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20. Don’t Call Me Tell Me What To Do (2010)
Robyn has written and recorded more impressive and expressive songs than this, but the opening track of Body Talk Part 1 may be the most famous statement in house music: a low-key song that refutes a series of complaints about everything from music producers to uncomfortable shoes by repeating the theme over and over again.
19. Paying You Back (1999)
The first sign that Robyn was cut from a very different cloth than the average pop star: at 19, she released Giving You Back, a beautiful but deeply sad R&B song about her decision to have an abortion. His publications panicked, refusing to release it to the US, but he stuck to his guns.
18. Fembot (2010)
One of the things that sets Robyn apart is how funny her music is, which brings us to Fembot, a song that challenges society’s expectations placed on women by portraying her as an ugly android – “turning on slut mode!” – and throw in a fun candyfloss song.
17. Fight My Mind (2002)
Just released in Sweden and covered in the aftermath, Don’t Stop the Music is a fun, interactive song that you can hear slowly evolving into Robyn 2.0. Blow My Mind was also listed at this year’s Sexistential, but the smaller, less original version is worth checking out.
16. Konichiwa Bitches (2005)
“Want to sound in my jungle? Robyn comes in playing a self-titled song she started after leaving her major label. Hip-hop-inspired but definitely not to try being hip-hop, it’s funny, unfunny and weird.
15. Love Kills (2010)
The era of Body Talk – three mini-albums in 12 months, combined into a group – gave listeners an embarrassment of riches. It wasn’t just an overabundance of material, it was said to be top notch: anyone could have thought of Body Talk Pt 2’s chattering Love Kills as one.
14. Missing U (2018)
Robyn’s reputation grew and grew in the eight years between Body Talk and its follow-up, Honey – Dancing on My Own especially remained inescapable – which meant that Honey’s muted tone would have been amazing. But beneath his unmistakable vocals lay incredible music: the heartbreaking Missing U is his example.
13. Stay With Me (2010)
Originally written for Klas Åhlund’s then-partner, Paola Bruna, but rewritten – and singing a new song – for Robyn, Hang With Me is a joy filled Pet Shop from the moment the eyebrow lines appear: “Can you tell me again how we can just be friends?” The sound quality is also excellent.
12. Indestructible (2010)
Maximalist pop with a hint of disco-era Abba in the mix, Indestructible’s structure is based on waves of powerful arpeggiated synths. The soundtrack is impressive, but it’s Robyn’s voice that’s the star: defiant in the face of past romantic failures, ready to throw herself into another relationship.
11. Show Me Love (1995)
Max Martin’s international smash hit for the young Robyn, Show Me Love is a perfect example of R&B music being infused in the 90s. The sound feels a bit dated – it’s a far cry from Dancing on My Own or Call Your Girlfriend – but the music shines brightly.
10. Talk To Me (2026)
This year’s Sexistential album offered a short-lived but dramatic return to the blood-soaked electropop upon which Robyn’s career was built. It may only be 29 minutes long, but each of them gets caught up in a serious problem, among them Talk to Me’s most disgusting paean to phone sex.
9. Who Is That Girl? (2005)
With minimal but clear electronic support, courtesy of the Knife – then within their left-field Deep Cuts/Silent Shout royalty – Robyn ponders gender: “You be the girl and I’ll be the boy… would you love me differently?” Bold and thought provoking it is an absolute monster of a chorus.
8. Beloved (2018)
Robyn has openly admitted that getting back into music production took time and effort after 2010’s Body Talk, and the Honey title track was apparently difficult to complete – it included sessions in Sweden, Paris and Los Angeles. But the work was important: the beat is focused on the dancefloor, but the real power of this song lies in its slow burning passion.
7. Do It Again (2014)
Robyn and Röyksopp’s collaborative EP was based on an experiment – two tracks about 10 minutes long – that Do It Again is pop. Obviously about love, his voice seems to be breaking the fourth wall and commenting on the music (“wait for the structure”), while the sound vibrates and beats, full of interesting stops and starts.
6. Be Mine! (2005)
Seemingly inspired by Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting, Be Mine!’s saga of jealousy and unrequited love – “I saw you at the station, you had your arm on her name” – rides on fast string arrangements and drum machines. An unlikely path to pop nirvana, but Be Mine! they take you there anyway.
5. Dopamine (2025)
Sexistential is the kind of album where it’s hard to pick the best track – the quality just doesn’t jump. But let’s go to the Dopamine single with its perfect balance of creative and personal: the lyrics analyze the problems that occur in the common theme of all, falling in love.
4. Always (2018)
A sleeper in Robyn’s Latterday catalog, Honey’s album takes a while to work its magic on listeners. But magic is something he has plenty of. Ever Again may sound a bit underwhelming, but the music is low on the ears, and the combination of false emotion and determination in the post-breakup lyrics creates a real joy.
3. Call Your Friend (2010)
Call Your Girlfriend earns a place among the best songs about deception, thanks to its combination of power – she experienced it by being the other woman – and compassion: “Tell her that the only way her heart will change is when she learns to love again.” The music – scary but sweet – fits perfectly.
2. With Every Heartbeat (ft Kleerup) (2007)
Show Me Love may have been her first hit, but With Every Heartbeat was Robyn’s real breakthrough, where, in collaboration with electropop producer Kleerup, she created her own unique space: killer music, bad music, a willingness to take risks – check out the long string breakdown – and effortless cool. It still sounds amazing.
1. Dancing Alone (2010)
There’s a reason why Dancing on My Own is frequently cited as not only Robyn’s biggest song, but also the best song of the 2010s: even within a catalog full of amazing songs, it has lightning in a bottle that sets it apart. Indeed, no other music of its time used the disco “sad banger” that was enjoyed with songs of joy and sorrow with such intensity. The song is glorious, sustained and uplifting, its lyrics drawn out beautifully by the vocal transition between resignation and plea: “I’m here, why can’t you see me?” it never disappoints. They are as good as pop music gets.
