Robyn Is Here is the debut studio album by Swedish singer Robyn. It was originally released on 13 October 1995 in Sweden by Ricochet Records, Ariola Records and BMG. The original edition of the album only received a release in Sweden, Japan and certain Asian and Latin American territories. However, a revised edition received an international release throughout 1997 and 1998. 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),[4] and had sold more than 922,000 copies by June 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[5] Worldwide, the album has sold over 1.5 million copies.[6]
International cover. On certain pressings, the cover has a red or beige tint and/or different colored text.
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.
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."[10] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ rating,[8] indicating "remarkable one way or another, yet also flirts with the humdrum or the half-assed".[11] 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".[8]
In 2004 a decade long partnership between Robyn and BMG ended. After hearing "Who's That Girl", BMG reacted negatively,[12] 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".[13]
^"Robyn ARIA chart history (albums to 2020)". ARIA. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
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