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"Call Your Girlfriend" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her seventh studio album, '' Body Talk'' (2010). It was released as the album's second single on 1 April 2011. The song was written by Robyn, Klas Åhlund and Alexander Kronlund. Åhlund handled production, with assistance by Billboard. In the song, Robyn portrays a woman who begs her new partner to break up with an old girlfriend, and advises on how to do it gently. "Call Your Girlfriend" is an
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
ballad with synths and a buzzing rhythm. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised it for its lyrics and heartfelt message. The song reached number forty-three on the
Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish R ...
chart, number eight on the Flanders Ultratip chart and number one in the Pmachinery Top 30. In the United States, it reached number one on
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
, becoming Robyn's highest-peaking song on the chart. The accompanying music video was released on 2 June 2011 and features Robyn dancing alone in a warehouse. The song has been performed on the NewNowNext Awards, ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'', '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', and '' Saturday Night Live''. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 2012 Grammy Awards.


Background and composition

In an interview with Teen.com, Robyn said that love and life inspired her to write the song. In January 2011, Robyn confirmed that it would be released as the second single from '' Body Talk'', and that a music video for the song was in the works. Originally intended for a 16 May 2011 release, the single was released digitally on 1 April 2011, in Finland, and three days later in Sweden. "Call Your Girlfriend" was written by Robyn, Alexander Kronlund and Klas Åhlund, with the latter producing the song. Billboard is credited as the co-producer. The song is an
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
and
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
ballad, described as "soaringly tuneful" and "cold-blooded". In the song, Robyn portrays a woman who is enjoying her new partner, but is concerned how this person's current girlfriend will be hurt by it. As a solution, she begs her partner to break up with the girlfriend and gives tips on how to do it gently. According to Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork, the song carries a "buzzing rhythm",
synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
and "a killer chord change." Plagenhoef wrote that Robyn " sas graceful about this role as when she plays the other points in the love triangle." He described it as "one of the most adult, thoughtful pop music breakups since the Field Mice's "Willow", but naturally without the twee-pop OGs' sense of melancholy."


Reception


Critical reception

Ben Norman of About.com called the song "pensive pop" and said that it "demands hatyou sing along from the very beginning." He noted that the lyrics focuses on "the little bit of bad one must do to embrace the good". Marc Hogan of Pitchfork called it "one of ''Body Talk'''s most inspired moments". Genevieve Koski of '' The A.V. Club'' wrote that ''Body Talk'' "reaches its apex at its midpoint with “Call Your Girlfriend,” which turns the breakup-anthem conceit on its ear in a manner that makes getting dumped seem inspiring." Heather Phares of Allmusic called it a "thoughtful twist on a love triangle that finds Robyn enjoying new love while being concerned for someone hurt by it." Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called it "remarkable" and "one of those rare Robyn tracks that finds a way to use its overtly commercial pop framework to tell a rather emotional, pointed relationship tale that is heads-and-shoulders above most of what’s on mainstream radio today." Call Your Girlfriend received its first play on BBC Radio 1 on July 4, 2011 as
Scott Mills Scott Robert Mills (born 28 March 1973) is an English radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor. He is best known for presenting the '' Scott Mills'' show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022 and since then, on BBC Radio 2. Mills has also ...
' Record of the Week. It was confirmed that it will be officially released in the UK on August 1. On November 30, 2011, the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for the
54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted the ...
.


Chart performance

"Call Your Girlfriend" debuted at number forty-three on the
Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish R ...
chart in Sweden, on the issue dated 22 April 2011. On the issue dated July 2, 2011, the track peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, thus became her first single to reach the top spot of Hot Dance Club Play Chart, and also her highest peaking and most successful single there. On the issue on 18 July 2011, the song debuted at number thirty-nine in New Zealand, Robyn's fourth single in that country. It is currently peaking at number seventeen on the issue date 15 August 2011, becoming Robyn's highest single in the country since " Show Me Love".


Music video

The music video for "Call Your Girlfriend" was directed by
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. It premiered on 2 June 2011, and features Robyn dancing alone in a soundstage. The video was choreographed by Maria "Decida" Wahlberg. Robyn confirmed a video for the song alongside the single announcement in January 2011. Tom Breihan of Pitchfork wrote that the video "is one long unbroken tracking shot of the Swedish pop queen dancing, singing, and looking like her heart is about to break. The only thing she has to keep her company is an elaborate lighting rig. It's a true command performance, a hall-of-fame effort from an artist at the absolute peak of her powers." Tamar Anitai of MTV Buzzworthy said that "
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appears to be shot, incredibly, all in one take". The writer said that has a "stripped-down approach". Anitai also wrote, "In a stark, gorgeously lit gymnasium, Robyn approaches the gym-floor-turned-dance-floor with the focus of a seasoned gymnast approaching the mat before an Olympic floor routine." Jon Blistein of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine also gave a positive review naming Robyn a "true pop star" and referring to the video as "so simple, yet nearly impossible to look away."


