People finding community in a song all about being solo. The ones who have used it to get through not just breakups, but cancer, or death, or a lot more, who love that decadent drum fill toward the end more than life.Īll stories of juxtaposition. People who insist it can be a queer anthem: ' Is she singing 'I'm not the GIRL you're taking home' or 'I'm not the GUY you're taking home'? Who knows! Maybe she MEANT it that way? ROBYN IS A GENIUS,' they said, more or less. People who have played it for hours in one sitting, or kept it on repeat for a road trip hundreds of miles long, or made it the last dance at every house party they've ever thrown. There were the DJs who spin it at wedding receptions, knowing it will get everyone on the floor. When I decided to make 'Dancing on My Own' my pick for NPR's American Anthem series, I went to social media and asked anyone who saw the request to send me their stories about the song. Contrary emotions wrapped up in one package, happiness and sadness living together in a groove: Everything about this song is a juxtaposition. I know where you're at, I bet she's around When the lyrics start, you realize she's tricked you, that it's all one big bait and switch. It could easily be a perfect teen pop song, especially considering Robyn got her start making just that.īut 'Dancing on My Own' is more than that. Everything about it is meant to make you smile and move and dance. The one-five-four chord progression is immediately familiar, like it's been around since the beginning of time.

The tempo is perfectly situated right around 118 beats per minute, pretty close to what scientists say is the preferred walking tempo for humans.

'Dancing on My Own' starts with one of the most visceral, propelling four-to-the-floor beats of the past few decades. This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action.

Robyn dancing on my own album video