When fans hear duo Icona Pop’s new album, Club Romantech, their first release since 2013’s This Is … Icona Pop, they’ll be filled with mixed emotions. The 15-track project, which features upbeat tempos, wistful lyrics, and joyous harmonies, will make some want to hit the club, while others may feel compelled to call an ex. That “crying in the club” energy is where the duo seem to thrive, and once again, the queens have proved why they own the pop genre.
Listening to the album, it’s apparent that there has been major growth in the lives of the women in Icona Pop. Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt continue their streak of high-energy dance hits on Club Romantech, but the unique storytelling on the album — infused with a darker, sultry, iconic Europop sound — makes this project one that you need to save to your library. On songs like “Desire” and “Feels in My Body,” lust seems to be the lead feeling, while a song like “Stockholm at Night” is far more lyrically deep, drawing inspiration from personal experiences. “Where Do We Go From Here” leans toward a reflective state of mind with Hjelt and Jawo essentially taking a step back and asking themselves, “What’s next for us?”
In addition to the new album they put together, Icona Pop have also dropped hints of a brand-new live show they will be performing on their tour. Having been forced out of Los Angeles due to the unforeseen pandemic, the duo have been living in their native home of Sweden, where they recorded the new album and reconnected to their roots. It’s evident that they both are clear-minded and ready to perform.
Hjelt and Jawo are back after 10 years, and with the release of Club Romantech, fans should be feeling hopeful for more amazing things to come. There is no doubt that this record will have its own global takeover, and after speaking to the very humble duo, it’s safe to say both ladies deserve all the love and praise coming their way. Icona Pop sat down to chat with Shondaland about their newfound motherhood, some inspirations behind the album, and what’s in store for their future.
SAMUEL LAO: It’s your first album in 10 years. Can you two give us an update on what the last decade has looked like for you? What are some stories that fueled the creation of Club Romantech?
CAROLINE HJELT: I mean, we’ve been releasing a lot of singles, and we’ve been touring, and we’ve been constantly working. For us to say 10 years, we’re like, “Where did those 10 years go?!” It’s been a fun and crazy journey, and we’ve been talking about an album for a very long time. It’s something that we felt that we had the need to do, but we wanted to give our fans something like a body of work and not just singles. The beautiful thing about an album is that you get the chance to invite your fans into your world that you’re creating. On an album, not all songs end up on the radio. Some songs are weird and quirky, and it might be the fans’ favorite! So, we were thinking, “It’s about time,” and then we had an album almost ready right when the pandemic hit! And we were thinking, “Oh, my God, what are we going to do now?”
But now when we look back at it, we’re kind of happy because that album was a different thing. It was a little bit more spread out; we didn’t really know what we wanted. When the pandemic hit in the U.S., we lived in L.A. and then decided to go back to Sweden, and we thought it was going to be like a month. … It was longer, and we were in this place like, “What are we going to do?” We were so used to constantly touring and doing stuff, and now, we found ourselves in one place.
So, we started going to the studio every day and just talking a lot about life, what we’ve been through, what we wanted to do, and we started creating music, and we said, “Let’s just go in and have fun. No rules, just explore!” We started talking about creating this sweet escape, and that was Club Romantech. We were like, “Imagine when we can be onstage again or at a club with people.” Because in Sweden, we didn’t have a full lockdown. We could still work from home and still meet people, but you just had to be careful, so we had the luxury of being able to go to the studio.
AINO JAWO: That really helped us, and to be able to be in the same place for the first time ever.
CH: Really since we started. And just to have the time to really play around, I think that took the pressure off a little bit. We kind of quickly realized, “Okay, this is going to be a clubby album, definitely.” That was also so weird and fun that we created our clubbiest album during the most quiet time. We were both pregnant too. I guess it was us longing to be back to the clubs, to that social part, and that’s really how we made Club Romantech.
SL: That’s absolutely amazing to hear; you guys sound so happy! I bet we would’ve loved that former album, but this album, it’s a 10/10. I absolutely love it from top to bottom. You briefly mentioned how you both became mothers during the pandemic. Coming out of Covid, how has becoming mothers affected the dynamics of Icona Pop? Has it changed how you approach music? Overall, how has motherhood been?
AJ: Being a mother is one of the best things that ever happened to both of us. We talked a lot about it! You kind of have to put your ego aside because you’re not the most important person in your life anymore. And as an artist, everything is about you, and now suddenly it’s not. I think that gives you perspective when it comes to your worth. Because our first love, our biggest love, has always been music. And when you become a mom, it’s like, “Okay, no, no, no, wait — I got other priorities,” and that takes the pressure away from constantly being so stressed out. I love our album, and I think that’s why we wrote such a good album as well because we weren’t so stressed out.
