Robyn – Missing U

Sweden’s top star reclaims her crown of deep dance bangers on this ode to a departed loved one

Robyn practically invented the kind of “serious” dance-pop that every popstar has gravitated towards in the past few years: understated yet immaculate production; heavy personal subjects told with honesty; and simple, insanely hummable melody.

In hiatus since her excellent cooperation with Röyksopp, when their tour had to be cut short after a close friend and collaborator’s sudden death, her influence was still everywhere. So how can she stand out now, in a scene filled with her clones? Simply by stripping it down to the bare essentials!

“Missing U” is all about proving that less is more. It’s droning, repetitive beat and bassline is the foundation that runs through the whole track. Other sounds–tinkling piano, epic synth washes– are layered over, but it always comes back to that familiar, hypnotic backbone. The lyrics, about the loss of a loved person, are direct and touching without drama. It is never clear if it is a friend or a lover, if they left or passed away. Is it her friend who died before she took time off recording?

Keeping it vague makes it universal. And putting that beat underneath it means you can dance the sadness away without ignoring or diminishing it. And that has always been Robyn’s superpower.