After 8 Years, Robyn Is Back With a Message for the Fans Who Love Her
It’s been way too long since we’ve heard new music from Robyn. It’s been eight years since Body Talk, and though she’s done some collaborations since then, aside from some remixes and an unreleased demo that aired on Girls, Robyn’s been sadly quiet. That ends today, however: The new Robyn video for “Missing U” just dropped, and it’s a moving love-letter to her fans.
The new Robyn video is about the singer’s trip to New York City‘s “This Party Is Killing You,” a dance party featuring Robyn’s music exclusively. (The party’s name comes from Robyn’s song “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do.”) The party has been held annually for the past eight years at Brooklyn Bowl, a music venue-slash-bowling alley.
The latest party took place May 21, the same date as Robyn’s lecture at the Museum of Modern Art detailing her career. Though party organizers didn’t know if Robyn would appear, they had the idea to get fans to send her voicemails inviting her to the party. In the new Robyn video, the organizers say it means a lot to let her know she’s got so many fans, whether or not she appears.
But — and you can probably see where this is going, since it wouldn’t be that interesting an article otherwise — Robyn did show up. And she brought a camera crew. The result is “Missing U – A Message to My Fans,” a seven-and-a-half minute short film that’s a combined documentary on This Party Is Killing You and a teaser for her long-awaited brand-new single.
It’s a wonderful, moving video; people tell Robyn how much her music means. One voicemail even says her music was “the soundtrack to my coming out.” And if the immense feels aren’t enough to get you to check it out — perhaps this will: One of the fans shown in the video is RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Detox.
“Missing U” is out Aug. 1.
