Tove Lo poses for a picture at the 2015 American Music Awards. She released her new album on Oct. 28. (Disney/Flickr, Creative Commons)
After the album that rocked the pop world containing the hit single “Habits (Stay High),” Swedish singer Tove Lo released a new album titled “Lady Wood” on Oct 28. The singer became an instant sensation after her first album “Queen of the Clouds,” which quickly climbed up the ranks of pop music. Following this success, Tove Lo’s music was featured in popular movies including “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” and “The Divergent Series: Allegiant.” Clearly her emotional and honest music captured the attention of quite a few big names.
“Lady Wood” is comprised of 11 main songs and the intro, called “Fairy Dust – Chapter 1,” which starts off the album with an imaginative beat. Then it goes into the first song “Influence” featuring “Wiz Khalifa, as she sings “You know I’m under the influence, so don’t trust every word I say, I say,” leaving no doubt about what exactly she is talking about.
The song “Cool Girl” was an instant standout song from the album, taking its influence from the mystery/drama movie “Gone Girl.” Tove Lo explains her connection to the movie to RollingStone Magazine, saying “She’s gone full psycho, and she’s sitting there talking about ‘He wanted a cool girl, so I ate pizza. I drank beer. I made a size two. I didn’t give a f**k that he checked out other women.’ I was thinking about it, and it’s really true. Why do we try to be someone we’re not to make someone love us? Would you want to fake yourself for the rest of your life?”
“Lady Wood,” like “Queen of the Clouds” is brutally honest. It captures audiences and stands out from other pop music because of how real and uncensored the singer’s lyrics are. She goes on about failed relationships, drug use and depression and the effect it all has on her without filtering it to be “shiny.” She owns the songs and the lyrics and admits to her problems, and doesn’t apologize for them.
When she was growing up, Tove Lo always felt held back and not able to discuss her problems openly with anyone. Our society is one that discourages talking about “ugly” topics. This kept her in therapy and turning to grunge music like Nirvana as an outlet. In a way, this influence shows in her music. She combines grungy lyrics and a smooth voice with pop beats, creating a genre entirely her own.
Although “Lady Wood” hasn’t achieved the instant success of “Queen of the Clouds,” it is a solid and honest album that shouldn’t be underestimated. The album is still rather new and definitely has the potential to climb up to success.
Review: 8/10
Cynthia Reinert is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached by email at cynthia.reinert@uconn.edu