Icona Pop is a Swedish electropop duo inspired by electro-house and indie pop music. Its two members, Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo, were raised in Stockholm, and on the dance floor in 2009, the two met and created Icona Pop. Long before they released “I Love It,” a multiplatinum era-defining soundtrack, and skyrocketed to global fame, they formed an everlasting friendship and innovative partnership. They signed with TEN Music Group in 2009 and currently belong to Ultra Music. The two produced music that “can make you laugh and cry at the same time,” according to the Swedish press.
The Release of an Era-Defining Anthem
“I Love It” was introduced in Sweden in May 2012. The song will send chills down your spine, which features an electro-house bassline and heart-thumping rave synths. Not to mention the focus on the timeless refrain deeply embedded in our memories. Who could forget that sensation on a hot summer day?
The era-defining anthem made its debut at number 48 on the Swedish Singles Chart the month later, and after two months on the chart, it peaked at number two for three weeks in a row. The song performed better in digital downloads following its January 2013 feature on an episode of Girls than it did upon its initial release. Ten days later, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually reaching number seven.
In June 2013, a few cover versions of the song, including one by vlogger Venus Angelic, charted in the United Kingdom. When Icona Pop released their version, it surpassed Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” with T.I. and Pharrell Williams at the top of the chart.
Icona Pop’s Connection to the Song
The duo’s greatest success to date has been “I Love It,” crafted to smash the dance floor and keep the girls dancing. “I Love It” is all about, as per Icona Pop’s Caroline Hjelt, finding your way out of a “really tough heartbreak,” but with a strong kick of optimistic resistance. She and Aino Jawo did not write the lyrics, as they were originally written by Charli XCX, whom Icona Pop had met several times in London. But they could relate because, at the time, they were stuck in a vicious cycle of “dating pigs,” or being manipulated by men in general, when Charli XCX’s “I Love It” demo landed on their hands.
The Reputation
Icona Pop has been slaying since the release of its full-length debut in 2013. Icona Pop received critical acclaim from publications such as Pitchfork and Rolling Stone as the pair featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and America’s Got Talent, as well as the iconic HBO series Girls and a widely known Saturday Night Live sketch.
They canvased the world on sold-out tours with Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and One Direction and united with Tiësto for the hit ‘Let’s Go’ in 2014. Further along, the duo has shared the stage with everyone, from Avicii to The Chainsmokers, lighting up the stages of Ultra, Tomorrowland, and Mark Ronson’s Club Heartbreak, among others. Since then, they have continuously filled the void in music regarding uplifting, free-spirited, top-notch dance-pop.
