Earlier this month, Swedish superstar Robyn roared back onto the scene with “Dopamine,” a rollicking single — her first in 7 years. In the music video, directed by Marili Andre, she’s a near literal live wire in constant motion.
Her hair, styled by editorial hairstylist Cyndia Harvey, is a rooted platinum and almost an exact match for the white hot flame of sparklers used throughout. It, too, never seems to stop moving — to a hypnotic effect.
The Tease linked up with Harvey to talk all about the video and she graciously shared details about the singer’s cut and the exact products she used to ensure the hair’s every movement could be captured. Read on for our conversation.
The Tease: Could you tell us about the hair design for the “Dopamine” music video hair? Was there a brief?
Cyndia Harvey: The idea was that her hair should behave almost like an extension of the beat. Clean, sharp, and light enough to flutter and shift with every gesture, but still structured so it didn’t collapse under continuous movement.
Over the years, Robyn’s hair has remained short and blonde, but the shape changes with each project. How would you describe the “Dopamine” look specifically?
Harvey: We didn’t cut on the day, but we had worked on the album artwork a couple of weeks before the video shoot where I had given her a haircut that her regular hairstylist used as a guide. It’s short and sculpted with a shape that’s tighter around the sides and more lift and directional movement through the top. It’s still recognizably Robyn with the iconic blonde crop but this version is clean and narrow at the perimeter to keep the silhouette graphic and slightly elongated through the top so it catches airflow beautifully on camera.
So much of the video is Robyn in motion, with her hair blowing about as she dances. What styling products did you use on set to achieve this effect?
Harvey: The goal was bounce and responsiveness, not stiffness so I kept the product light and minimal using a mixture of L’Oréal Professionel Flex Pli on the ends and their Volume RootLift Mousse at the roots for just enough lift without locking the hair in place. For the course of the day a flexible hold hairspray was used to maintain shape while still allowing the hair to flutter naturally and a tiny amount of shine cream on the ends to keep the blonde looking healthy with a soft sheen. Everything was chosen to support movement.
Could you describe the wind setup? Were there stationary fans, portable fans, or both, and what was the overall arrangement like?
Harvey: We used both stationary and handheld fans to create a layered, natural flow. The stationary fans were positioned to lift the top sections of her hair and create a consistent base movement. Then we used handheld fans to shape moments more precisely, increasing intensity during big dance sections or softening the airflow during close-ups.
To see Harvey’s work in action, watch the official music video for Robyn’s “Dopamine” — linked below.
