Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Robyn
How Robyn built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Robyn, born Robin Miriam Carlsson, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She is known for her upbeat, dance-oriented music which often incorporates melancholic lyrics, creating a unique and emotionally resonant sound.
4 hours ago : Robyn Returns with 'Sexistential': Playful Trolling, Emotional Depth, and New Philosophical Pop.
Robyn releases 'Sexistential,' her first album of the 2020s, showcasing playful trolling, emotional depth, and a new philosophy. Reviews praise her return as a pop doyenne with emotional grenades.
1989: Voice Acting in The Journey to Melonia
In 1989, Robyn voiced the character Miranda in the Swedish-Norwegian animated film "The Journey to Melonia", directed by Per Åhlin and loosely based on William Shakespeare's "The Tempest".
1991: Theme Song for Lilla Sportspegeln
In 1991, at age 12, Robyn recorded "Du kan alltid bli nummer ett" ("You Can Always be Number One"), the theme song for the Swedish television show "Lilla Sportspegeln". She also performed her first original song on another television show, "Söndagsöppet" (Sundays), that same year.
1993: Signing with Ricochet Records Sweden
In 1993, at age 14, after completing middle school education, Robyn signed with Ricochet Records Sweden.
1994: BMG Acquisition of Ricochet Records
In 1994, Ricochet Records Sweden, the label Robyn was signed to, was acquired by BMG.
1994: Signing with RCA Records and Debut Single Release
In 1994, Robyn signed with RCA Records at age 15 and released her debut single, "You've Got That Somethin'", in Sweden. Later that year, she had her Swedish breakthrough with the single "Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)".
October 1995: Release of Robyn Is Here
In October 1995, Robyn's album "Robyn Is Here" was released, featuring her earlier singles.
1995: Release of Robyn Is Here
In 1995, Robyn released her debut album, "Robyn Is Here", which produced two Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles: "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love".
1996: Collaboration with Blacknuss
In 1996, Robyn contributed vocals to Blacknuss' single, "Roll with Me".
October 4, 1997: Soul Train Appearance
On October 4, 1997, Robyn appeared on Soul Train, performing "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Just Another Girlfriend".
1997: Melodifestivalen entry
In 1997, Robyn co-wrote and produced "Du gör mig hel igen" ("You Make Me Whole Again") performed by Cajsalisa Ejemyr, for Sweden's pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. The song finished fourth in Melodifestivalen 1997.
1997: Billboard Top 10 Hits
In 1997, Robyn's US singles, "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love", both peaked in the top 10 on the Billboard 100.
April 25, 1998: Headlining act on Soul Train
On April 25, 1998, Robyn returned to Soul Train as the headlining act, performing "Do You Know (What It Takes)" again and the QDIII remix of "Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)".
May 1999: Release of My Truth in Sweden
In May 1999, Robyn's second album, "My Truth", was released in Sweden. The album's single, "Electric", was commercially successful.
1999: Release of My Truth
In 1999, Robyn released her second album, "My Truth", in Sweden. It explored autobiographical themes.
July 2001: Signing with Jive Records
In July 2001, Robyn signed a worldwide deal with Jive Records, moving from BMG because she wanted more artistic control.
2001: Performing "Say You'll Walk the Distance"
In 2001, Robyn performed "Say You'll Walk the Distance" for the soundtrack of "On the Line".
2002: Release of Don't Stop the Music
In 2002, Robyn released her third album, "Don't Stop the Music", in Sweden.
2003: "O Baby" Popularity on Swedish Radio
In 2003, Robyn's promotional single "O Baby" became the fifth-most-played song on Swedish radio.
May 2004: Release of Robyn's Best in the US
In May 2004, Robyn's Best, a condensed version of her debut album, was released in the US.
2004: End of Relationship with Jive Records
In 2004, Robyn's decade-long relationship with her label, Jive Records, ended after the label reacted negatively to the electropop sound of "Who's That Girl?".
March 2005: Release of Be Mine!
In March 2005, Robyn released the single "Be Mine!".
2005: Transition to Independent Artist and Electronic Sound
By 2005, Robyn transitioned to an independent artist and shifted away from R&B to an experimental electronic and synth-pop sound. Her fourth album, Robyn, retained some influences of American R&B and hip hop but focused on electronic sounds.
2005: International Success with Robyn
In 2005, Robyn achieved international success with her fourth album, "Robyn", which earned a Grammy Award nomination and included the hit singles "Be Mine!" and "With Every Heartbeat".
2005: Departure from Jive and Creation of Konichiwa Records
In early 2005, Robyn announced her departure from Jive Records to start her own label, Konichiwa Records, to have more artistic freedom.
December 2006: Release of The Rakamonie EP in the UK
In December 2006, Robyn released "The Rakamonie EP" in the UK as a preview of her recent material.
2006: Release of Det Bästa Med Robyn
In 2006, "Det Bästa Med Robyn" (The Best of Robyn) was released in Sweden, featuring material from her first three albums.
March 2007: Release of Konichiwa Bitches
In March 2007, Robyn released "Konichiwa Bitches".
January 2008: Release of The Rakamonie EP in the US
In January 2008, "The Rakamonie EP" was released in the US by Cherrytree Records.
January 2009: Swedish Grammis Award for Best Live Act
In January 2009, Robyn received a 2008 Swedish Grammis Award for Best Live Act.
