Iconic

The Swedish EDM pop duo Icona Pop (Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo) have turned out one of the most empowering, catchy, and brilliant tunes of the last decade. A rallying cry for young women everywhere, "I Love It" quickly found its way to videogames, commercials, and TV shows (including a Girls episode). Written by English techno-pop artist Charli XCX (who also sings on the track), it pounds with rebellious attitude and confident dismissal. "I threw your sh*t into a bag and pushed it down the stairs/I crashed my car into the bridge/I don't care! I love it!" shouts the duo with unbridled glee. "I Love It" ignited American fans, followed by "Manners" (cowritten by Hjelt and Jawo), an earlier girl-power song rereleased here. Sampled by rap duo Chiddy Bang, it's a slightly less emphatic, serpentine number with the duo warning, "You will never do better/There is no one like me!" Pure pop moments, like "Ready for the Weekend," are fairly sugary, crowd-rousing EDM, but other songs show more depth: "Sun Goes Down" is a shimmery, undulant tune with rippling keyboards, an exciting collaboration with New York's The Knocks and their pal, electro-pop artist St. Lucia. Here's hoping Icona Pop stays a little outside of the commercial dance-pop box.