Stereogum Home
April 8, 2008

New Robyn (Feat. The Knife) Video - "Who's That Girl"

thumbnail icon: New Robyn (Feat. The Knife) Video - "Who's That Girl"

"Good girls are pretty like all the time, I'm just pretty some of the time." For Robyn, "some of the time" happens to be any time (particularly when she's in a video or on stage), but that lyric and our read of it is what's at the root of "Who's That Girl": R's trying to separate preconception from reality, and to have a look at the person behind the "girl." To help with this task, Robyn tapped the Olof and Karin of the Knife, whose signature synth tones and roto tomming drive the track (and whose genderless stage personae happen to be a good thematic fit). To drive it all home visually, the video flashes all sorts of women in all sorts of roles -- beauty queen, aristocratic debutante, hard laboring textile worker, soldier, bride -- while Robyn's words hover around her head to let you know this is a little more serious, and a little less cheeky, than "Konichiwa Bitches." But as pop goes, it's still top of the, uh, pops.

And now you know what Robyn would look like as a marching band drummer. This clip comes as part of the UK push for the "Who's That Girl" single, and as previously mentioned, there will be hot remix action.

Catch her on tour, please:

04/29 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
04/30 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
05/01 - New York, NY @ Virgin Megastore (Union Square)
05/01 - New York, NY @ Late Show w/ David Letterman
05/02 - New York, NY @ Grand Ballroom
05/04 - Montreal, Quebec @ La Tulipe
05/05 - Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
05/07 - Chicago, IL @ Park West
05/13 - Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan
05/14 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
05/16 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club
05/17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre

Posted at 11:23 AM in ,
Tags:  |




-->

16 Comments

i realized she sucked the first time, please stop trying to shove this girl down our throaths, i'm sick of it.

Posted by: boing at 04/08/08 11:47 AM | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

Yeah, thanks but no thanks.

Posted by: Chris at 04/08/08 12:20 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

We Love Robyn. Youtube does not do this beat justice! She's a little out there, but she's pretty amazing. What do we know though... we like Amerie. haha

Posted by: David Blake at 04/08/08 1:11 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

This song sucks. Robyn has a weak voice, even remastered as much as I am sure it is. The fact that she publishes and sings lyrics this bad is a general insult to any audience.

seriously, get her off the website, for your credibility's sake, I don't understand why she has been on the blog scene lately.

Knife rules!! (a little upset they agreed to this track though)

Posted by: Nick at 04/08/08 2:00 PM | Reply
Score = -5 Vote up Vote down

wut is this shit? so bad.

Posted by: Ian at 04/08/08 2:17 PM | Reply
Score = -4 Vote up Vote down

Got a new name for the song:
"Who's That Girl and Why Should We Care"

Posted by: ::Idaho at 04/08/08 2:51 PM | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

i liked konichiwa bitches, but i'm afraid this kind of stuff is a step back to 'show me love'. the fact that perez hilton was her biggest fan at sxsw is kind of drying up her newfound indie cred. oh, you have your own label? so what.

Posted by: matt profile link at 04/08/08 3:36 PM | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

The Stereogum Backlash comment department has arrived. Please check your success at the door, and prepare to relegate your career to cheap bastards who steal your music and think you owe them for it.

Next stop Bell.

Posted by: Wow at 04/08/08 5:26 PM | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

I actually like this song... a few of here newest singles have been a bit sus to me, but this song is dope...

I liked her when her shit dropped in 97

Posted by: Mika Muyo at 04/08/08 6:35 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Yeah, but have you actually listened to The Knife's lyrics? Nothing too great. Not saying they are bad though, I actually really like them. But it doesn't really surprise me that they would do a song with lyrics like this.

Posted by: Anthony at 04/08/08 7:11 PM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

the chorus = "whos that girl" by madonna + "girls just wanna have fun" by cindy lauper

the lyrics on those verses kick ass. its pop music, you're supposed to laugh.

Posted by: isla at 04/08/08 7:11 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

awsome !!!i dig this tune after one listen.
the knife sound is cutting & love robyns vocals...
me wants more knife...to hell with the snobs.

this is why europop blows our american stars away.
to each his own. thanx stgum

Posted by: donbincente at 04/08/08 9:37 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Wow, the people who have written negative comments must have PMS, Robyn is cool and has done a great pop album.