June 2010: Release of Body Talk Pt. 1 and Dancing On My Own
In June 2010, Robyn released "Body Talk Pt. 1" in the Nordic countries and the US, preceded by the single "Dancing On My Own".
July 2010: Minimalist cover of Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart
In July 2010, Robyn performed a minimalist, electro cover version of Alicia Keys' "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" live on IHeartRadio.
August 2010: All Hearts Tour
In July and August 2010, Robyn promoted the "Body Talk" albums with the All Hearts Tour alongside Kelis.
September 2010: Release of Body Talk Pt. 2 and Performance at MTV Video Music Awards
In September 2010, Robyn released 'Body Talk Pt. 2' in the UK, preceded by the single "Hang with Me". On September 12, 2010, she performed "Dancing On My Own" with Deadmau5 at the MTV Video Music Awards.
October 2010: Announcement of "Indestructible" Release
In October 2010, Robyn announced the release of the single "Indestructible". An acoustic version of the song appeared on Body Talk Pt. 2.
2010: Guest appearance on Gossip Girl
In 2010, Robyn guest-starred on an episode of Gossip Girl called "War at the Roses," performing an acoustic version of "Hang with Me." The song "Dancing On My Own" was also featured.
2010: Body Talk Series Release
In 2010, Robyn released a trilogy of mini-albums called the "Body Talk" series, which received critical acclaim and three Grammy Award nominations. The series produced three top-10 singles: "Dancing On My Own", "Hang with Me" and "Indestructible".
January 2011: Plans for a new album
In November, Robyn announced that in January 2011 she would return to the studio with enough material to release a new album later that year.
December 10, 2011: Musical Guest on Saturday Night Live
On December 10, 2011, Robyn performed as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
2012: Opening act for Coldplay's tour
In 2012, Robyn opened for Coldplay on their tour in several cities, including Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia.
June 2013: Collaboration with The Lonely Island
In June 2013, Robyn appeared with Paul Rudd and Sean Combs on "Go Kindergarten" from the Lonely Island's album The Wack Album. She also posted videos related to her collaboration with Snoop Dogg and a game called Mixory around June 21 and 22, 2013.
2014: Collaboration with Röyksopp
In 2014, Robyn released the collaborative EP "Do It Again" with Röyksopp.
2014: Collaborations and Tour
In 2014, Robyn sang on Neneh Cherry's "Out of the Black" and announced the Do It Again Tour with Röyksopp, along with a collaborative mini-album, Do It Again. The tour was cut short due to the death of Christian Falk.
2015: Collaboration with La Bagatelle Magique
In 2015, Robyn released the collaborative EP "Love Is Free" with La Bagatelle Magique.
May 2016: Premiere of Dance Set at Boston Calling Music Festival
In May 2016, Robyn premiered a dance set of remixed versions of her songs at the Boston Calling Music Festival.
November 2016: Release of Collaboration EP with Mr. Tophat
In November 2016, Robyn released "Trust Me", a collaboration EP with Mr. Tophat.
March 2017: Robyn's Song 'Honey' Featured in HBO's Girls
In March 2017, a new Robyn song called "Honey" was used in the soundtrack of the final season of the HBO TV series, Girls. Robyn finalized the song specially for the series at the request of the show's creator, Lena Dunham.
February 2018: Album Release Announcement and New Song Debut
In February 2018, Robyn revealed plans to release a new album later that year. She debuted the full version of her new song "Honey" at a party.
August 2018: Release of "Missing U"
On August 1, 2018, Robyn released her new single, "Missing U".
September 2018: Announcement of Album Title and Release Date
On September 19, 2018, Robyn announced that her upcoming album would be titled "Honey" and would be released on October 26, 2018.
October 2018: Upcoming Album 'Honey'
Robyn's album 'Honey' set to be released on October 26, 2018
November 2018: Announcement of North America and Europe Tour
In November 2018, Robyn announced a tour across North America and Europe to begin in February 2019.
2018: Release of Honey
In 2018, Robyn released her eighth solo album, "Honey", to widespread acclaim.
February 2019: Commencement of North America and Europe Tour
In February 2019, Robyn's tour across North America and Europe kicked off.
September 2019: Performance at Climate Strikes in Stockholm
On September 27, 2019, Robyn performed in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm during the international climate strikes and mentioned meeting climate researcher Johan Rockström.
February 2020: Acceptance of Songwriter of the Decade Award
In February 2020, Robyn accepted the award for Songwriter of the Decade at the 2020 NME Awards.
September 2021: "Dancing on My Own" Ranked on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
In September 2021, "Dancing on My Own" was ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone's reissued list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Also that month Robyn signed a management contract with Young Artists.
November 2021: Honorary Award from Swedish Music Publishers Board
In November 2021, Robyn received an Honorary Award for her "significant contributions" to the music industry from the Swedish Music Publishers Board.
February 2025: Performance at Saturday Night Live's 50th Anniversary
In February 2025, Robyn participated in the 50th anniversary celebrations of Saturday Night Live and performed "Dancing on My Own" and Talking Heads' "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" with David Byrne on SNL50: The Homecoming Concert.
September 2025: Completion of a New Album
In September 2025, Åhlund revealed that he and Robyn had completed a new album, with the release of "Dopamine" following two months later.
January 2026: Release of "Sexistential" and "Talk to Me"
On January 7, 2026, "Sexistential" and "Talk to Me" were released.
March 2026: Release of Ninth Studio Album, Sexistential
On March 27, 2026, Robyn's ninth studio album, Sexistential, was released.
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