About Dancing on My Own

"Dancing On My Own" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn, released on 20 April 2010 as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Body Talk Pt. 1 (2010), the first in her Body Talk series. "Dancing On My Own" was produced by Patrik Berger, co-produced by Robyn, and mixed by Niklas Flyckt, with Robyn and Patrik sharing writing credits. The song's stark mid-tempo electropop version from her album was the first version of the single released followed by a layered mid-tempo synth-pop edit for radio and a downtempo piano ballad recording for BBC Radio 1 later that year. It depicts a female protagonist in a crowded club just before last call who is dancing on her own while watching her ex-boyfriend that she sought out dancing with and embracing another woman, pondering confronting him for the last time before her time runs out. The song was inspired by situations Robyn observed while on her previous tour then clubbing throughout Stockholm, her favorite "inherently sad gay disco anthems", and the dissolution of her engagement. Critics praised "Dancing On My Own" as another bittersweet anthem for her song canon, with some ranking it as the greatest song of the year and eventually, the decade. Several reassessed its influence as Robyn's signature song, a gay anthem, and "the ultimate sad banger" of the poptimist movement, with Rolling Stone ranking it at number 20 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2021. "Dancing On My Own" became Robyn's first number one in her native country following its live premiere on Swedish TV show Sommarkrysset and also reached the top ten in Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom later that month.

Frequent collaborator Max Vitali directed its Rosie Perez-inspired music video, which was accompanied by the song's radio version and first released on 21 May 2010, showing Robyn portraying the protagonist in the song's lyrics in various club and rehearsal settings. The song later earned a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards and was awarded Best Song at the Grammisgalan in Sweden. Robyn's midtempo versions were promoted well into the following decade on various media, including most prominently Saturday Night Live, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert, Mark Ronson's Love Lockdown: Video Mixtape, 2018 film Teen Spirit, 2019 film Long Shot, 2021 film Swan Song, reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race (2009–present), teen-drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and comedy-drama series Girls (2012–2017), Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019) and Never Have I Ever (2020–present). "Dancing On My Own" was covered by numerous artists and bands, with several releases, especially of Robyn's downtempo version. Inspired by the Southern rock ballad cover of it performed (but not released) by band Kings of Leon, a cover by Britain's Got Talent contestant Calum Scott was most prominently released on 15 April 2016. Calum's cover was a moderate sleeper hit throughout Europe following substantial success in the UK, where it went viral on streaming services despite little initial radio play. Critical reception to it was polarized, with the majority of music journalists comparing it negatively to Robyn's original. The first major test release by controversial London-based AI algorithm-based A&R start-up Instrumental, its formula in finding Calum and releasing his cover would go on to revolutionize major label signing based on early Internet engagement. An accompanying music video was released on 15 April 2016 that received over 400 million YouTube views in four years.