Posted by: Eric at 04/09/08 8:54 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

If you have no interest in pop music (albeit this is the smartest pop music being made today)... then why comment? Is your life that dull? The funny thing is Robyn is even better live than on record. A month ago at the Highline the entire room fell in love with her and the May 2 Hammerstein show hopefully will make her a superstar. If you don't have room for Robyn in your life, well - then - I'm sorry about that.

Posted by: michael at 04/09/08 11:09 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I love The Knife but damn this song sucks hard. No thanks!

Posted by: nvcameron at 04/20/08 12:09 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

money is money for the Knife's next record, huh?

Posted by: dan profile link at 04/22/08 3:35 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


 

The 'Gum Drop

Get our newsletter. MP3s and giveaways weekly.

Search




Sort by:date relevance

Information

  • Contact:
  • About
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • Stereogum RSS Stereogum RSS XML Icon
  • MP3-Only RSS Stereogum RSS XML Icon

Staff

Founder/Editor-In-Chief
Scott Lapatine
Executive Editor
Amrit Singh
Senior Writer
Brandon Stosuy
Columnist
Jon McMillan
Technology & Operations
Jim Jazwiecki
Angela Williams

The Cool Kids

All Stereogum Posts


Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire - Flaming Home (»)
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (»)
Bodies Of Water - Gold, Tan, Peach, And Grey (»)
Babe Terror - Mount Dorothy (»)
Babe Terror - Nasa Goodbye (»)
Crystal Stilts - Crippled Croon (»)
She And Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here (»)
Deerhunter - Game Of Diamonds (»)
Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree (»)
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed (»)
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - The Debtor (»)
Nisennenmondai - Pop Group (»)
Albert Hammond Jr - GfC (»)
Lackthereof - Last November (»)
The Neighbourhood Council - Liver And Tan (»)
Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park (»)
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (»)
Fucked Up - No Epiphany (»)

Band to Watch logo

Band To Watch: The Neighbourhood Council

After two weeks of reader-tipped BTWs from Lawrence, Kansas, we mentioned there seemed to be something going on in that city, despite William S. Burroughs up and dying a few years ago. After the proclamation went out, we received notes...

MORE »

Quit Your Day Job logo

Quit Your Day Job: Chromeo

Chromeo's the Montreal/New York electro duo of childhood friends P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) and Dave I (David Macklovitch). Gemayel handles keyboards/synths and talk box. Maclovitch, the other vocals and guitar. The Deluxe Edition of their 2007 album Fancy Footwork, aka Fancier...

MORE »

Premature Evaluation logo

Premature Evaluation: The Walkmen - You & Me

Before we got to soak-in the woozy organ and raw yelps of "In the New Year," the last taste we had of the Walkmen was that one-off "Lemon Hill." As we mentioned then, the Men said "Lemon" wasn't "exactly in...

MORE »

Video Hangover logo

Video Hangover: Squirrel Nut Zippers - "The Suits Are Picking Up the Bill"

Every week, we dig in the archives for videos that we find noteworthy, memorable, or just unbelievably stupid. And then, Jon McMillan breaks 'em down for you. Why Video Hangover? Because when you watch as many videos as we do,...

MORE »

Oldstand logo

OldStand: Blender, May 1995

Take our ink-stained hands and join us at the OldStand, where Jon McMillan goes to remind everyone what an honest-to-goodness music magazine is supposed to look like. Oh man, remember the future? Well, my Macbook doesn't (thanks for nothing, Leopard!),...

MORE »

The Outsiders logo

The Outsiders: Vol. 16: Babe Terror, Crystal Stilts, Factums

Not all of Stereogum's favorite sounds conform to what folks expect us to cover. In this space, resident Bananafish fetishist Brandon Stosuy focuses on bands, albums, singles, and villages in Sweden that may otherwise pass by unnoticed. This installment's virtual...

MORE »

The 'Gum Drop logo

M83 - "Kim & Jessie" (Montag remix)

M83, aka Anthony Gonzalez, toned his sounds down on fifth album Saturdays = Youth, but the emotions remain teenage, achy, and perfectly romantic. Gonzalez is releasing album standout "Kim & Jessie" as a digital single 7/22 on Mute. It includes...

MORE »