Las Culturistas – “Kooky Tantric” (w/ Robyn)

Podcast: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Date: January 14, 2026
Guest: Robyn
Producer: Big Money Players Network / iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this vibrant, laughter-filled episode, Matt and Bowen welcome Swedish pop legend Robyn for her first interview of 2026. The trio delves deep into Robyn’s new album “Sexistential,” the meaning of horniness (in all senses!), pop nostalgia versus reinvention, and the intersections of vulnerability, music-making, and club culture. Robyn reflects on her creative process, collaborative relationships, and the pressures and pleasures of being both a mother and a pop icon. The energy is infectious, packed with personal anecdotes, playful banter, and profound insights about music, art, and being “horny for life.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Robyn’s Cultural Impact and the Power of Her Music

• Matt and Bowen open by sharing just how formative Robyn’s music has been to their lives (“We dropped acid upstate and listened to Honey” [03:03]).
• Robyn says she’s “so happy to be here,” joking about the vulnerability of fans sharing intense experiences with her music.

“I laugh about it now, but, I mean, that song is so important... And it saved me.” — Bowen Yang on Honey [03:40]

2. The New Album: “Sexistential”

• The conversation centers on the intention and emotion behind Sexistential.
• Robyn describes the album’s creation as “crashing back into the atmosphere... kind of back into myself. Impact and a dust of emotion just rising up...” [06:10]
• The title track “Dopamine,” written over ten years, embodies this journey: “I felt like I was on a spaceship... crashing back into myself.” [06:10]
• Motherhood influenced her writing, but the album is “about maybe the time before” her son.

“You recently said you feel like it’s your life’s purpose to remain horny... I deeply feel that.”—Matt Rogers [07:15]

3. Horniness as Curiosity and Resistance

• Robyn: “Horniness is not just about sex. It’s about being curious. About having the time and space to feel pleasure... It’s an act of resistance, but it’s also fun.” [07:56]
  • Encourages being “horny for life”: open, curious, and embracing pleasure [08:43].
• Bowen and Matt connect the sensuality in Robyn’s music to a wider, freeing ethos.

4. The Kooky, Tantric Creative Process

• The collaborative songwriting process with Klaus Åhlund is likened to tantra: “We expose ourselves to each other over and over... 20 years... periods where we don’t want to be with each other and then coming back...” [09:30]
• “Tantric is definitely part of it. We’re both okay with it not being comfortable all the time, which... has to be that way to get to the good stuff.” [10:11]

5. Songwriting: Quick Inspiration vs. Slow Burn

• Iconic tracks like “Dancing on My Own” and “With Every Heartbeat” came together quickly, “like channeling.” But “Dopamine” took a decade [11:26–13:06].
• Robyn stresses the importance of struggle and discovery in the creative process—“you have to find it as if it was the first time. You can’t fake it.” [13:06]

6. Cultural Touchstones & Influences

• Robyn cites Purple Rain (Prince), “Smalltown Boy” (Bronski Beat), and Mariah Carey as defining anthems [15:18].

  “Purple Rain has this tantric thing... you want to come back to it and feel the thing again.” — Robyn [15:30]

• Shares nostalgia for singing Mariah Carey’s ballads and adoration for her artistry [16:09].

7. Re-contextualizing the Past & Creative Reinvention

• On reworking her own song on Sexistential: “It’s like you covering yourself... recontextualized now... more about cute aggression. When you love someone so much you want to hurt them.” [18:03]
• Affirms her complex relationship with nostalgia: “Nostalgia is dangerous... but playing Show Me Love now doesn’t feel nostalgic... there’s something there that’s real.” [35:34]

8. Influence on a New Generation & Industry Evolution

• Discusses collaborating and mutual influence with Charli XCX for the “360” remix [19:45]. Praises Charli’s vulnerability: “She totally inspired me to be more personal than I had ever been...” [21:30]
• Robyn is noted for her pioneering work as an independent pop star, creating the blueprint for “indie pop”—“You can do it on your own terms.” [37:10]
• Reflects on pop’s place in Swedish culture—how it evolved from a small, import-heavy landscape to an international powerhouse, with ABBA and Max Martin as key touchstones [41:18–43:05].

9. Working with Max Martin: Myth and Reality

• Robyn demystifies Max Martin: “He always gets depicted as this machine... but he’s very sincere, very smart, and sensitive. It’s not a formula. It’s real melody and experience.” [25:15]
• Their creative process is likened to a “vocal director,” focusing on sound, tone, and concept [45:08–45:55].
• Max’s collaborative, “bird’s view” production versus hands-on beat-making [46:15].

10. The Club vs. The Concert: Where Culture Happens

• Bowen and Matt lament that “the club” isn’t always clicking now—“everyone’s there for different reasons.” By contrast, live shows are unifying: “We have a mission. We’re there to enjoy a performance.” [56:35–57:02]
• Robyn raves about a recent concert by Katrielle & Pal Moroso—a rare night out as a single working mom [57:14].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Robyn, on cultural resistance through pleasure:
  “It’s an act of resistance, but it’s also just, like, fun and how I would want my life to always be if I can. It’s a luxury. And no pressure—if you’re not horny, that’s okay, too.” [07:56]
• On nostalgia and reinvention:
  “Nostalgia is dangerous... it’s treating the past as aspirational. It’s an illusion.” —Robyn [36:21]
• Bowen Yang, on live shows as awe-inspiring:
  “There’s like a decline in the feeling of awe... I truly feel that whenever I listen to you. But at the Barclays show, I certainly felt that. Poppers notwithstanding.” [55:37]
• Robyn, on sending a car to space:
  “There should be democracy in space... and also do tacky things. Tacky like sending a stupid fucking car into space.” [65:34]
• On songwriting & collaboration:
  “With music, you can take your time to discover. Whereas actors and comedians, you have to perform discovery.” —Matt [12:26]

Selected Timestamps for Important Segments

• Robyn on the inception of “Sexistential”, intention, and dopamine – [06:10–08:25]
• Creative partnerships & “tantric” songwriting with Klaus Åhlund – [09:09–10:37]
• Songwriting: fast and slow (“Dancing on My Own” vs. “Dopamine”) – [11:18–13:35]
• Nostalgia, “Show Me Love”, and reinvention – [34:11–36:21]
• Robyn on Swedish pop cultural climate and ABBA’s legacy – [40:59–43:50]
• Behind the scenes with Max Martin, his myth and reality – [25:15–26:07], [45:08–46:36]
• The value of live shows & recent favorites – [56:56–57:38]
• “I Don’t Think So, Honey” segment (hilarious rants on gay close friends, lights-off sex, and Elon Musk shooting a car into space) – [60:52–66:42]

Tone & Style

The episode crackles with humor, warmth, and frankness—characteristic of both Las Culturistas and Robyn. The dialogue oscillates between playful irreverence (“Horny little slutty album” [07:34]) and unguarded reflection on music’s power, societal pressures, and the meaning of artistic independence.

Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in pop culture consulting, featuring Robyn’s journey from pop star to existential club sage, and back again. Listeners learn about the intricacies of her process, her views on creativity, nostalgia, and the pleasures of being “horny for life.” With stories about clubbing, motherhood, Swedish pop history, and working with industry titans, Robyn and hosts Matt & Bowen remind us of art’s ability to unite, surprise, and deeply move.

Memorable Episode Closer:
“We all have an anus in common.” —Robyn [62:53]
“It’s a pluribus.” —Matt [63:04]
“Precious one, you are without.” —Matt [69:49]

Recommended for: Pop nerds, club kids, fans of candid music industry stories, anyone who wants to be “horny for life.”