The Swedish duo Icona Pop released their aggressive electro-pop single “I Love It” over a year ago, and since then it caught our attention by going viral earlier this year and going on to become a summer anthem. We’ve blasted it in our cars and added it to many of our playlists, and it is still repeatedly played (overplayed by now) on the radio.
The two best friends Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo both grew up in Stockholm and formed Icona Pop in 2009. They met at a club, and several weeks later had enough songs to start performing. Their time on “The Iconic Tour” finished last week, and now they wait for another song off their second album “This Is… Icona Pop” to go mainstream.
The group’s album, released on September 24, peaked at 36 on the Billboard 200 for a reason: it was well worth every minute I listened to it.
The songs are full of energy; it’s no wonder that they’re constantly played at clubs. The album starts off with “I Love It” and continues with upbeat songs to amp up your mood. “On a Roll” is very similar to “I Love It” since it’s also about being reckless. “In the Stars” has a unique dance beat.
“Just Another Night” shows a different side of the duo. It is a song you would not expect from Icona Pop since it starts off very slow, but the vocals are still impressive. “Hold On” is very repetitive and my least favorite song on the album. Their song “Girlfriend” is about how much the best friends value their relationship. The chorus consists of Tupac’s “All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend,” (a line also featured in Jay-Z and Beyonce’s “Bonnie and Clyde”).
Though the songs have a great beat, the lyrics could have been better. Icona Pop cannot solely be blamed, since most lyrics in today’s music lack sense.
My personal favorites are tied between “All Night” and “Ready for the Weekend.” However, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the songs weren’t good.
I highly recommend this album for those who generally like electronic music, plan to host a dance party, or want to drown out the emotions that come with a breakup.
