Swedish Songwriter Robyn Credited as Unlikely Reason Behind Boston Red Sox’s Renaissance

By: Staff –

What do Swedish pop music and Major League Baseball have in common? Not a great deal on the face of it. And yet, the renaissance of the Boston Red Sox has been put down to the chart-smashing hits of Scandinavian ‘glitter pop’ supremo Robyn. In 2010, the Swedish singer released the first of her three mini-album series ‘Body Talk Pt. 1’. This album spawned a monster – the club banger titled ‘Dancing On My Own’, which became an anthem for singletons on dancefloors across the globe.

In 2015, the song was re-imagined by former Britain’s Got Talent star Calum Scott, whose cover went on to reach #2 in the UK Charts and has racked up a staggering 455+ million views on YouTube.

That version was then given the remix treatment by trance royalty Tiësto. It is this particular rendition that has proven to have such a galvanizing effect on the Red Sox, who after a couple of seasons in the doldrums made it all the way to the Championship Series in 2021. It became the team’s rallying call, and a way to bring teammates together as one. The improved results speak for themselves.

Despite a loss in 2021, the Red Sox now head into the 2022 season renewed and full of confidence. They will almost certainly be amongst the main contenders in the World Series MLB odds on bet365. The likes of the LA Dodgers (+650), the Houston Astros (+900) and the Chicago White Sox (+1200) will take some stopping, but Boston will be very much in the conversation. And it’s all partly down to the toe-tapping beats of the pop-disco favorite.

A Common Bond

Typically, all of the most successful sports teams on the planet have a strong locker room spirit. This camaraderie creates bonds and helps to get that extra 1% out of the players. At such an elite level, those marginal gains can make all the difference.

It seems as though the 2021 Boston Red Sox roster was brought together by a mutual love of Dancing On My Own. This is evidenced by the many celebration videos showing the players delivering beautifully-choregraphed renditions of Robyn’s original hit.

Here’s the full video from FOX Sports of the Red Sox celebrating with the Calum Scott and Tiesto version of “Dancing on my Own” after winning the ALDS.

Alex Verdugo spinning beers, a shirtless Kiké Hernandez, and some great harmonization. This year’s bunch is a fun one. pic.twitter.com/RvrzXdsAfF

— Austin Bumpus (@AustinBumpus) October 12, 2021

But the shared love for Dancing On My Own has gone further than just locker room hi-jinx. It has also become something of an unofficial anthem for Red Sox fans, and can often be heard playing over the speakers during games at Fenway Park.

All of this began by one player – in trademark ‘jock’ fashion – trying to wind up a teammate. Kevin Plawecki has admitted that he used to play the track on repeat in an attempt to annoy Mitch Moreland, who has since left the franchise (not that the song had anything to do with that!).

Plawecki even walked out to bat to Dancing On My Own, and before long, other teammates were on board. Soon after, the song was playing on the locker room stereo before every game, and after in celebration of their latest victory.

There were plenty of these victories during the 2021 season, with Boston compiling a 0.568 record in the AL East before dumping out the New York Yankees in the Wild Card game. A victory over the Tampa Bay Rays secured the ALDS title, though the team eventually succumbed to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series.

Regardless, this was a huge stride forward for the Red Sox. Now the question is: which dancefloor-filler will they turn to for motivation in 2022?