Ever Again

Robyn wrote "Ever Again" with Joseph Mount,^[5] who also produced the track.^[6] Most of the songs on Honey were written in chronological order, with “Ever Again” being one of the final songs composed and ultimately closing the album.^[7][8][9] The pair wrote it near the end of the album’s completion, during a period when Robyn said she had grown exhausted from working on Honey and felt she needed a break.^[7] Mount began playing what would become the song's chords on his synthesizer, which Robyn liked and worked with him to refine.^[7] Subsequently, the chorus came to them quickly.^[7] Robyn and Mount completed the song in one night, and he considers it to be his favorite song on Honey.^[10] Robyn contrasted the ease of writing “Ever Again” against the rest of the album’s creative process, saying, “It was so nice to write something at the end of making the record where you have the whole thing in your system and you can add to it in this very natural way".^[7]

In September 2018, Robyn revealed the track list of her then-upcoming album Honey on social media in an animated clip, with "Ever Again" being confirmed as its ninth and final track.^[11] "Ever Again" was released as the album's fourth single on 17 June 2019,^[12][13] by Konichiwa Records.^[14] On 20 June 2020, Robyn released "Ever Again" on limited edition 12" vinyl featuring remixes of the song. It was released as part of a Honey Remix vinyl series, alongside "Honey", "Baby Forgive Me" and "Between the Lines / Beach2k20", for the Love Record Stores Day 2020 event. Only 500 of each were manufactured.^[15]

"Ever Again" has been described as an R&B-tinged dance-pop,^[16][17] synth-pop,^[18][19] and disco-esque^{[20][21][22][23]} song with an "undulating groove ... atmospheric instrumentation and empowering lyrics", according to Paste's Harry Todd.^[19] It is four minutes and twenty-four seconds (4:24) in duration.^[18] A mid-tempo^[24] track with a distinct bassline,^[25] the song incorporates retro synths, 1980s influences,^[26][27][28] and layered vocal harmonies.^[29][30][31] Critics have cited synth-rock,^[32] new wave,^[33] synth funk,^[34] future funk,^[35] and yacht rock elements in its production.^[36] Building slowly,^[9] its ending crescendos into a synth explosion,^[37][38] approximately three minutes into the track.^[39] Variety's Jem Aswad described it in detail as the album's "most direct pop song", featuring "a plush and sublime soundsplash that closes with many multitracked Robyns singing the song’s beautiful chorus over propulsive electric bass and sweeping washes of synthesizers".^[29] Nolan Feeney of Billboard found the track reminiscent of songs from Robyn's 2005 self-titled album.^[26] Natasha Lewis of The Nation wrote that, on "Ever Again", she deviates from "the looping beats" that characterize most of Honey, to return to "the pure dance pop" reminiscent of Body Talk (2010).^[17] Several journalists likened "Ever Again" to the work of musician Prince,^{[34][40][41][30]} and agreed that it is heavily inspired by Mount's own band, Metronomy.^[27][42][43] Ticketmaster Discover's Ben Jolley called it "a sonic embodiment of the lights coming back on after a very fun night out" and "funkier sister" to Robyn's "Between the Lines" (2019).^[12]

"Ever Again" uses optimistic lyrics to convey that the singer intends to only sing about love going forward.^[7][17][44] Her vocals evoke feelings of sweetness, sincerity,^[39] self-awareness, naivety,^[45] sarcasm, and hope,^[46] delivering lines such as "pulling and pushing" and “daddy issues and silly games" with a scoff.^[36] In a review for The Independent, Helen Brown compared her vocal delivery to singer Cyndi Lauper.^[47] Courtney E. Smith of Refinery29 said the song's happy, danceable beat contradicts its lyrics,^[28] which describe "the push and pull of a new relationship", per Matt Gallatin of The Michigan Daily.^[48] According to Robyn, "Ever Again" is "a defiant song about standing up for yourself", although she welcomes other interpretations.^[49][50] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian said it is "about surviving by shutting oneself down emotionally".^[27] Several critics have interpreted the song as Robyn declaring that she will no longer be defined by heartbreak, a theme often associated with her career,^[51] particularly via its chorus “never going to be brokenhearted ever again".^{[52][53][41][49][50]} Referring to feeling brokenhearted, she announces "that shit’s out the door".^[54] Stephen Keegan of Hot Press said the singer "addresses her position as the queen of dancefloor tearjerkers".^[55] Writers for Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and The Guardian lamented the implication that Robyn might never again release music about heartbreak,^[49][26][31] with Laura Snapes of The Guardian comparing the idea to should singer Adele decide to stop singing heartbreak.^[56] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone called it "an absurd declaration", but agreed "sometimes these are the things we need to tell ourselves to keep going".^[57] Douglas Greenwood of Highsnobiety acknowledged that Robyn may already be aware of the unpredictability of making such a bold promise but is choosing to deprioritize pain for the first time.^[54]

