Following her Australian headline tour for the record and a huge appearance at Listen Out (note to crowds:don’t throw ice cubes at musicians), Swedish pop star Tove Lo (AKA Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson) has officially released her fifth album, ‘Dirt Femme’. Hot on the heels of 2019’s ‘Sunshine Kitty’, the “saddest girl in Sweden” has delivered what she says is “dramatic, cinematic, highly emotional and sexy”, which we couldn’t agree more with.
The 12-track LP gives us a deeply personal insight into Tove Lo’s life, making us want to dance, cry, fuck (her words, not mine) and hit accelerate on your next drive. ‘Dirt Femme’ shows how the singer-songwriter has evolved as an artist, filled with intimate songs that still hold universal resonance, and features from a range of artists including’ First Aid Kit, SG Lewis and Channel Tres.
View this post on Instagram
Kicking off ‘Dirt Femme’ are singles that we already love, such as “No One Dies From Love” and “2 Die 4”, the latter sampling the 1972 song “Popcorn” by US band Hot Butter. It’s been on high rotation on radio here in Australia, and has been mentioned as a standout in her live shows. Peppered in between the high energy tracks, ‘Dirt Femme’ holds emotionally-charged “Suburbia” and “I’m To Blame”, both sobering listens that hone in on the moving vulnerability that underscores the album.
If you’re keen to dance around your living room, the tracks around the halfway mark are the perfect amount of sensual and energetic for this; “Grapefruit”, “Call On Me (feat. SG Lewis)”, “Attention Whore (feat. Channel Tres)” and “Pineapple Slice (feat. SG Lewis)” compete with each other as album highlights, all dialling up energy levels. Tove Lo’s signature loud and proud sound coats the whole record, but these tracks will no doubt be the bops of your summer.
SG Lewis tweeted that “Tove Lo is one of the most brilliant and fearless pop artists we have”, and this record is solid proof. ‘Dirt Femme’ is undoubtedly Tove Lo’s most powerful release, sprinkling glitter over hard-hitting themes to remind us we can find solace in music and on the dance floor.