually sound good as punk songs.
Anyway, I was thinking about this because a few years ago I made a playlist for the kids of all the covers of Dancing on My Own I could find and there were 56 back then. Today I added all the ones which were added to Apple Music in the last few years and now there are 91 total on the list, though 2 or 3 are remixes.
It’s been eight years since Robyn’s last release, which seems like a Donna Tartt-esque wait in the pop music world. Her new album, Honey, is finally out tomorrow. She’s endured a breakup, a reconciliation, and the death of her longtime collaborator and producer, Christian Falk. Exploration of grief and loss are not the most uplifting themes in dance music, but Robyn has a depth beyond most pop stars.
What’s more interesting is seeing Robyn’s relationship to a mind/body connection play out. She got into psychoanalysis, which she calls “un-rigid and experimental” and “an inspiring, amazing place.” Equally important, she danced throughout the making of the album, getting lost in hypnotic rhythms, which in itself is a form of deep therapy.
Missing U is a solid Robyn dance track.
I hope this release means she and her platforms will soon be back on SNL.
And if you happen to be in Stockholm, she’s playing a “secret” gig on Saturday.
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