• Light/Dark

Robyn - ”Dancing on my Own” is the best song of the decade (Rolling Stone)

SlothmanAllen

SlothmanAllen

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,834
Lol, I've never heard dancing 'Dancing on My Own' before!

I don't remember it getting any play back in 2010 with my housemates or at the club. I checked Spotify and it doesn't have that many listens, not is it on any of their playlists covering the 2010's.

How exactly did this song fly under the radar so much yet apparently end up as the song of the decade?
 
Tapiozona

Tapiozona

Avenger
Oct 28, 2017
2,253
BuckRogers said:
Us old people should remember Robyn from her first go around:


Her newer stuff is better, IMO. Body Talk is such a good album all over, I'm fine with this choice
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


lol I was just about to post "who??" and then I saw your post and got all nostalgic. I guess I'm old but at least She transitioned well.
 

Deleted member 925

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,711
Parthenios said:
I'd never heard this before so the "influenced all pop this decade" comments are weird. It doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard this decade.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Then you clearly don't know much about the pop space, because just like Madonna's Ray of Light and Britney Spears' Blackout before it, Robyn's Body Talk is an essential pop bible for this decade. Look at any of the current pop or electric pop artists out there and I guarantee one of their biggest influences is Robyn. Charli XCX is the first pop girl that comes to mind in the current landscape that is pushing boundaries and Robyn and Britney's pop bibles both had major influences on her.
 
Atilac

Atilac

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
688
Never heard of it until this thread, sounds generic. Calum's cover sounds better imo..
 

Deleted member 925

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,711
It always amazes me how dismissive Era is of any sort of pop music and how people elevate generic covers from these influential artists.

If you don't know who Robyn is and are too lazy to educate yourself on a Google, this is a great video that highlights her career and why she is an important icon in pop music, but also in the queer music space.

 
Addi

Addi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,375
I'm actually surpised Robyn isn't more famous and everybody is going "who?". Then again I'm from Scandinavia and they played it everywhere.
Hearing it along with other American hits surely gave me the impression that it was bigger than it was.

Thinking of Swedes, where is Avicii and other EDM artists on that list? Avicii's Levels, Garrix' Animal, Guetta's Titanium. Not the hugest fan, but this should definitely be in the top 100 of the decade.

(and I agree that the real top 1 is Pyramids)
 
Piston

Piston

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,303
I'm very much okay with that as a choice. I've loved it from the first time I heard it via an old recommendation thread on GAF.
Ocarina_117 said:
Listen

Pyramids by frank ocean is the song of the decade.

Thinking otherwise makes you objectively wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Pyramids is a good shout.

I'd also say that Electric Heart or Chandeliers by Sia should be up there.
 

Deleted member 925

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,711
Addi said:
I'm actually surpised Robyn isn't more famous and everybody is going "who?". Then again I'm from Scandinavia and they played it everywhere.
Hearing it along with other American hits surely gave me the impression that it was bigger than it was.

Thinking of Swedes, where is Avicii and other EDM artists on that list? Avicii's Levels, Garrix' Animal, Guetta's Titanium. Not the hugest fan, but this should definitely be in the top 100 of the decade.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Something that the video I posted highlights is how she has weaved in and out of stardom and popularity through the years, wanting to keep her independence. She also worked with and helped start Max Martin's career, who is subjectively the most influential and defining pop producer of the last two decades.
 
astro

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
57,590
Listened to it again in a different frame of mind and the chorus actually gave me shivers.

Okay, that's a good pop song. I really don't like most of the lyrics though.
 
tiesto

tiesto

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,866
Long Island, NY
Addi said:
I'm actually surpised Robyn isn't more famous and everybody is going "who?". Then again I'm from Scandinavia and they played it everywhere.
Hearing it along with other American hits surely gave me the impression that it was bigger than it was.

Thinking of Swedes, where is Avicii and other EDM artists on that list? Avicii's Levels, Garrix' Animal, Guetta's Titanium. Not the hugest fan, but this should definitely be in the top 100 of the decade.

(and I agree that the real top 1 is Pyramids)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, electronic music (both commercial EDM and more underground house/trance/techno/prog/d&b/etc) got the shaft. Apart from Robyn, I only see Daft Punk and Calvin Harris, the latter probably just due to the Rihanna guest appearance.

As far as pop EDM goes, Levels is way more iconic than a lot of the stuff on this list.
 
Dyle

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
30,391
I've been a fan of Robyn's work with Royksopp for years but I've never heard of this song before. That's not to say it can't be good or important, but I struggle to see how it could be so influential if someone like me who has been relatively familiar with some of her work has never heard of it. Listening to it for the first time, it's pretty good, though I don't care for it as much as her collaborations.
 

Deleted member 925

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,711
Lewpy said:
A better version of that Robyn song... The message of the song has more impact with a sombre feel. The thought someone you love is with someone else should be devastating, not rocking with an electro beat.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

There's a reason why Robyn's song has emotional lyrics with an electro house beat. Like with a lot of her work, she's stated many times that she prefers to combine songs with light and dark themes, it's fucking predicable when you have a sad love song just be that. She likes the combo and it throws you off, something you can dance to but also cry to.

That cover is a travesty and loses any emotion and nuances the original had.
 
airbagged_

airbagged_

Member
Jan 21, 2019
5,711
Charleston, SC
Piston said:
I'm very much okay with that as a choice. I've loved it from the first time I heard it via an old recommendation thread on GAF.

Pyramids is a good shout.

I'd also say that Electric Heart or Chandeliers by Sia should be up there.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


I agree that Chandelier should be up there but Robyn is a machine. HONEY is a fantastic record from start to finish.
 

