Twelve Reasons To Like Robyn

She may been voted Swede of the Year in 2010, but in 2011 she found consistent, well-deserved praise outside her native land. North America has never seen a comeback quite like Robyn's. Her dance number "Do You Know (What it Takes)" was a worldwide hit in 1997. Her debut album Robyn Is Here sparked other chart-toppers, but unfortunately we didn't hear much from the bubbly blonde until 2008 when her self-titled album was released. From then on, Robyn was slapped with a variety of epithets including "finest pop album of the decade" and "best pop star currently at work". Last year, her Body Talk album was overflowing with groovy gems that it had to be split into three parts. This is the coolest triology since the original Star Wars, if you ask me. But there are more reasons to like this fierce Swede than that, in fact, here are twelve of them:

1. She grew up on the road with her parents in a travelling theatre troupe. 

2. She's 32 now, but was discovered at the age of 14. She recorded her first song at 16. 

3. In the early 2000s she travelled to various places in Africa as a UNICEF Ambassador. 

4. Founded her own record label, Konichiwa Records, in 2005.

5. With the help of a friend, she runs a monthly dance party in Stockholm called Tutti Frutti. 

6. She helped Kleerup compose the score for the 2008 Swedish film, Pokerface. 

7. She sings Prince songs if out at karaoke.

8. She did the backing vocals to Britney Spears' "Piece of Me".

9. She collaborated with the D-O-Double-G twice; once on the Sexual Eruption remix and again on her track "U Should Know Better". 

10. She can make Nadia Comaneci look like a chump when performing such acrobatic moves in her "Call Your Girlfriend" video.

11. Got her first Grammy nod in 2008 in the Best Electronic/Dance category for her self-titled album.

12. This year, she got two Grammy nods: Best Dance Recording for "Call Your Girlfriend" and Best Electronica/Dance album for her Body Talk Pt.3 album.