29
The Girl and the Robot
Royksopp featuring Robyn
Junior (2009)
When I first heard this song, I thought it was a pretty solid electro pop song with a killer bassline. But that was about it. Then one line — and only that one line — kept coming back in my head: “I’m in love with a robot.” And I kept listening to the song. Over and over again. And it got better every time I heard it, until I realized that the whole track just nails it. Most pop songs basically hold your hand through the verses trying to get you to the chorus, and then repeat the chorus as often as possible. As with Robyn’s other entry on the countdown, this song has an odd structure that sidesteps that route. It ends up being that slight structural twist that, in a way, becomes the hook. Meanwhile, Royksopp have never been better — I hope they keep churning out material like “The Girl and the Robot.” Their last two albums have been masterpieces, and they deserve being one of only a handful of artists to grace this top 50 more than once.
Also check out: “Song 4 Mutya” by Groove Armada featuring Mutya Buena (also released as “Out of Control”)