Lewpy

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,210
kitchenmotors said:
There's a reason why Robyn's song has emotional lyrics with an electro house beat. Like with a lot of her work, she's stated many times that she prefers to combine songs with light and dark themes, it's fucking predicable when you have a sad love song just be that. She likes the combo and it throws you off, something you can dance to but also cry to.

That cover is a travesty and loses any emotion and nuances the original had.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Opinions and all that
SolidSnakex said:
It's not supposed to b entirely a downer
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Says who? The lyrics have a down feel to them, so if it is musically interpreted the same way, who's to say it's wrong? That version spoke to me more than the original, and I'm know I'm not the only person to think so.
 
Last edited:
SolidSnakex

SolidSnakex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,016
Lewpy said:
A better version of that Robyn song... The message of the song has more impact with a sombre feel. The thought someone you love is with someone else should be devastating, not rocking with an electro beat.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It's not supposed to be entirely a downer

Pitchfork: I was struck how both "Dancing on My Own" and "Dancehall Queen" are both about dancing by yourself in a club-- there aren't many songs about that.

Robyn: The whole album is about being really lonely, but I think it's interesting to put that idea in a club where a lot of people are crammed into a small room. I've been touring so much the last three years and spent a lot of time in clubs just watching people, and it became impossible to not use that lyric-- "dancing on my own"-- because it's such a beautiful picture. People have so many expectations when they go out, so many wishes about what their night is going to be: if they're going to meet that person, have a fun time with their friends, have a good high, hear good music. People get drunk and turn into themselves in a way, and they go to experience some kind of emotion. But it's not always about fun. There's a destructive side to it. But I'm more into the empowerment of going out, because it's always been the place where I could be myself and get inspired. Even if I'm sad, dancing is a way to let stuff out.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


So contrasting those lyrics with a fast beat is perfect for the song instead of just going entirely sombre.
 
Snagret

Snagret

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,893
Seeing Robyn live at ACL this year was one of the most incredible shows I've ever been to. She's been in the game for almost three decades now and she's still managing to top herself with each record and put on such an electrifying show is just a testament to her enduring talent. Love this song, love Robyn, and everyone going "who?" should do themselves a favor and give her a deeper listen.

Also they recently added the sadboy indierock cover version to the playlist at work and it sucks so bad lmao.
 
Blue Sky Noise

Blue Sky Noise

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,563
Sweden
Lewpy said:
A better version of that Robyn song... The message of the song has more impact with a sombre feel. The thought someone you love is with someone else should be devastating, not rocking with an electro beat.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
fair enough, i hate that melodramatic american idol approach but there's no accounting for taste, people like what they like.
 
uncelestial

uncelestial

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,060
San Francisco, CA, USA
kitchenmotors said:
It always amazes me how dismissive Era is of any sort of pop music and how people elevate generic covers from these influential artists.

If you don't know who Robyn is and are too lazy to educate yourself on a Google, this is a great video that highlights her career and why she is an important icon in pop music, but also in the queer music space.

Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It's completely valid to be dismissive of pop music, or any other form of music, and there is zero point in getting upset at people for being so, or acting like they need to educate themselves about it
 
Kamek

Kamek

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,985
You know it's crazy. I've NEVER heard this song on the radio. I'm in NYC for reference. I heard about it a few years ago because I read an article that it was a good pop song, and it's seriously become one of my favorites. I don't know if it's just anecdotal to me, but have you all heard this song on the radio? The last song I heard from Robyn, on the radio, was in the 90s, with "Show me love".
 
Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
1,456
I'm in the corner.
Watching you kiss her.
Wo oh oh----
I'm right over here
Why can't you see me?
Ohhhh

I'm given it my all
But I'm not the girl you're taking home
Oooo, ewwwww
I keep dancing on my own.

It's my birthday(40) and I get to do what I want. I get to say this song owns my ass. Thank You Robyn. This song is totally worthy of song of the decade(2010-2019).

 
Window

Window

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,292
I thought this came out in the 00s and was deemed one of the best songs of that decade. Surprised to learn it came out in 2010.

Edit: oh this is an old thread.
 
blame space

blame space

Resettlement Advisor
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
15,420
i had managed to successfully suppress learning about that cover until you bumped this.
 

ffframe

alt account
Banned
Nov 29, 2021
407
A good song but I still think I'd put Call Your Girlfriend over it. Anyway fun necro bump.
 
spyder_ur

spyder_ur

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,085
darz1 said:
Wtf? Do people not listen to the lyrics of this song? This is not a wedding song. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Got people on the floor. A ton of traditional wedding songs you could say that about. Might just take the risk.

another one that killed as a closer is Drunk In Love - fantastic wedding moment for ne.

I want the classics with a few more random ones.
 
Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
1,456
Downloaded part 1 and 3 so far, 2 I'm sure as well soon enough(though not yet). Fembot(2) and Cry When You get older(4) are great songs like (3)Dancing On My Own. (5) Dancehall Queen wasn't hooking me as much. Jumped to part 3 with Call Your Girlfriend(Part 3, track 3) and it is fire. Dancing On My Own is still my favorite so far though.
 

hitmon

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,452
I think I heard this song after watching a movie or tv show, but I can't remember where it's from..
 
Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
1,456
The shit I quoted in my bump are the many hooks, each line. How do you people questioning this not get that? With the pulsating beat...this is fire. This is life. Omg, I love this song. The video even adds a lot as she's rocking it in her grey outfit with red sleeves and ruffled grey tank and black skirt.

I'd so fucking take her home. That's the only fallacy of this song. Whomever is rejecting her is a moron.
 
XaviConcept

XaviConcept

Art Director for Videogames
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
5,066
Had never heard it before … seems ok? I must be missing something cause its kind of an average pop song?

I must be wrong though, seems like enough people here agree, but I thought Id be blown away or impressed or something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.