Body Talk (2010)

Body Talk is the seventh studio album (fifth internationally released) by Swedish singer Robyn, released on 22 November 2010 by Konichiwa Records. Robyn first announced in early 2010 that she would release three mini-albums throughout the course of 2010. However, it was later announced that a full-length album would be released instead of a third mini-album. The first two mini-albums of what was dubbed the Body Talk series, Body Talk Pt. 1 and Body Talk Pt. 2, were released in June and September 2010.

While being a separate studio album in its own right, the full-length release also serves as a compilation album, containing the "best songs" from the first two entries in the Body Talk series in addition to five new songs. In certain territories, the new songs were also available separately as an extended play released the same day, titled Body Talk Pt. 3. The four songs and two acoustic versions from the project that were excluded from the original track listing were later included on the German iTunes and 2019 Record Store Day vinyl versions of the album.

In October 2019, the album was placed at number eight on Pitchfork's list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". In 2020, the album was ranked 196 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2024, the album was ranked 100 on Apple Music's 100 Best Albums of All Time list. As of 2013, combined sales of the three parts of Body Talk series were 170,000 copies in the United States.

Background and development

In an interview with Swedish magazine Bon, Robyn announced that she had plans to release three new albums in 2010. She said, "I got all these great songs so why not? [...] It's been 5 years since Robyn and I didn't want to wait with a release until they are all recorded, so I decided to start putting them out right away." Robyn told Popjustice journalist Peter Robinson, "It's been a long time since I actually made a record! And I was thinking of how to shorten that time down and Eric, my manager, came up with the idea of what if I just start releasing songs, then I can tour them, then I can make some more songs. We started working like that. I think once it starts it will make more sense – you can just keep releasing stuff without the long breaks."

Robyn collaborated with Swedish producer Max Martin on the song "Time Machine". Martin was responsible for producing Robyn's US breakthrough hits "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love", which both charted inside the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1996 and 1997. She said of the collaboration: "It was nostalgic to go back into the studio together. For me, it's perfect timing – I've come full circle. It's a way for me to show that I'm not trying to distance myself from where I come from. It's still all about the songs."

Release and promotion

On 20 October 2010, Robyn announced the details of Body Talk on her website, along with the track listing and artwork. She described the album as the "turbo version of the Body Talk album", as it includes five songs from each previous Body Talk album along with five new songs.

Singles

Robyn announced the release of the single, "Indestructible", on 13 October 2010. An acoustic version appeared on her previous album, Body Talk Pt. 2. The song was released on 1 November 2010 in Scandinavia and one day later in the United States. It is co-written by Klas Åhlund, and has been described as a "pulsating full power version [that] takes every ounce of that emotion and wraps it up in another exceptional disco-pop record worthy of any dance-floor or passion-laden sing-a-long." The second single, "Call Your Girlfriend", was released on 1 April 2011.

Critical reception

Body Talk received widespread acclaim from most music critics. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Body Talk received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 86 out of 100 from 19 critic scores.

Music critic Jonathan Keefe from Slant Magazine said the album is "a testament to Robyn's truly forward-thinking take on contemporary pop music and to her rare ability to infuse chilly, futuristic soundscapes with genuine emotion and soul." Keefe also said that Body Talk "impresses for its thematic focus and laser-precise editing" and that the album is "one of the year's finest, most progressive pop albums". The A.V. Club also felt that the album is "hands-down the best dance-pop album of the year," and praised it as "euphoric, personal, and inspirational to the last beat", saying that it "proves there's still room for smart, mature songwriting and heartfelt performance in the high-gloss world of club music," and noting the presence of "real emotion (...) among the ones and zeros of electronic music."