Tove Lo Brings Tears to the Club with Dirt Femme

Written by T. Tian

Known for her candid lyricism and sincere songwriting, Swedish singer Tove Lo has been creating pop bangers for nearly a decade now. She was initially brought to the mainstream by her breakthrough top 3 single “Habits (Stay High)” in 2014, which was soon followed by another top 15 hit “Talking Body” and the album Queen of the Clouds, all certified Platinum or higher in the United States. Her subsequent projects would enjoy much less commercial success in comparison, yet she would soon find the role that fits her better outside of A-listers’ playground - an electro-pop darling riding the boundary of mainstream and niche, celebrated by a cult following and indie critics. As her contract with Universal Music finished, she went independent with her fifth studio album, Dirt Femme.

The classic Tove Lo sound can be found setting the tone for the bulk of Dirt Femme - 80’s synth pop-inspired sequencer layered with dance club-ready four-on-the-floor rhythms. The lead single “No One Dies from Love” opens the album with a dramatic synth riff, as Tove Lo describes a brutal heartbreak that leaves her dying inside. “2 Die 4” features an urgent chorus sung over an ominous keyboard melody before progressing to a beat drop that guarantees the crowd’s violent jumping at a live set. The first verse of “Grapefruit” is solely built upon the rumbling synth bass, reminiscent of “True Disaster” from her second album Lady Wood, only this time the vibrant instrumental finds her uttering her long-time struggle with eating disorder. The second half of the album is supported by nothing but more anthems: the two SG Lewis collabs that bring the best of both worlds, the sensual duet with Channel Tres that is “Attention Whore,” and the hysterical “How Long” taken from the soundtrack of HBO’s hit show Euphoria. 

The rest of Dirt Femme comprises the unmissable other side of Tove Lo, the ballad girl who never hesitates to bare her soul and look love in the eyes. Assisted by Swedish duo First Aid Kit, “Cute & Cruel” is a folk song with a haunting chorus and simple guitar-based instrumentation. “I’m to Blame” captures the freezing cold of winter with its confessional lyrics. Most special of all is “True Romance”, a power ballad that contains vocoder squealing that rings a bell with “Lucky” by Charli XCX and soars upon minimalistic electronic production. Tove Lo never sounded more raw and naked than when she belts out with all her might in the vastness of the beat, “We are meant to be / I’d die for love and loyalty / In danger of a true romance.”

It would be tone-deaf to discuss Tove Lo’s music but let the elephant in the room go unmentioned. As her previous album titles manifest - Lady Wood, Blue Lips, Sunshine Kitty -  female sexuality is a recurring theme in her discography, and Dirt Femme is no exception. Her bold expression of the female desire towards physical intimacy and sexual pleasure often evokes discussions about her standing as a feminist, whereas it has never been ambiguous at all to begin with. Explaining the idea behind her 2016 album, she once talked about her frustration with the phrases “having balls” and “being a pussy” having completely opposite meanings. That’s why she coined the term “lady wood,” symbolizing the fearlessness of femininity.

Fast forward to now, the biggest difference in her personal life since the last album is that she got married; what hasn’t changed nonetheless, is that even as a wife, she can be counted on to not settle with a “normal” life and always rebel against convention. On the second track of Dirt Femme, “Suburbia”, Tove Lo assures listeners that she will never be a Stepford wife who commits wholeheartedly to her domestic life. She affirms her love towards her partner, while also asking him for freedom from the pressure of social norms. That said, she lays bare her worries in the bridge of the song that one day she might regret not wanting kids, reasonably so, as one may never be sure what they want in the future. But doesn’t the beauty of the unapologetic dirt femme really shine through when acknowledging your weakness does not make you any less strong?