Robyn/Kelis

Tue., Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m., $20-$22, with Dan Black and Far East Movement, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-336-2000, thetroc.com.

by K. Ross Hoffman

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Published: Jul 27, 2010

pop/dance

Despite some parallels with the Rihanna/Ke$ha tour that'll be passing through town in a few weeks — apart from the corresponding initials and rampant mononymity, both pairings highlight the rapidly crumbling divide between electro-pop and R&B, circa 2010 — this is truly the dance-diva double bill to beat this summer. Two uncommonly well-seasoned pop-world vets, Robyn and Kelis (pictured) both debuted way back in the 1990s. Each can boast at least one bona-fide classic ("Show Me Love"; "Milkshake") and plenty of close contenders; each has seen her share of label woes and fan-base fickleness; each embodies a strong, sexy, funny, distinctly noncomformist persona all her own. And each is currently making arguably the finest work of her career. Robyn's Body Talk, Pt. 1 (Cherry Tree) is a brief but unmitigated, earworm-crammed delight, with more on the way, while Kelis' Flesh Tone (A&M) may be the real stunner: a full-on plunge into hard-edged dance and tribal house, with heart-tugging, inspirational lyrics addressed to her son Knight, who turned 1 last Thursday. Aww.

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