Robyn Releases ‘Dopamine,’ First New Song in 7 Years, About ‘Intense, Enjoyable or Painful’ Emotions

Robyn has released her first new single in seven years. Out Wednesday (Nov. 12) via Jamie xx’s Young label, “Dopamine” is a soaring, sparkling and characteristically sophisticated dancefloor anthem.

Made with longtime collaborator Klas Åhlund, the track comes with a striking video directed by London-based photographer Marili Andre. Watch and listen below.

The Swedish dance pop titan says the song is a commentary on the way modern culture tracks emotions through biological data unloaded on us by our devices. “Everyone has a phone where they see their heart rate, and we’re learning how to decode our emotions through the hormones and chemical substances in our bodies,” Robyn says in a statement.

“It’s almost like we don’t even accept that we’re human anymore, like we’re trying to shoot ourselves out of it and explain every single thing – which I think is great, but that’s also why the world is s–t, this idea that you can figure out and win life or something. The doubleness of ‘Dopamine’ is having an emotion that is super real, super strong, intense, enjoyable or painful, and at the same time knowing that this is just a biological process in my body—and then not to choose religion or science. To just accept that they’re there together and to be able to go in between.” 

While “Dopamine” is the first new solo work from Robyn since her 2018 album Honey, she’s been very present in the dance world via a slew of collaborations including the 2020 SG Lewis and Channel Tres collab “Impact,” her vocal contributions to “Life” from Jamie xx’s 2024 album In Waves and her appearance on the remixed version of Charli xcx’s “360” on 2024’s Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.

She also made headlines in February with her appearance alongside David Byrne at the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, where she performed her 2010 all-time classic “Dancing On My Own.” In March, Billboard named this track 17th best dance song of all time.