Swedish duo Icona Pop has enjoyed a pretty great start to 2013: days after their breakout single “I Love It,” featuring Charli XCX, was featured in a January episode of HBO’s hit series “Girls,” the song debuted at No. 69 on the Hot 100 chart, setting up a gig opening for Passion Pit at their arena shows throughout February and early March. “I Love It,” a smattering of stomping percussion, whirring electronica and pissed-off declarative sentences, is finally gracing radio after being released last year — although the pair has always synthesized more styles of music than just the one in their band name.
“Pop is such a big word… it can mean so much,” says the group’s Aino Jawo, who formed Icona Pop with Caroline Hjelt four years ago in Stockholm. Indeed, the duo’s five favorite songs at the moment reflects an appreciation of boundary-pushing artists within different genres, from the chilly synth fragments of fellow Swedes the Knife to the cozy art-pop of Talking Heads.
In the latest edition of Pop Shop’s “Gimme Five” series, the ladies of Icona Pop break down the five songs that they haven’t been able to stop listening to in recent months. Check out their quintet of playlist essentials, along with an explanation of each choice:
1. Niki & The Dove, “Mother Protect”
Icona Pop: “They’re actually our friends. They amazing, electronic, weird pop music with influences from a lot of different genres. It’s like entering another world when you’re listening to them. You have to see them live, because it’s so theatrical and really beautiful.”
2. Sugababes, “Overload”
“I remember when that song came, I was just blown away. I couldn’t understand how good it was. I remember the first time when we got into that music — we had a lot of inspiration came from the Sugababes’ “Overload,” and that Tarantino feel with the guitar. We wanted to make the best pop that was a mix between the Sugababes and Tarantino.”
3. Beyonce, “Countdown (Jack Beats Remix)”
“Such a strong woman, and such a great artist. We’ve been listening to the Jack Beats remix of “Countdown” — it’s a party edit. It’s really good. I promise you’ll move your hips.”
4. Talking Heads, “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”
“We’ve been listening to that song possibly a couple of times per week — and we’ve been doing that for years. It always makes us smile, no matter where we are in the world.”
5. The Knife, “Heartbeats”
“It’s just like… I don’t have words. They’re like the pioneers for the weird pop-electronic sound in Sweden. You can hear a lot of artists getting influenced by them. I mean, we owe a lot to the Knife, and we’re just so happy that they’re getting back together now. I’m hoping we can catch them live this summer.”