Icona Pop

To begin this journal, I just want to thank Aino Jawo’s ex-boyfriend for breaking her heart, because, without him, Icona Pop would never have existed.

Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo make up the Synthpop and Electro House duo Icona Pop, which was created in Stockholm, Sweden. Hjelt, upset by her faltering music career, threw a party back in 2009 to comfort herself, and Jawo, grieving from a painful breakup, dropped by with several friends. The duo labeled their instant bond as “love at first sight” and that it was “like magic” (Icona Pop Partying, 2016). Following that, Hjelt and Jawo established the band the very next day and booked their debut gig for two days thereafter. While their first debut show was a little shaky, it was surprisingly a hit, and even secured the duo a management contract (Stewart, 2015). The two twenty-somethings swiftly became close friends and were eventually sipping bottles of wine and composing music together. The duo attributes their amazing success in part to their ongoing friendship, which began under less-than-ideal conditions, as well as their 2011 debut EP Nights Like This and Manners, the first song off their Iconic EP (Kent, 2013). While their debut single Manners did not chart anywhere, everything was about to change the following year.

Icona Pop. Courtesy of Jimmy Fontaine.

“I Love It”

It took the duo three years before achieving their big breakthrough smash, "I Love It". It was a collaboration with then-unknown pop singer Charli XCX, who co-wrote and sang the song and was produced by Patrik Berger. The song defines the fundamentals of Icona Pop's sound: upbeat, brassy, and bright, even when it's belligerent and almost in your face-like, which it frequently is (Stewart, 2015). The track is the opening single from Icona Pop's highly anticipated full-length debut, which was released in fall 2013, and features production by Style of Eye, Elof Loelv, Avant, the Knocks, and others. "I Love It" is also regarded as one of the best pure pop songs of that year (Grisham, 2012).

A year and a half after I Love It was released, the refreshing and catchy anthem was featured in a comedy TV series – Girls, Glee, and on dance floors all across the globe. It’s landed them on Top 40 radio as well as a live performance on the America’s Got Talent finale (Gentile, 2013). The track also soared to the top of the UK singles charts and made it to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, helping Icona Pop maintain their dominance in the electronic and dance industries (Harper, 2020). Jawo revealed that "I Love It" presented the duo with numerous opportunities that they initially would have only dreamed of, such as the chance to fly around the world to perform and share their love of music with fans. She was also taken aback by how popular and successful the track remained. Even after a few years, the 2013 banger stayed popular amongst different age groups and was still frequently heard in shops and nightclubs (Stewart, 2015). The single has since sold over a million copies and was also featured on The Vampire Diaries, Fashion Star, Arrow, EA's Need for Speed video game, Fun Size trailers, and advertisements for Dr. Pepper, Smirnoff, ShoeDazzle, and Samsung (Kent, 2013).

“This Is...”

In 2013, Icona Pop produced the highly gratifying album “This Is...”, however, it became partly overlooked, perhaps due to the enormous impact and success of "I Love It". This full-length album includes a couple of madly excellent and groovy songs that could've been major bops in their own right but were regrettably compared to the triumph of its predecessor, which blazed Top 40 radio for the majority of the summer (Lipshutz, 2013). Subsequent singles were released and were also largely overlooked by the casual pop listener. Now, despite the global prominence of the album's creators, the complete album is deemed extremely underrated which I wholeheartedly agree with a passion. In my opinion, the sheer diversity and range of Icona Pop's music are what makes them so iconic. Instead of boxing themselves into the songwriting formula that created "I Love It," the duo puts on numerous ensembles on the album, drawing from house, punk, techno, and mainstream songs. "Just Another Night" is a ballad that develops into its second half, whereas "Ready For The Weekend" bounces around a dozen diverse dance concepts before landing on one (Lipshutz, 2013). The album can be divided into three sections, number 1, catchy lyrics, number 2, strong guitar and synth melodies, and lastly, sporadic, joyful guitar runs. The album's opening songs, particularly "Girlfriend," "We Got the World," and "I Love It," take center stage, which so happens to be my top favorites from the album. The trademark Icona Pop vibe is at its best in these tracks—captivating and dynamic without becoming overdone (Olapade, 2013).

What Next for Icona Pop?

The past 9 years after Icona Pop’s debut album, the duo has been consistently pushing out new singles, albums, and has also collaborated with many notable artists and DJs such as Steve Aoki, Afrojack, R3HAB, Ella Vos, Peking Duk, and Louis The Child. Icona Pop currently has over 8 million monthly Spotify listeners, has generated over 396 million streams in the United States, and has sold over four million downloads (Bein, 2019). With high-profile live appearances at the Governor's Ball, Lollapolooza, and the Billboard Music Awards, as well as appearances at SXSW, Ultra Music Festival, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Dancing With the Stars, the Today show, and Good Morning America, Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt show no signs of taking a break or even stopping (Kent, 2013). In an interview with Billboard (2019), Icona Pop shared their 10-year future plan which comprised of churning out more new and exciting music as well as mayhap going on tours and shows with their family, babies, and pets.

I have been an Icona Pop fan ever since “I Love It” was released and have consistently been listening to all their other tracks as well. Their vibrant melodies can instantly fill up a dance floor, but you'll also get to discover their songs on many indie compilations. Icona Pop is pop, dance, and indie, and I simply can't get enough of them. They are seriously so so underrated and it makes me sad to know that people completely “ignore” all the other absolute bangers they’ve churned out. People will definitely freak once they realize how much they’ve been missing out. Only if they gave other Icona Pop songs a chance!