Top: Aino Jawo, Bottom: Caroline Hjelt
Icona Pop are a Synthpop and Electro House duo formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 2009, but since 2012 have been based in the United States.
In 2011, they released their debut single "Manners". While it had positive reviews, it didn't chart anywhere. That changed the next year when they released "I Love It", featuring vocals from then-unknown Charli XCX. Through its constant use in media, "I Love It" went viral in 2013 and became a worldwide hit. While their debut album Icona Pop was only released in Sweden, and only managed to be a blip on the charts there, this was quickly rectified the next year when they released their international album This Is... Icona Pop to generally positive reviews.
Members
- Caroline Hjelt (2009-present)
- Aino Jawo (2009-present)
Discography
- Icona Pop (2012, Sweden only)
- This Is... Icona Pop (2013, international)
- Emergency (EP) (2015)
- Club Romantech (2023)
Standalone Singles
- Get Lost (2014)
Tropes applying to Icona Pop
- Aerith and Bob: Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo are two names that sound odd when put together.
- Bad to the Bone: "I Love It" became a big hit as a result of this. First it was featured in the soundtrack of Criterion Games' Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012), then it was the Theme Song to the reality show Snooki & J-Woww, then it was used in episodes of Girls and The Vampire Diaries, and then later a Samsung commercial used the song, as did countless KFC commercials in Australia from 2018 onward. As you can imagine, the media made it hard to avoid.
- Cluster F-Bomb: "I Love It" features quite a bit of swearing, including Charli XCX having a This Is for Emphasis, Bitch! at the end of her verses. Their music in general is pretty peppered with curses.
- Darker and Edgier: While it's lyrically not darker, the 2015 single "Emergency" is definitely edgier compared their previous songs.
- Everyone Went to School Together: They attended the same music school, but met at a party.
- Heavy Meta: Virtually all of their songs about are about dancing all night.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Their relationship is thoroughly this. The song "Girlfriend" was made about it, though
some listeners thought it was a little more than that. - In Da Club: The music video setting of "All Night".
- Ms. Fanservice: Both are known to dress in revealing outfits, while the album cover above have them posing together completely naked.
- A Wild Rapper Appears!: Ty Dolla $ign in "It's My Party".
