beauty in a wicked world.

Can I express to you how long I have been patiently waiting for this night to arrive? Several months too long. The moment I found out she was performing in Houston (well, Texas in general), my heart was all aflutter. Robyn has made quite the comeback over the past year with her triple-installation album Body Talk. It has received many accolades and praises for its showcase of what true, quality pop music should sound like. After somewhat of a hiatus during the 2000s, Robyn took the music scene by storm with the promise of new music, and loads of it. I think most fans can agree that she did not disappoint. Most look back on her 1997 hit-song "Show Me Love", and some remember her self-titled album featuring tracks such as "Konichiwa Bitches" and "With Every Heartbeat", but if you aren't a fan now, you need to get your ears checked. Even though she is competing with pop divas such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Kylie Minogue, she stands her own ground with a unique image and sound.

Over the past couple weeks, Robyn had cancelled a handful of shows due to illness. Of course, I wanted her to get healthy, but I would be so disappointed if the Houston date was cancelled. Miraculously, the music gods were watching over us, and we were graced with her presence. 

Warehouse Live was in full gay force that night. The venue staff should have hung a rainbow flag in the front entrance. Everyone was dressed to impress being that 75% or more of the audience was of the homosexual persuasion (so obviously, I felt right at home). Robyn wholeheartedly respects and appreciates her gay American following. Although straight, Robyn feels very connected to gay culture. Like I've said before, if you have the gays on your side, you will always have success.

There were two openers for the show: Natalia Kills and Diamond Rings. The show either started earlier than schedule, or Natalia Kills' set was just extremely short. We caught a couple of her tunes, including one of her more popular ones, "Mirrors". She was decent, but nothing to necessarily write home about....just filler. Next was Diamond Rings, who I was actually looking forward to seeing. First off, he is adorable with his David Bowie-esque appearance Secondly, he put on a great show, especially for being a solo-act. His music is very Soft Cell/Depeche Mode sounding. He is performing this coming Monday at Fitzgerald's in Houston with PS I Love you, so you have another chance to check him out. Also, his "Stay Fierce" t-shirts are fucking awesome.

Now, on to the queen herself. I know she was ill in previous weeks, but she showed no signs of sickness during her impressive 1.5 hour+ set at Warehouse. Her energy level never seemed to take a break. She constantly danced around the entire stage, exclaiming her love for the Houston crowd. I wish I had a dollar for every time she actually said "Houston". The amount of vitality and genuine love she showcased was nothing by infectious. When you caught a glimpse of her smiling at the end of a song, you knew she meant it. Can I also add in that I loved her outfit? I give her props for pulling off her dance moves in those platform shoes. The audience was in an uproar as her set shot off with "Time Machine" and didn't slow down from there. She sung almost every track from Body Talk, which led to quite a number of sing-a-longs. I will admit that I am quite guilty of wailing with the rest of them. I was disappointed that "The Girl and the Robot" did not receive the attention that it deserved. I was very much looking forward to it, and I might have gone a tad crazy when I heard the opening beats. The crowd went wild during "Dancing On My Own", "Indestructible", and "Stars 4-Ever". How could you not? My attempts at filming during the show failed at certain points because I, myself, became too enveloped in the music. Naturally, she ended her third and final encore with "Show Me Love" which turned into a venue-wide sing-along.

This was also the last stop on Robyn's Body Talk Tour....Houston got lucky :)

Robyn is a true artist in every sense of the word. Her music, charisma, style, and personality are all absolutely amazing. She literally melted my heart. I woke up the next morning with "Stars 4-Ever" buzzing in my head, in addition to the alcohol I consumed the night before.

Check out "Indestructible" below:

It's impossible for me to pinpoint my "favorite" performed tracks, so here is the full setlist:

Time Machine

Fembot

Cobrastyle

Dancing On My Own

We Dance to the Beat

Love Kills

The Girl and the Robot

Indestructible

Call Your Girlfriend

Stars 4-Ever

Get Myself Together

Dancehall Queen

Hang With Me

With Every Heartbeat

U Should Know Better

Konichiwa Bitches

Dancing Queen (ABBA cover)

Show Me Love