CH: And also like when you’re pregnant, your hormones are just all over the place! You’re just so close to your feelings and your core, and I feel like that made us make better decisions, have really honest discussions, and even after having babies, it’s like we don’t have time for bulls--t!
So, it feels like we work better when we work; we’re so effective. We get so much done in less time because we also want to hang out with our families. That’s been really healthy.
AJ: No, I really think so too!
CH: It’s almost like the pandemic when we couldn’t take anything for granted anymore. It was like we chose this all over again and even more. We’ve been a band for so many years, and sometimes you’re a little bit on autopilot. Even though we’ve always loved what we’ve done, maybe you don’t question things — this is how we do it; this is how we’ve always done it. And becoming mothers gave us the chance to really be like, “Wow, we love doing this so much, and this is how we want to do it now.” So, it’s been really, really healthy. Having kids is just the best thing that has ever happened to us.
SL: Well, they have two badass mamas, so that’s something cool for them! Caroline, you mentioned how you two had moved back to Europe and out of L.A. during the pandemic. We all thought the pandemic would be a few weeks, only to blink and it’s three years later. How do you think being back there affected your sound and vision for the album, and if you had stayed in L.A., do you think it might have turned out differently?
CH: Absolutely! We’ve been talking about that. I mean, obviously, we come from Sweden and the dance music in Sweden, and for us to go back to the same studio that we actually kind of started writing in together, and working with producers that liked the same kind of dance music without us having to explain too much. You have the same references, but I don’t really know — it’s just something that made it very, very interesting, fun, and easy.
AJ: I also think the weather is a big part as well because in Sweden it’s like nine months of darkness, and in L.A. it’s always sunny and nice, and you have beach days. I think mentally, we, or at least I, felt more focused [while] going to the studio. Like you said, Caroline, [Sweden] was our sweet escape. I think that affected me a lot when it came to writing because there was nothing else going on in the world, and it was dark.
CH: Yeah, I really think that our album would have sounded a lot different if we were in [L.A.] because there are so many great producers here. We actually started some of the songs here in L.A. with great producers. But I just think everything around is what inspires you and the visual look, so I think this album has a little bit more Sweden in it.
SL: I totally understand what you mean. Whenever I see videos, I tell myself I have to get over there. It’s most definitely on my bucket list!
CH: When you come over, we have to show you the best places, for sure!
SL: I’m going to hold you guys to that one then! My college experience wouldn’t have been as fun if you guys didn’t create “I Love It,” as many young people around the world can probably relate. With your third album coming out 10 years later, have you guys felt an insane level of pressure to live up to that first single? Or has it been a completely amazing experience? Or maybe a bit of both at times?
AJ: I think in the beginning, it was definitely pressure. It was mainly that we didn’t want to release a second song that sounded like “I Love It,” but also the people around you get super-stressed as well, so there’s pressure. But I think it’s been so many years, and you become another person. Now, we love “I Love It.”
I mean, it’s still one of our favorite songs, and I remember when we released it, everyone was like, “Oh, my God, you’re going to hate to perform this in 10 years,” and now it’s been 10 years, and I still love it very much. But absolutely, there was pressure in the beginning, but now I feel like it’s just such an amazing song to have in your back pocket, and everyone knows it, and everyone has a certain memory to that song.
CH: It also opened so many doors for us. We learned so much from that song, like even when it comes to working hard. That song didn’t just happen overnight; we worked on that song for two years before it really took off. If you believe in something, don’t give up. We have a lot of amazing memories to that song, so it will always be special and have a special place in our hearts.
SL: It has a special place in all of our hearts. Now getting into the album Club Romantech, there are some amazing collaborations on there. Caroline, does it sometimes feel difficult to bring others into the room and tap into their energy when you guys understand each other so well?
CH: No, we love it! We love collaborating because we are so used to each other’s melody language that sometimes we take it for granted a little bit.
AJ: Yeah, like we might not actually hear each other’s melodies.
CH: It’s like Aino might sing something amazing, and I might not even pick up on it. But if it’s another person in the room, it’s like, “Oh, wow, that was cool!” And then I’m like, “Oh, yeah, that was really cool,” and someone might also see a song in a totally different way that you would have never heard or seen. We love collaborating!
