Vivid yet relatable romantic misadventures

On the glistening track Really Don't Like U, Swedish pop star Tove Lo teams up with the queen of electropop herself, Kylie Minogue.

The dark synthesizers over a catchy, pulsating beat are a foreshadowing for the disdain in the lyrics, where the pair sing about how hard it is to have a good time at a party, when an ex shows up with another girl.

"I know I've got no right to/ Really, I just don't like you/Look prettier than I do tonight/You make it hard to have a good time," they sing.

The standout track on Lo's fourth studio album stays well in line with her brand of unapologetic Scandi-pop. Yet, the slick, pop-friendly production keeps her relatable and accessible.

Whether she is comforting a friend who has just broken up with a toxic boyfriend on Glad He's Gone or pining for a deeper connection and commitment on Sweettalk My Heart, the album is studded with personal romantic misadventures.

The storytelling is vivid and spills all the details, like on a one-night stand with a Frenchman on the track Jacques.

"Je m'appelle Jacques and I love you a lot/I'm with you tonight, but tomorrow I'm not/Je m'appelle Tove, get the show on the road/I'm down for one night, let's go," she sings, trading lines with British DJ-producer Jax Jones on the sweaty club banger.

The hedonism all feels true to Lo, but unfortunately, nothing comes close to her sleeper hit Habits (Stay High) from her 2014 debut album.

  • ELECTROPOP

  • SUNSHINE KITTY

    Tove Lo

    Island

    3 stars

That said, on Sunshine Kitty, she seems perfectly content with not chasing that high any longer.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 03, 2019, with the headline Vivid yet relatable romantic misadventures. Subscribe