Robyn Is Here

Robyn Is Here is the debut studio album by Swedish singer Robyn. It was released on 13 October 1995 by Ricochet Records, Ariola Records and BMG. 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),[1] and had sold more than 922,000 copies by June 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[2] Worldwide, the album has sold over 1.5 million copies.[3]

Robyn Is Here
Studio album by
Robyn
Released13 October 1995 (1995-10-13)
Studio
Genre
Length55:43
Label
Producer
Robyn chronology
Robyn Is Here
(1995)		 My Truth
(1999)
Singles from Robyn Is Here
  1. "You've Got That Somethin'"
    Released: 1995 (Sweden)
  2. "Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)"
    Released: 1995
  3. "Do You Know (What It Takes)"
    Released: 1996
  4. "Show Me Love"
    Released: 1997
Alternative cover
US cover

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
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Melody MakerPositive[5]
MSN Music (Expert Witness)B+[6]

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."[5] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ rating,[6] indicating "remarkable one way or another, yet also flirts with the humdrum or the half-assed".[7] 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".[6]

Robyn's Best

In 2004 a decade long partnership between Robyn and BMG ended. After hearing "Who's That Girl", BMG reacted negatively,[8] 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".[9]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Robyn; "Do You Know (What It Takes)" co-written by Herbie Crichlow and "Show Me Love" co-written by Max Martin.

Robyn Is Here – Original Swedish release
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Bumpy Ride"
4:09
2."In My Heart"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
3:59
3."You've Got That Somethin'"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
3:44
4."Do You Know (What It Takes)"
3:39
5."The Last Time"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:40
6."Just Another Girlfriend"
5:20
7."Don't Want You Back"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:00
8."Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:25
9."How"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:38
10."Here We Go"
4:43
11."Where Did Our Love Go"
  • Robyn
  • Bagge
5:18
12."Robyn Is Here"
  • Robyn
  • Falk
5:25
13."I Wish" (a cappella live at Radio Nova)Robyn2:30
Total length:56:30
Robyn Is Here – Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
14."You've Got That Somethin'" (Marco's hard mix)4:51
Total length:61:21
Robyn Is Here – International edition and Swedish reissue
No.TitleMusicLength
6."Show Me Love"
  • Robyn
  • Martin
3:47
7."Just Another Girlfriend"
  • Robyn
  • Falk
5:20
8."Don't Want You Back"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:00
9."Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:25
10."How"
  • Robyn
  • Lindström
  • Ekhé
4:38
11."Here We Go"
  • Robyn
  • Bagge
  • Sommerdahl
4:43
12."Robyn Is Here"
  • Robyn
  • Falk
5:25
13."I Wish" (a cappella live at Radio Nova)Robyn2:30
Total length:54:59
Robyn Is Here – Japanese reissue
No.TitleLength
14."Do You Know (What It Takes)" (Allstar short)3:56
15."Show Me Love" (Blue Hill remix)3:47
Total length:62:42
Robyn's Best
No.TitleLength
1."Do You Know (What It Takes)"3:39
2."Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)"4:25
3."Show Me Love"3:47
4."Bumpy Ride"4:09
5."In My Heart"3:59
6."You've Got That Somethin'"3:44
7."Don't Want You Back"4:00
8."Here We Go"4:43
9."How"4:38
10."The Last Time"4:40
Total length:41:57

Personnel

Musicians
  • Robyn – vocals (all tracks); background vocals (tracks 4)
  • Jeanette Söderholm – background vocals (tracks 4)
  • Johan Ekhé – background vocal arrangement (tracks 6, 12)
  • Mogge Sseruwagi – additional background vocals (tracks 7)
  • Joe Watts – additional background vocals (tracks 10)
  • Picks Sjöholm – guitars (tracks 1, 3, 8)
  • Henrik Janson – guitars (tracks 10)
  • Mattias Thorell – guitars (tracks 12)
  • Christian "Falcon" Falk – keyboards (tracks 6, 12)
  • Niklas Medin – additional keyboards (tracks 6)
  • Päl Svenre – additional keyboards (tracks 12)
  • Per "Rusk Träsk" Johansson – saxophone (tracks 3)
  • Goran Kajfes – trumpet (tracks 3)
  • Ronny Farsund – horns (tracks 10)
  • S.N.Y.K.O. – strings (tracks 10, 11)
  • Janson & Janson – string arrangement (tracks 10, 11)

Technical
  • Ulf Lindström – production, arrangement, recording & mixing (tracks 1-3, 5, 7-9); vocal production (track 11)
  • Johan Ekhé – production, arrangement, recording & mixing (tracks 1-3, 5, 7-9); vocal production (track 11)
  • Denniz Pop – production, arrangement, recording & mixing (track 4)
  • Max Martin – production, arrangement, recording & mixing (track 4)
  • Christian "Falcon" Falk – production, arrangement, recording & mixing (track 6, 12)
  • Anders "BAG" Bagge – production, arrangement, recording & mixing (track 10, 11); vocal production (track 11)
  • Ronny Lahti – mixing (track 6, 12)
  • Harry "Slick Harry" Sommerdahl – recording & mixing (track 10); co-production (track 11)
  • 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

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[22] Gold 25,000^
Sweden (GLF)[23] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[1] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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
Worldwide 1 June 2004 Robyn's Best BMG

References
  1. "American album certifications – Robyn – Robyn Is Here". Recording Industry Association of America. 10 April 1998. Retrieved 2 October 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  2. McLean, Craig (11 June 2010). "Swedish Pop Sensation Robyn Brings 'Body Talk' To United States". Billboard. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  3. Lofthus, Kai R. (19 June 1999). "Robyn's Second Album Displays Matured Sound". Billboard. Vol. 111 no. 25. p. 50. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Robyn Is Here - Robyn". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  5. Robinson, Peter (February 28, 1998). "Review: Robyn – Robyn Is Here, RCA". Melody Maker. p. 43. ISSN 0025-9012.
  6. Christgau, Robert. "Expert Witness – Robyn". MSN Music. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  7. Christgau, Robert (2000-10-15). "CG 90s: Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  8. "ukfestivalguides artsist bio". ukfestivalguides. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  9. K. Ross Hoffman. "AllMusic review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  10. "Swedishcharts.com – Robyn – Robyn Is Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3286". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  12. "Dutchcharts.nl – Robyn – Robyn Is Here" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  13. "Lescharts.com – Robyn – Robyn Is Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  14. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  15. "Robyn Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  16. "Robyn Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  17. "Årslista Album (inkl samlingar) – År 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  18. "Årslista Album (inkl samlingar) – År 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  19. "RPM's Top 100 CDs of '98". RPM. December 14, 1998. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  20. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  21. "Canadian album certifications – Robyn – Robyn Is Here". Music Canada. 8 June 1998. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  22. White, Timothy (17 May 1997). "Robyn Can Get There From 'Here'". Billboard. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  23. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
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