Robyn Is Here is the debut studio album by Swedish singer Robyn. It was originally released on 13 October 1995 in Sweden by Ricochet Records, Ariola Records and BMG. The original edition of the album only received a release in Sweden, Japan and certain Asian and Latin American territories. However, a revised edition received an international release throughout 1997 and 1998. The album peaked at number eight on the Swedish chart and was certified double platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association (GLF). In the United States, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and had sold more than 922,000 copies by June 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Worldwide, the album has sold over 1.5 million copies.
The album is mainly written and produced by Swedish production team Ghost, with all songs co-written by Robyn. Denniz Pop and Max Martin produced two of the album's four singles, "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love". Both peaked at number seven in the US, while the latter peaked at number eight in the UK.
On 1 June 2004 BMG released Robyn's Best. While titled like a greatest hits album, it is a repackaging of the US edition of Robyn Is Here.
Critical reception
Writing for Melody Maker in February 1998, Peter Robinson described Robyn Is Here as an "impressive album" and highlighted it as an alternative to other contemporaneous pop acts; "While the music loses its edge stretched over 13 tracks, and at the same time surrenders its subtlety when heard on a song-by-song basis, Robyn Is Here is nonetheless a slinky, funky album, and for all those disappointed by the weediness of Louise, disillusioned by the Spice Girls, or distracted by the hastily drafted in Kim Wilde lookalike factor of All Saints, Robyn's your gal." In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ rating, indicating "remarkable one way or another, yet also flirts with the humdrum or the half-assed". Christgau described it as "So front-loaded it could almost be a vinyl album with a hot side and a cool side", but commented that "a few spins in, you notice a hint of velvet in her timbre—more like suede, really—that suggests not sensuality but emotional depth".
Robyn's Best In 2004 a decade long partnership between Robyn and BMG ended. After hearing "Who's That Girl", BMG reacted negatively, encouraging Robyn to start her own label, founding Konichiwa Records one year later. Robyn's Best was released on 1 June 2004. While its title implies a greatest hits album, it is a repackaging of the US edition of Robyn Is Here with a revised running order and three tracks removed.
K. Ross Hoffman of AllMusic gave the album two out of five stars and calls it "a shamelessly misleading and essentially worthless release that seems misguided even as a straight-up cash-grab attempt".
Track listing
Personnel Musicians
Robyn – vocals ; background vocals Jeanette Söderholm – background vocals Johan Ekhé – background vocal arrangement Mogge Sseruwagi – additional background vocals Joe Watts – additional background vocals Picks Sjöholm – guitars Henrik Janson – guitars Mattias Thorell – guitars Christian "Falcon" Falk – keyboards Niklas Medin – additional keyboards Päl Svenre – additional keyboards Per "Rusk Träsk" Johansson – saxophone Goran Kajfes – trumpet Ronny Farsund – horns S.N.Y.K.O. – strings Janson & Janson – string arrangement
Technical
Ulf Lindström – production, arrangement, recording & mixing ; vocal production Johan Ekhé – production, arrangement, recording & mixing ; vocal production Denniz Pop – production, arrangement, recording & mixing Max Martin – production, arrangement, recording & mixing Christian "Falcon" Falk – production, arrangement, recording & mixing Anders "BAG" Bagge – production, arrangement, recording & mixing ; vocal production Ronny Lahti – mixing Harry "Slick Harry" Sommerdahl – recording & mixing ; co-production Björn Engelmann – mastering Håkan Wollgård – engineering Anders Lundin – assistant engineering Peter Swartling – creative direction & executive production Alex Strehl – creative direction & art direction Marlene Waltman – hair & makeup Miles Cockfield – stylist Christian Coinbergh – photography
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1995) Peakposition
Chart (1997–98) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.130
Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 25
Chart (1996) Position Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 64
Chart (1997) PositionCanadian Albums (SoundScan)64Canadian R&B Albums (SoundScan)11
Chart (1998)PositionCanadian Albums (RPM)84Canadian Albums (SoundScan)103Canadian R&B Albums (SoundScan)15US Billboard 200130
Certifications
Release history Region Date Format Album Label Sweden 13 October 1995 CD Robyn Is Here Japan 21 February 1996 BMG United States 24 June 1997 RCA Canada United Kingdom 9 March 1998 United States 1 June 2004 CD Robyn's Best BMG
References