By now, it almost goes without saying that the European electro-pop scene has been releasing singles that are miles ahead of their Stateside competition. Back in 2004 we were blown away by Norway’s Annie, with her track that managed to score 17th on Pitchfork’s Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s, and their eastern neighbors, Sweden, have been consistently blowing us away with acts like The Tough Alliance, Robyn, and The Knife. Looking to join their ranks (and, in my mind, quite successfully at that), are Icona Pop—a female duo that have hooks strong enough to pull fucking Moby-Dick out of the ocean.
While the duo has been releasing singles for the past year or so, “I Love It” is something completely different from their previous body of work. It’s bombastic, it’s fun, it’s completely entrancing. The driving drumbeat and synth-bass are enough to get anyone’s head bobbing, but the harmonies—which are reminiscent of last year’s FM Belfast release—are absolutely intoxicating, thanks to the lyrics that were thoughtfully penned by Britain’s Charli XCX.
