Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I Love It: New Music from Icona Pop

By John Hill

If you have been near a radio anytime this past summer, the chances are good that hearing the phrase “I Love It” will immediately bring to mind a couple of rowdy girls singing about crashing their car and kissing off an ex. “I Love It” was inescapable for a solid two months, but how does an unknown group with such a striking single follow it up? In the case of Icona Pop, you release a whole album driving pop anthems called This Is…Icona Pop that keep the party going for at least another half hour.

Notice I said “half hour?” The full album clocks in at less than 33 minutes, but honestly, that is all you really need. Each three minute gem packs a punch that doesn’t stray too far from the formula behind “I Love It,” and this type of pop probably is better in action-packed morsels anyway. Follow up single “All Night” sounds a lot like “I Love It,” but with a slightly different vibe. Add to that the gorgeous video that pays tribute to the ballroom culture made famous in Paris Is Burning, and you have one of my favorite songs for the fall.



This Is…Icona Pop does not need a deep analysis because that’s not the point. It is a hop in the car, pick up your best club friends and head on out for a fun night on the town disc, and it succeeds in its mission. In a time where it seems like there’s just one tragedy after another on the news, Icona Pop provide a soundtrack for your escape from reality that got here just in the nick of time. 


While his full-time job is in education, John Hill also writes a successful music blog titled Pop Music Notes. He is also active on Twitter @popmusicnotes and lives in Denver with his partners in crime James and Bruiser.