2010 SUMMER YEARBOOK: Song of the Summer: Robyn

  
After a long summer of beat bruises, chord concussions and Auto-tune ass kicking, has one champion has become the queen of our big old gay summer?Depends on who you ask…
  
As August wraps up we can finally look back and say, “Phew! That was a crazy summer!” Of course, some of you are going to stretch summer out to the end of September with trips to the shore or Fire Island. But you know you’re kidding yourself, right? School’s back in session, the leaves are going to start turning and soon enough you’ll weep for summer’s departure. In the meantime let’s crown a Song of the Summer.
As August wraps up we can finally look back and say, “Phew! That was a crazy summer!” Of course, some of you are going to stretch summer out to the end of September with trips to the shore or Fire Island. But you know you’re kidding yourself, right? School’s back in session, the leaves are going to start turning and soon enough you’ll weep for summer’s departure. In the meantime let’s crown a Song of the Summer.
 
This writer chooses Robyn and it seems the clear choice. Sure, Katy Perry, Eminem and Usher absolutely dominated the radio airwaves. However, Katy’s whack-as-hell video to support “California Gurls,” Eminem’s status as a gay hater and the fact that Usher employed will.i.am to make “OMG” successful is effectively three strikes. “Dancing on My Own” is the standout single from Robyn’s flawless eight-track Body Talk Pt. 1. It’s not a widespread club banger or pop radio smash, but it’s the best thing to happen to the summer of 2010.
 
The 31-year-old Swede is a self-made woman. She created her own label, Konichiwa Records, and returned triumphantly after a disappearing act that followed her brief taste of success back in 1997 with “Show Me Love.” What gays need now isn’t another fleeting pop moment to cling to. We need a futuristic artist to lead us to the next most fabulous sound. After seeing her on the All Hearts Tour with Kelis, it became clear: she’s a much more magnetic performer than Kelis, and she is the future of pop music. And with “Dancing” she gave us a single to sink our teeth into: an anthemic chorus worthy of sweaty, drunken shout-alongs, dance moves to accompany the second verse and a dreamy, whispy bridge followed by a euphoric climax. It’s a winner.
 
A handful of artists gave it their all to make their presence known this summer, and some of them had a noble go at it. But without a record full of songs to admire and a history of performances to relish, it’s hard to rise to the top. I did desperately want Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me” or “If I Had You” to shoot to the top, or Kelly Rowland and David Guetta’s “Commander” to catch on. Didn’t happen. And while Nicki Minaj’s “Your Love” continues to blast from most open-windowed cars and Ke$ha’s yodel-singing infiltrates clubs, those two buffoons will most likely prove blips in our grand gay cultural timeline. Robyn is the future’s Madonna, the classy heir to Cyndi Lauper’s estate and the diligent understudy of Kylie Minogue wrapped up in one tiny little pop powerhouse. Congratulations, girl. You’ve done it.    N


TOP 10 SONGS OF SUMMER
 
1.) Dancing on My Own - Robyn
 
2.) Your Love - Nicki Minaj
 
3.) Shutterbug - Big Boi
 
4.) All the Lovers - Kylie Minogue
 
5.) Fire with Fire - Scissor Sisters
 
6.) Not Myself Tonight - Christina Aguilera
 
7.) OMG - Usher feat. will.i.am
 
8.) Your Love Is My Drug - Ke$ha
 
9.) California Gurls - Katy Perry
 
10.) Love the Way You Lie -  Eminem feat. Rihanna