The New Yorker Radio Hour

Episode: Robyn Talks with David Remnick
Date: December 7, 2018
Host: David Remnick
Guests: Robyn (Swedish pop star), Amanda Petrusich (music writer), BH Barry (fight director, Metropolitan Opera)

Episode Overview

This episode’s central feature is an in-depth conversation between David Remnick and the Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn, marking her return after an eight-year hiatus with her album Honey. The episode explores Robyn’s musical journey, creative process, experiences with grief and depression, and her reflections on the music industry and self-expression. Subsequent segments feature Amanda Petrusich on 2018’s best pop music and a vivid look behind the scenes at how violence is choreographed for the opera stage.

Robyn: Returning to the Spotlight

[00:13 – 14:42]

Introduction: Robyn’s Legacy and Absence

• David Remnick introduces Robyn as a “cutting edge” figure in pop, famous for eschewing typical hit-making collaborators, and hails her as an “indie pop star” (00:13).
• Notes her popularity and critical acclaim, but highlights her eight-year break following Body Talk (2010), occasioned by personal loss and depression.

Being Back on Tour

[02:01]

• Question: What's it like being back in the spotlight and touring after so long?
• Robyn:

  “It’s nice. I’m enjoying myself. Maybe in a way, I’m in a different place than I was last time…I really enjoy my downtime. I really enjoy being in the studio. I really enjoy having my own time, basically.”
  (02:01)

Early Influences and Teenage Songwriting

[02:28 – 03:46]

• Remnick asks about Robyn’s early musical influences.
• Robyn cites Michael Jackson (“Off the Wall”, “Thriller”) and Prince (the “Batman” soundtrack), and calls TLC her biggest teenage influence:

  “They were young women … quite tough and strong and still girly and cute and fun. If you would have asked me, you know, as a 15 year old, I would have said TLC.”
  (02:51)

Looking Back on Early Work

[04:01]

• Robyn reflects on her early songs:

  “A lot of willpower, a lot of like, energy. Sometimes…I can understand where I was trying to move in a different direction, but maybe really didn’t know how. It took me a long time until I actually created the environment where I felt like I could make music that was more on my own terms.”
  (04:01)

The “My Truth” Album and Artistic Resolve

[04:46 – 05:25]

• Remnick brings up her 1999 album My Truth not being released in the US because of an abortion song.
• Robyn:

  “I was more kind of amazed of how narrow minded the label...was not here in Sweden, but in America. I’m happy that I wrote the song and that I kind of stuck by it.”
  (05:25)

Writing Process and the Role of the Unconscious

[06:14]

• Robyn:

  “Writing continuously, like having a routine is really important... but some ideas just show up when they’re ready...they come from the unconsciousness, like, you know, a deeper place that’s harder to get to by thinking.”
  (06:19)

Withdrawal, Grief, and Personal Change

[07:09 – 09:42]

• Remnick discusses Robyn’s public absence and personal tragedies.
• Robyn shares how songwriting reflected overlapping losses:

  “It started out as a love song, and then it became about, you know, my friend that had passed away, and then the relationship I was in kind of fell apart, and then it became more about that, you know. So it was like this ongoing thing of, like, where my experiences were just changing all the time, and I didn’t know how to put all of that into the lyrics.”
  (07:58)

• Robyn needed time to process emotions before she could finish these songs.

Psychoanalysis and Creativity

[09:42 – 11:10]

• Instead of just therapy, Robyn undertook years of psychoanalysis.
• Robyn:

  “The commitment of going to psychoanalysis is a big one...I can kind of see how you never really know when it’s going to start making sense. You just kind of have to commit anyway.”
  (10:15)

Deconstructing “Honey”

[11:10 – 13:02]

• Music clip of ‘Honey’ plays.
• Robyn discusses her compositional process:

  “I was working with this Casio synthesizer for a long time...it was really just about the beat for me for like a year or so...We had this idea of making this gooey, soft production that was still relating to, you know, club music.”
  (11:53)

• They created a moving “sauce” sample to capture the feeling of club music.

Sex, Image, and Self-Presentation

[13:02 – 14:36]

• Remnick observes that Robyn avoids hyper-sexualized pop imagery.
• Robyn:

  “I think that for me it was always...very, like, important or I just felt like I needed to kind of protect myself...I like things to be layered. I like things to be complicated and complex...if you’re allowing things to be, you know, somehow complicated, you can be as sexy as you want, you know.”
  (13:33)

Notable Quotes

• “The force of her conviction continues to hold together what often seems impossible, musically or otherwise. Maximum sadness felt as the bedrock of absolute joy.” — Gia Tolentino, quoted by Remnick on Robyn (01:36)
• “You never really know when it’s going to start making sense. You just kind of have to commit anyway.” — Robyn on psychoanalysis (10:15)
• “If you’re allowing things to be, you know, somehow complicated, you can be as sexy as you want.” — Robyn (14:06)

Timestamps & Important Segments

• 00:13: Remnick’s introduction to Robyn’s career
• 02:01: Robyn reflects on returning to the stage
• 02:51: Robyn on early musical influences
• 04:01: Looking back at early songwriting
• 05:25: On My Truth and artistic integrity
• 06:19: Robyn describing her songwriting process
• 07:58: On overlapping personal tragedy and music
• 10:15: The impact of psychoanalysis on life and art
• 11:33: Music clip — 'Honey'
• 11:53: Breaking down “Honey”’s sonic elements
• 13:33: Robyn on themes of love, sex, and her public image
• 14:36: Interview concludes

Additional Segments

Best Pop Music of 2018 with Amanda Petrusich

[15:25 – 22:55]

• Amanda Petrusich discusses top pop releases and notable radio hits:
  • Ariana Grande (“Thank U, Next”): Overcoming tragedy, emotional evolution.

    “She remains.” – Amanda Petrusich (18:05)

  • Rosalía (“Malamente”): Flamenco meets pop; addresses jealousy, desire, and their dark sides.

    “A record about desire when desire goes wrong...” – Amanda Petrusich (19:13)

  • Nathan Bowles (“Now If You Remember”): Appalachian-inspired avant-garde banjo music.

    “Kind of Appalachian trance music.” – Amanda Petrusich (22:37)

Behind the Scenes: Choreographing Violence at the Metropolitan Opera

[24:12 – 32:39]

• Fight director BH Barry shares insights into staging violence at the opera.
  • On stage violence vs. real violence:

    “If you get too real, the audience gets scared...We look for the representation of reality.” – BH Barry (30:07)

  • Philosophical perspective:

    “If I thought for one moment somebody picked up a knife to stab somebody, but had an image of something that I created and they stopped, I would feel wonderful.” – BH Barry (31:45)

Episode Highlights & Memorable Moments

• Robyn’s willingness to discuss abortion in her music, refusing to water down her experience for commercial gain (“I’m happy that I wrote the song and that I kind of stuck by it.” 05:25)
• Deep dive into her creative process and need to withdraw after loss — showing her vulnerability and complexity as an artist.
• Amanda Petrusich’s celebration of music as solace and strength in a tumultuous year.
• Behind-the-curtain insights into the surprisingly delicate and philosophical art of staging violence.

Conclusion

This episode artfully weaves together Robyn’s personal and artistic resurgence, a celebration of 2018’s pop music resilience, and the hidden complexities behind opera’s most violent scenes. It’s a compelling listen for anyone interested in creativity, the emotional intricacies behind art, and the stories that shape our cultural landscape.