Caryn Ganz of The New York Times labeled "Ever Again" a song that could be interpreted either literally or ironically, and thematically a "salve" to the album's earlier songs about trauma.^[58] Several analysts observed that the track resolves the album on an uncharacteristically hopeful tone,^{[17][54][59][60][61]} sounding like Robyn has recovered from a difficult period, according to KRUI-FM's Luke Bonner.^[9] Gallatin confirmed that the song ends the body of work with its most joyous production,^[48] and BBC News Online music reporter Mark Savage called the decision to end a Robyn project with a thoroughly happy song "totally unexpected".^[62] Glenn Gamboa Newsday of The Columbus Dispatch said it represents the end of "moving through life’s rebuilding stages".^[40] Josh Madrid of The California Aggie expanded on this theory, writing that between the opening track “Missing U” and “Ever Again”, Robyn undergoes a journey of personal agency that ultimately allows her to decide how she will approach future relationships.^[63] George Fenwick of The New Zealand Herald agreed that, by "Ever Again", Robyn is "strengthening her armour to face future trials".^[20] The singer explained that while it's impossible to guarantee that one will never experience heartbreak again, its lyrics could be interpreted about deciding to not let heartbreak destroy you,^[8] rather than avoiding it altogether.^[50]

"Ever Again" received positive reviews for its composition and production, which Christian Bonavita of The State dubbed "pop perfection".^[64] Will Hodgkinson, chief rock and pop music critic for The Times, said "Ever Again" reminds its listeners how special Robyn is,^[65] and The Daily Telegraph's chief music critic Neil McCormick called it "delightfully buoyant".^[66] Niall O’Shaughnessy of the College Tribune called the catchiness of "Ever Again"'s bassline worthy of a 12-minute remix by the likes of DJ Koze.^[67] Stephen Keegan of Hot Press deemed it an earworm.^[55] Mel Fisher of Louisville Public Media singled out "Ever Again" as "one of the reasons" the publication "loved" its parent album.^[68] Paste's Ellen Johnson said "It’s frankly impossible not to feel inspired or hopeful when you hear Robyn sing" the chorus.^[21] Claire Biddles of The Line of Best Fit complimented Robyn's songwriting, particularly her ability to translate "Ever Again"'s repetitive refrain into "deep-set conviction".^[69]

Several critics agreed that "Ever Again" is one of the best songs on Honey. Chris DeVille of Stereogum said "Ever Again" "may be the best song" on the album,^[70] and David Edwards of Drowned in Sound highlighted it as one of its three best tracks.^[71] Luke Bonner of KRUI-FM identified "Ever Again" as his favorite track, which he believes represents "a turning point for Robyn" as "She has purged the sadness throughout the album and decided to focus on love".^[9] Some critics, such as Natasha Lewis of The Nation, also identified the song as among the tracks on Honey that most strongly reflect Robyn’s signature sound.^[17] Stacey Anderson, writing for Pitchfork, described its narrative as "classic" Robyn.^[72] The New Yorker's Jia Tolentino highlighted it as one of only three "big wallops of the Robyn feeling" on Honey.^[73] Similarly, a writer for Sputnikmusic remarked that "Ever Again" is "The closest thing you'll find on Honey to the music on Body Talk".^[25] A writer for Beat said "In true Robyn fashion, it is an anthem, a stand out track if ever there was one, with a perfect bassline to see Honey out (before hitting repeat)".^[74] Matt Gallatin of The Michigan Daily declared the song a triumph in the context of both the album and Robyn's overall career, expounding, "After eight years of battling pain and loss at the fault of love, she doesn’t say that she’ll never love again — she says she’ll never 'hurt' again ... Gone are the questions of “why” that dogged her on the Body Talk series and her eponymous album. This time around, Robyn knows".^[48]

