Concert Review: Robyn's Body Talk Tour, Terminal 5

Robyn's biggest moment crossover moment in the United States was her ubiquitous 1997 radio hit, "Show Me Love." Thirteen years later, and with three "albums" released in 2010 (Body Talk Pt. 1, Body Talk Pt. 2, and the full Body Talk), Robyn is on top of her game. After reaching superstar status in Europe with her 2005 release Robyn, Robyn has yet to make the huge impact in the States she so desperately deserves. Robyn certainly proved that she was worth the attention at her sold-out Terminal 5 show on Wednesday night, a Swedish pop genius that should be a name on everyone's lips.

Robyn's pop music is infused with an electro-80s flair, while still sounding irresistibly modern and insanely catchy. With a penchant for writing sad love songs over dance-happy synths, Robyn creates some of the most deeply engaging strictly pop tunes out there. Her vocal range might not be the widest in the business, but she packs every word with honest emotion and lyrical grace; her voice has a distinct quality and strong presence that draws you in. Live, her voice sounded flawless, and Robyn hit every single note on the mark. Robyn's dance moves are straight out of the 80s, rife with glitchy arm movements and dramatic hip gyrations. Matched with her short clip of bleach-blonde hair, Robyn pulls of an androgynous look that toes the line between sexy and adorable. She's always effortlessly cool.

Opening with "Fembot", which segued directly into "Cry When You Get Older" and her cover of the Teddybears' "Cobrastyle," Robyn had the packed, dancing crowd at a near riot from the very moment she stepped on stage. I was expecting the energy level to die down at some point, but Robyn kept giving each tune her everything, and the crowd responded with equal verve. Every song was a sing-a-long, and Terminal 5's general admission floor looked like an overwhelmed nightclub; Body Talk singles "Dancing On My Own," "Hang With Me," and "Indestructible" became scream-a-longs, transforming misery-tinged lyrics of lost love into empowering anthems. While I would have enjoyed some Robyn's beautiful acoustic reworkings in the middle of the set, Robyn's show glided along at a blazing clip, sexy and vibrant.

This by far was the loudest and most relentlessly enthusiastic crowd I have ever been a part of, and the sheer joy on Robyn's face between numbers showed that she was soaking up every moment. Packing her set with a double encore, Robyn gave her audience everything she had. With a killer band, live arrangements that added extra edge to her appeal, and boundless energy and passion, Robyn commanded the stage like a fearless icon. When started her second encore with "Dancehall Queen," which slowed down to a minimalist beat for a brief cover of ABBA's "Dancing Queen" before shifting into "Show Me Love," the accompanying screams cemented Robyn's status as pop superstar. Or rather, the United States' biggest undiscovered pop superstar.

Body Talk Tour Set List, 11/10/10
Fembot, Cry When You Get Older, Cobrastyle, Dancing On My Own, We Dance to the Beat/Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do, Love Kills, The Girl and the Robot, Indestructible, Dream On, With Every Heartbeat; [encore #1] U Should Know Better, Konichiwa Bitches, Hang With Me, Be Mine; [encore #2] Dancehall Queen, Dancing Queen/Show Me Love