Robyn has made it clear that she is not a fan of Elon Musk—and her disapproval predates the billionaire’s current status as a polarizing political figure.
During a Wednesday (Jan. 14) appearance on the Las Culturistas podcast, hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, the Swedish dance-pop icon didn’t mince words regarding the Tesla CEO. “I’ve always harbored a dislike for him,” she told the hosts. “Long before it became the popular thing to do.”
The “Dancing on My Own” singer explained that her frustration reached a breaking point years ago. “There was a time when he wasn’t constantly on everyone’s mind,” she noted. “For me, the turning point was when he launched a Tesla into orbit while playing a David Bowie track. As if space isn’t already cluttered with enough debris.”
She continued by advocating for better oversight of celestial resources. “I believe there should be a democratic approach to space. It’s problematic when a private corporation can unilaterally decide how to utilize natural resources for tacky PR stunts—like sending a car into the atmosphere, which is both absurd and potentially hazardous.”
The incident Robyn referenced took place in 2018. To promote both SpaceX and Tesla, Musk launched his personal Roadster into space via the Falcon Heavy rocket, with “Space Oddity” set to play on an internal loop. At the time, Musk defended the move to the media as “silly and fun,” arguing that such spectacles are important.
Robyn, however, viewed the stunt as a desecration of high art. “[It’s] arguably the greatest song ever written, and he used it as a tool to move inventory,” she remarked. She didn’t stop at Musk, suggesting that fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos also deserves criticism for his corporate and environmental footprint.
Beyond her critiques of the tech elite, the Swede shared updates on her artistic journey. Her highly anticipated new album, Sexistential, is slated for release on March 27. Fans have already been treated to a preview of the project through singles such as “Dopamine,” “Talk to Me,” and the title track.
Sexistential marks Robyn’s first full-length release since 2018’s critically acclaimed Honey, which reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200.
You can listen to Robyn’s full conversation on Las Culturistas below.