Many reviewers complimented the song's placement as the album's final track,^{[29][35][37][71]} such as Annabel Ross of Resident Advisor, who dubbed it "a sublime finale".^[23] Matthew Neale of Clash praised "That shit’s out the door" as a "wonderful" lyric to close on,^[42] while Adam Weddle of Paste deemed it a "standout closer".^[75] Katie Hawthorne of The Skinny described its synth-heavy crescendo, which accounts for the album's last 90 seconds, as "The breakdown we’ve been waiting for".^[39] Jagoda Waszkowiak of The Courier wrote that, in addition to standing apart from other Honey songs lyrically, "Ever Again" closes the album's narrative.^[76] For Exclaim!, Ian Gormely called the track both a standout and "rejuvenating closer".^[43] Stereoboard's Jacob Brookman said Honey subverts expectations by ending with a "potential hit", calling this "something that not enough albums do".^[30] Brookman described "Ever Again" as a "bold and excellent" song "that could easily be released as a primary single".^[30] Dan Condon of ABC News agreed that placing the album's "most immediate pop gem" at the end of the album was subversive, and hoped that "anyone who is listening to this as a full piece of work doesn’t bail out early".^[77] The Knoxville News Sentinel's Chuck Campbell referred to it as "an irresistible call for conflict resolution".^[78]

Billboard's Andrew Unterberger and Joe Lynch disagreed on the track. While Unterberger declared it "the pure pop injection we’ve been waiting for", Lynch called it "an outlier" on the album.^[26] Mathew Rodriguez of Into said that by sounding more similar to the album's earlier songs, "Ever Again" risks making Honey's ending sound "a little disjointed".^[79] The song was included on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Best Songs of 2018, placing at number 33.^[80] The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber named "Ever Again" one of the "27 Best Music Moments of 2018".^[36] Ticketmaster Discover ranked in the eight-best song in Roby's discography.^[12] Spotify named it one of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs of the Streaming Era, at number 70.^[6]

Robyn released a music video for the single, on June 17, 2019.^[81] The music video for "Ever Again" is directed by Colin Solal Cardo.^[82] It features Robyn surrounded by various statues of Greek mythology in a landscape described by the singer as "a dreamy place, somewhere undefined, somewhere in my unconsciousness."^[1] It was choreographed by Maria “Decida” Wahlberg.^[83] Some critics found found her choreography to be reminiscent of Prince.^[68][84] She wears a custom-made Louis Vuitton bodysuit, which allows her to blend in among the statues.^[19] The silk blouse and latex jumpsuit that Robyn wears in the music video were custom made by French designer Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of women’s collections.^[85] She dances with her microphone stand,^[19] which she approaches as both a dance partner and lover.^[86] Among their choreography, she wraps herself around it, wraps it around her, drops and catches it, dips and dives with it.^[86] Jael Goldfine of Paper likened her dancing to "secret footage of a kid singing into a hairbrush (transplanted into the surreal space), finding power in the world they create for themselves".^[61] She slowly strips out of the silk blouse to reveal a semi-sheer embossed latex jumpsuit worn underneath,^[87][85] which becomes stand with sand as she dances in it.^[61]

Reception towards the video was positive. Robin Murray of Clash said the video "seems to encapsulate what makes 'Honey' era Robyn so riveting".^[88] Ben Kaye of Consequence praised Robyn's dance moves and said the video underscores that the singer "is one of pop’s finest, rarest treasures".^[86]

Robyn performed "Ever Again" live for the first time on a 22 February 2019 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.^[89] At the time, "Ever Again" had not yet been released as a single, with Robyn choosing to perform an album track over any of the album's singles.^[90] The performance had an icy wintery theme, with the stage decorated in a frosty, foggy backdrop and the singer's band outfitted in matching white-silver costumes.^[89][90] Tom Breihan of Stereogum praised the performance, saying Robyn delivered "a gymnastic, emotional vocal performance" that showed her charisma.^[90] On 12 March 2019 Robyn performed the song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,^[91] wearing a maroon leather pant suit on the red-hued stage.^[16] In September 2019, Robyn performed “Ever Again” during her set at a climate demonstration in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm, Sweden.^[92][93]

The song was included in the set list for her Honey Tour (2019).^[94][95]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Honey.^[97]

• Robyn – vocals, vocal arranging, songwriting, vocal recording
• Joseph Mount – electric guitar, vocal arranging, songwriting, production, vocal recording
• Ulf Engström – bass guitar
• David Jones – studio assistance
• NealHPogue – mixing
• Mike Bozzi – mastering