SL: You guys have this danceability to the album, but you’re definitely still talking about some really deep, intense levels of love here. Aino, was this the vision of the album, to be fun and danceable with some meaning behind it?
AJ: I definitely think that we always say we like to disguise heartbreaks in happy melodies so people have to have a second listen to be like, “Ohhhhh!” I remember we had this song on our first album called “Downtown,” and the lyrics are “I like it when you kiss me downtown,” and I remember Caroline’s mom was like, “Oh, that song is so cute!”
CH: And we were like, “Are you sure?! It’s not that cute, Mom.”
SL: She may have needed to put on her headphones for a closer listen!
AJ: No, seriously! But it’s a fun way of working; it usually happens very naturally.
CH: We want to make music that makes people feel, and we always say the best songs are the songs you can dance to, have fun to, but also cry to if you have to. Whatever feeling you’re having, we want to help you feel that even more. When we write, we write about stuff that we’ve been through, or someone in our family or a close friend. We need some depth in our songs even though they are party songs sometimes. That’s our way of getting our message out, but it’s that fine balance, and that’s exactly where we want to be.
SL: Something fans may not know is how big the spa is in Swedish culture. How did a song like “Spa,” featuring Sofi Tukker, come to be? Was it a homage to where you guys come from or just a fun concept?
AJ: So, we’ve been big fans for a long time. We met them in New York the summer before the pandemic hit, and we were like, “Oh, my God, we should really do something.” And then we had a session with them in L.A., and that session is one of the craziest we’ve ever had. We were literally just joking and laughing.
CH: Yeah, and we started talking about it because we love saunas. When we go to hotels, the first thing we ask is, “Do you have a sauna?” And we just started joking about it with them, and then we took it as far as saying, “We should go on a rave spa tour,” because in Berlin, they have techno music at certain spas. So, we were thinking we can make something really fun out of this. But that song is born out of the idea of just having a ton of fun.
SL: Honestly, I feel like sometimes you need songs like that. Maybe it doesn’t always need a deeper meaning!
CH: Yes! That song is not meant to be deep; it’s just silly!
AJ: I love the video because the pandemic hit, and we left for Sweden, and they were stuck in Miami, so we then called our friends Mia Khalifa and Jordan Firstman, and we asked them if they wanted to be in the video. We were in three different locations making a video, which I really thank them for!
CH: I’m honestly so surprised we could make it happen. We were in Sweden, [Mia and Jordan] were by the pool in L.A., and then Sophie and Tucker were in Miami by their pool.
AJ: It was a weird one!
CH: Oh, yeah, definitely a weird one, but you can do stuff like that with people you love and that you have fun with. Then everyone is on the same page of “Let’s make it happen.” It’s not complicated.
SL: Getting into what’s ahead, what’s in store for you guys? Obviously, the album is out, but what are the plans for the future?
CH: I mean, right now, we’re just excited for the album, our little baby. But we have so much going on. We just started our own label, and we just made a totally new live show that we can’t wait to show our fans. And that happened when we wrote the album; we saw it so clearly, like, “This is what we want to do live.” We took it back a little to where we started, with us two onstage and having this big mothership with a lot of gear, like drum machines, synthesizers, effect pedals, and everything else you can imagine. We can’t wait to just tour, and also we already started writing on our next album. So, it’s not gonna take 10 years!
SL: The 10-year wait was worth it! I’ve listened to the album plenty of times, and I truly do think it’s one of the best dance albums I’ve heard in 2023. One of my favorite songs is “S--t We Do for Love.” I have not been able to stop listening to it, so last question for both of you: What is the craziest thing either of you has done for love that inspired that track?
AJ: Well, I mean, some things we can’t tell! I remember this one time, there was this guy I was in love with, and we told him he could be our light engineer.
SL: Oh, so handing out jobs for love!
AJ: Yes, absolutely! And kind of the same for [Caroline].
CH: We thought it would be perfect because then he could come on tour. Obviously, when you’re young and you start feeling love for the first time, then you kind of go cray cray! You’re like, “This is not me; this is someone else.” And yes, we’ve scratched a car. … It’s been very unhealthy sometimes!
SL: Well, maybe sometimes the worst situations make the best tracks!
AJ: That’s true. At least it became a good story!
Club Romantech is available to stream now on all platforms. Fans can see Icona Pop on their North American tour, beginning in October.
Samuel Lao is the Editorial Assistant at Shondaland, writing stories about various topics like music, lifestyle, and wellness. Follow him on Twitter @sammlao and on Instagram @sam.lao.
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