NEW VIDEO FRIDAY (Guilty Pop Edition)

Kanye West - Love Lockdown


Robyn - Cobrastyle


MGMT - The Youth

ROBYN TAKES ON AMERICA

After three years of promoting her self-titled, star-making album, Robyn finally takes on the US. The album, a killer collection of pop gems, was released in North America this week. She was joined by fellow Swedish sensations Teddybears for her recent appearance on David Letterman. And - breaking news - she will be joining the gals on The View today, causing her to postpone scheduled gigs in Portland and Seattle.

Her remaining two American dates - San Francisco, Los Angeles - will have to suffice until she returns in August for a slot at the All Points West Festival and another US tour. In addition, Robyn has a brand new video for the track 'Handle Me', which marks the third video filmed for the song over the last three years.

Robyn - Handle Me (New Music Video)

ROBYN @ Highline Ballroom, NYC

Robyn played her first "live" gig in the US last night, turning in a charismatic one hour show that was hugely focused on her most recent self-titled release. And though that "release" has yet to be shipped to the US, the crowd knew every word to every song. Robyn was clearly exhilerated by the crowd's enthusiasm.

The Swedish pop queen kicked off the show with a cover of The Teddybears' "Cobrastyle", then went on to play one crowd pleaser after another, including "Konichiwa Bitches", "With Every Heartbeat", "Be Mine", "Handle Me", and "Bum Like You".

The encore began with a stripped down version of her 90's US hit "Show Me Love", before she finally succombed to the crowd's demands for her cover of Prince's "Jack U Off". Someone in the crowd even had a huge sign that screamed the song's NSFW title. Her rendition of the track was playful and upbeat, sending the crowd into a near frenzy. Then Robyn calmed things down for the final track, an emotional, acoustic version of "Be Mine", as taken from The Rakamonie EP.

Robyn only makes stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles, before heading back across the Atlantic, but she will return in March for SXSW in Austin. The Rakamonie EP is available now from Interscope Records. The LP is tentatively scheduled for an April release, though it has been out in other countries for close to three years.

Robyn - With Every Heartbeat (live at Highline Ballroom)

LYKKE LI - 'I'm Good, I'm Gone'

This is just awesome!! Lykke Li has just released this DIY video of herself singing 'I'm Good, I'm Gone', with a little help from Robyn and members of The Concretes and Shout Out Louds. It's like a Swedish power group or something. Most importantly, though, is how the video showcases the budding young talent of Li herself. Keep an eye on this girl. She's bound to do wonderful things in the near future.

Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone

ROBYN - "The Rakamonie EP"

Robyn is finally ready to make her big splash in North America, starting with the US release of "The Rakamonie EP". The five track EP was originally released in a slightly different format in the UK well over a year ago. The main difference here is that an acoustic version of 'With Every Heartbeat' replaces the cover of Saul Williams' 'List of Demands'. Other than that, everything is here, including her take on Prince's nasty early track 'Jack U Off', as well as the ballad version of 'Be Mine'.

Speaking of 'Be Mine', Robyn has released a new video for the Ocelot remix of the track. Check it out below.

"The Rakamonie EP" hits North American (digital) shops on January 29th, followed by the eponymous album release in April. As well, if you live in LA, NYC, or San Francisco, you can catch Robyn live! Here are the select dates:

Feb. 5 NYC - Highline Ballroom
Feb. 7 San Francisco - Popscene
Feb. 9 West Hollywood - The Troubadour

Robyn - Be Mine (Ocelot remix)

In Pop Diva News - Sally Shapiro, Robyn, Roisin Murphy

A new remix of Sally Shapiro's adorable 'Anorak Christmas' has arrived just in time for the holiday season. The 'Piano Mix' of 'Christmas' is starker than the sugar-sweet original, finding a stripped-down romanticism that almost makes the track a bit more personal and real. The original is still better, but this new take on a great song is still worth checking out. The album "Disco Romance" is available now.

DOWNLOAD - Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas (piano mix)

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Robyn has a new video for 'Be Mine', the fourth British single from the re-release of her self-titled album. The song had an earlier video for the Swedish release of the album back in 2005. It's actually far better and you can check it out here. The album will finally see its US release early next year.

Robyn - Be Mine (music video)


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Roisin Murphy is releasing the third single from her excellent new album "Overpowered". The Andy Cato (Groove Armada) remix of 'You Know Me Better' is available in limited edition format here. Roisin also recently performed on 'Later with Jools Holland'. The pre/post-accident??? appearance featured performances of 'Primitive' and 'You Know Me Better'. Check out the performance of the new single on Jools Holland below.

Roisin Murphy - You Know Me Better (live on Later with Jools Holland)

ROBYN - 'Handle Me'

As ROBYN gears up for the long-awaited December 4, 2007 release of her (now two and a half year old) self-titled album, she drops a new single in the UK. 'Handle Me' is the follow up to her #1 British smash 'With Every Heartbeat'. Expect a string of hits from Robyn in the US next spring, when we are sure to finally catch on to her pop brilliance.

Robyn - Handle Me (music video)

ROBYN - 'With Every Heartbeat'

I heart ROBYN!

Robyn - 'With Every Heartbeat' (music video)


Robyn - 'Konichiwa Bitches' (music video)


P.S. Posts in which I actually have something to say will resume shortly.

ROBYN - 'Konichiwa Bitches'

The new ROBYN album has really been grabbing my attention lately. First when the forthcoming single 'With Every Heartbeat' hit blogland a few weeks ago. Then I checked out her myspace page and streamed the kickin' first single 'Konichiwa Bitches' and the impressive cover of TEDDYBEARS' 'Cobrastyle'. Wow! This Swedish pop princess has come a long way from her mid-90's two-hit punch on the U.S. charts.

But, like many great releases, the self-titled comeback album has been out in the UK for over a year now, with no street date set for the U.S. Recently the album was re-released in deluxe form (again, only in Europe).

Wake up America (or at least the record labels)! It's time for some ROBYN!

DOWNLOAD Robyn - Konichiwa Bitches (mp3)