Honey leads you back down the lifecycle of every major relationship end you’ve ever had. It’s undeniable in its relatability. If you’ve ever detached from a partner, found yourself thrust into a world of uncertain self-discovery, felt shame and failure, then this album will ring true. It will also make you proud of the scars you caught along the way. It’s her ability to celebrate and validate the minefield of human emotion and foibles that make Robyn the true pop savior we all need.
Ever since her rebirth with the launch of her own label, Konichiwa Records, Robyn has been a cutting-edge creator in the pop world, free from the cookie-cutter Max Martin defining shackles of the genre. This album contains the ghosts of a lot of past great pop music but at the same time feels like it’s leading pop music in a new direction. It has the dichotomy of being both nostalgic and trendsetting.
Body Talk is one of the most danceable albums ever made, but as soon as the beat drops in the opening of “Missing U” from Honey, Robyn grabs her fans by the hand, drags them away from singing into their hairbrush in their bedroom, and straight to 3 a.m. at the club.
Tracks like “Human Being”, “Send To Robyn Immediately” and the title track “Honey” are dripping with sweat. You can feel the air conditioner struggling to keep up with the grinding bodies on the smokey dance floor. No one is dancing on their own anymore. It paints the picture of trying to rediscover your freedom through strangers in the night. Something we’ve all done at different times in our lives. “Honey” especially is the song that plays as you’ve found the one you’re getting in an Uber with as you leave without realizing the sun will soon come up.
“Between The Lines” and “Ever Again” are the feeling when you’ve come out the other side as a new person. Whether you’ve found someone new or you’ve found yourself all over again, the lyrics “Never gonna let it happen, ever again” are your new mantra. Delivered in a way that is self-aware and naïve at the same time. This is exactly what makes Robyn’s pop hooks so intoxicating; the celebration of the game of life. Broken, messy, cyclical, spontaneous, shameful, unapologetic, contagious and powerful.
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Robyn: ‘Honey’ Album Review. Featured Image Credit: Konichiwa and Interscope Records
