Tove Lo by Moni Haworth
Is Tove Lo still controversial? Back in 2016 YouTube pulled her short film, “Fairy Dust,” for being too sexually explicit, and the Swedish songstress decried censorship in the U.S. — where, undeniably, women being blunt about sex and drugs and pleasure have often faced more commercial resistance than men dealing in the same subjects.
But they say that being authentic is how you find your real friends, and Tove Lo’s friends — in this case, her fans — have stuck by her through raunchy outfits, racy videos and sold-out tours. “Fairy Dust,” R-rated end credits and all, now has 15 million YouTube views.
Tove Lo rolls with the unofficial indie-pop girl gang of Charli XCX (Tove Lo’s collaborator on a remix of “Bitches”), Ellie Goulding, Lorde and Dua Lipa — female artists broaching taboo issues of femininity on and off their records. She is not unusual in drawing lyrical content from her personal life, but even by today’s pop standards she holds forth with uncharacteristic rawness. Her 2014 electropop ballad, “Habits (Stay High),” about spiraling into substance abuse after a breakup, became a sleeper hit that resonated with millennial women going through similar trials.
After a stint in a rock band, she made a life-altering switch to pop. With five albums in eight years, she’s also penned songs for the likes of Nick Jonas and Icona Pop, and executive-produced Pussy Riot’s 2022 mixtape, “Matriarchy Now.”
Her latest full-length, 2022’s “Dirt Femme,” reflects on her pansexuality, femininity and career at a moment when she is also happily married to the love of her life. One track, “Suburbia,” wonders about the limits of domestic bliss as she contemplates children: “What if I’m way too lazy / For the Mom-Olympic team? / Will we still be romantic? / Will I still get my sleep?”
The album cover — Tove Lo alone in the desert wearing a metallic stinger like her astrological sign, Scorpio — tells you she plans to keep her edge even as she takes on new commitments.
Tove Lo with special guest Slayyyter performs 7:30pm Tuesday, May 16 at Miami Beach Bandshell. tove-lo.com ~ Olivia Feldman
