For the first two minutes or so of Robyn’s show in San Francisco, there was no sign of the singer on stage. As the electronic music gently pulsated throughout the venue, the sheer anticipation of the audience was on a constant as we all waited impatiently for the woman of the hour to arrive. She finally emerged from behind the scenes amidst a sea of white veils dangling from the top the stage to begin a performance filled with intelligent and emotive electro-pop, a sound entirely of her own making and one that’s taking her back to the top of the charts.
Dressed in an angelic outfit against an entirely ivory stage she kicked things off with a tune from the new album, “Send to Robin Immediately.” Without missing a beat she jumped right into the title track from “Honey,” which was Robyn’s first release since that long hiatus. A break that had her fans nervous and wondering if she’d ever come back.
But come back she has and going stronger than ever. The excitement was felt in spades in the sold-out audience last night for the entire duration of her 90-minute set. A set that consisted primarily of cuts from “Honey” and its predecessor, “Body Talk.” Two albums that contain cuts that are slowly becoming ingrained in the pop psyche.
But it wasn’t until she got to “Dancing On My Own” that the magic truly happened. After starting the song and right as she landed into the chorus, she came to an abrupt stop to let the audience do the singing for her. The audience obliged as if they’d been waiting for this moment their whole lives, and turned it into one of the most impressive sing-a-longs that I’ve ever witnessed. 10,000 screaming fans singing in unison to a song that they knew each and every lyric to.
Right after “Dancing On My Own,” she jumped into “Missing U,” another strong single. Three of her biggest hits back to back. A crescendo that was almost overwhelming, followed by two encores that may have ended the setlist, but the show itself just launched a new chapter in this singer’s rollercoaster career.
Photos by Louis Raphael
