Icona Pop, This Is … Icona Pop
Icona Pop seemed destined to fall into one-hit-wonder obscurity after “I Love It” gained ubiquitous exposure via club play, commercial spots and (not even kidding) as the theme song for MTV’s Jersey Shore spinoff Snooki & JWoww. Their other chants couldn’t be that fun, that infectious, that delicious.
Except they are. The Swedish synth-pop duo of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo — with their endearing, no-pretense irresistibility — could be your BFFs … if your BFFs wrote joyous dance-pop, bedroom-romping earworms; recorded “In the Stars,” a song that takes you to the sun; and had all the makings for one of the most exciting musical breakthroughs this year.
There’s really not a single miss on This Is …, unless you’re a sourpuss able to resist the nonstop rush of joyous synth bursts atop ’80s-inspired melodies. From bubbly second single “All Night” to “Then We Kiss,” a fun-loving coda with a Go-Go’s ilk, the girls keep the party balloons bouncing. And when they pop and fall to the floor — like on the lovelorn “Just Another Night,” the closest they come to a ballad, and its fight-song match “Hold On” — they strike a similar authenticity that expands their girls-next-door appeal. Yeah, even pop stars get broken hearts. As an introduction to Icona Pop, This Is … sounds both familiar and like nothing you’ve ever heard. It’s not a game changer, it won’t revolutionize pop music, but it’s fun and unforgettable. I love it, and I don’t care.
Four stars.