Live performances

Robyn performed "Call Your Girlfriend" on the 2011 NewNowNext Awards. On 13 April 2011, she performed the song alongside " Dancing on My Own" on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'', wearing a pastel blue top and matching lipstick. Robyn performed "Call Your Girlfriend" as well as fellow ''Body Talk'' single "Dancing On My Own" on the December 10th, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live.


Covers

French Canadian singer Marie-Mai released a French version of the song titled “Sans Cri Ni haine” (No shouts nor hate) as a promotional single for her fourth studio album ''Miroir''. The song peaked at number one in Quebec for 7 weeks and was released in France as well. In October 2012, the song was awarded with the ''Felix Award'', Quebec's most important awards for the Popular song of the year. Singer-songwriter
Star Anna Star Anna Constantia Krogstie BamfordNicole Brodeur ''Seattle Times'', 16 July 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2011. is an American singer and guitarist from Ellensburg, Washington who plays Americana and alt-country. Her band Star Anna and the Laughing ...
has performed the song live, most notably on KEXP. A 2011 viral video features '' Saturday Night Live'' actor Taran Killam dancing to the song with the almost exact repetition of the same dance moves as Robyn. In January 2012, the Swedish group
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covered the song in an
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
version using hand claps and empty butter tubs as rhythmic accompaniment in a viral YouTube video. The video, itself, was later covered by young sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella. Suede guitarist Richard Oakes covered the song with his project Artmagic as the b-side to their single "Down In The River" in October 2012. In November 2012, Newspaper Editor and Blogger, Harrison Mooney, created a parody, titled "Call the Union," in response to the 2012 NHL Lockout. Minneapolis Band
The New Standards The New Standards is a minimalist jazz trio formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2005 and composed of Chan Poling (of The Suburbs), John Munson (of The Twilight Hours, Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare and The Flops) and Steve Roehm (of Electropolis, ...
released a cover version titled "Call Your Boyfriend" on their 2012 album ''
Sunday Morning Coming Down "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson that was recorded in 1969 by Ray Stevens before becoming a #1 hit on the ''Billboard'' US Country chart for Johnny Cash. History Stevens' version of the song reached #55 on the ...
'' and frequently performs the song live. British singer, Cher Lloyd, performed an acoustic cover of the song in February 2013. In May 2013,
Michelle Chamuel Michelle Jacqueline Chamuel (born 1986) is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. She has released several works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. She was the lead singer of the band Ella Riot and the runner-up on seaso ...
performed the song on the fourth season of ''The Voice'' during the top 12 week. Singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche (daughter of Loudon Wainwright III) released an acoustic version. Singer-songwriter John-Allison Weiss included an acoustic cover version on their 2014 EP "Remember when".
Maya Rudolph Maya Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''), and later played supporting roles in the films '' 50 First Dates'' ...
and
Emma Stone Emily Jean Stone (born November 6, 1988), known professionally as Emma Stone, is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2017, she ...
covered the song with "the Cups Song rhythm" on the sixth episode of NBC's " Maya & Marty"; 07/12/16. In the 2016 video artwork To Me You Mean The Most by Adam Castle & Ed Twaddle one of the artists sings along to the song. The artwork was featured in the 2017 Bloomberg New Contemporaries exhibition. On the 17th October 2018, Jade Bird debuted her cover of this song live on BBC Radio 1, playing the piano live with a string section. In 2019, the song was covered in the episode "Chapter Fifty: American Dreams" from the third season of the television series '' Riverdale'', performed by Camila Mendes and Vanessa Morgan.


Track listing

*Digital download #"Call Your Girlfriend" – 3:47 #"Call Your Girlfriend" ( Sultan & Ned Shepard Remix Dub) – 5:36 #"Call Your Girlfriend" ( Feed Me Remix) – 4:55 *Germany CD single #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Radio Edit) – 3:31 #"Call Your Girlfriend" ( Kaskade Remix) – 5:38 *UK digital EP #"Call Your Girlfriend" – 3:47 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Feed Me Remix) – 4:55 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Kaskade Remix) – 5:38 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Sultan & Ned Remix) – 5:36 #"Call Your Girlfriend" ( Azari & III Remix) – 4:41 *US digital remix EP #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Feed Me Remix) – 4:55 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Kaskade Remix) – 5:38 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Sultan & Ned Remix) – 5:37 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Sultan & Ned Remix Dub) – 5:37 *AUS Remixes #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Edit) – 3:30 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Kaskade Remix) – 5:38 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Kaskade Edit) – 3:36 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Feed Me Remix) – 4:55 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Azari & III Remix) – 4:41 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Sultan & Ned Remix) – 5:36 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Sultan & Ned Remix Dub) – 5:37 #"Call Your Girlfriend" (Sultan & Ned Remix Edit) – 3:53


Credits and personnel

*Robyn – music and lyrics * Alexander Kronlund – music * Klas Åhlund – music, lyrics, production, instruments and programming *Billboard – co-production, instruments and programming *Niklas Flyckt – mixing * Jayce Lewis - Synth Programming, Remix Source


Charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of number-one dance singles of 2011 (U.S.)


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2011 singles Robyn songs Song recordings produced by Billboard (record producer) Songs written by Alexander Kronlund Songs written by Klas Åhlund Songs written by Robyn Synth-pop ballads