Tove Lo - Estrus
Despite not being her most explorative record, the Swedish hitmaker’s brand new club-focused record expertly navigates tight themes of sensual conflict.
From writing major hits for other artists – such as Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” and Lorde’s “Homemade Dynamite” – to dominating dancefloors with her own, Tove Lo has long been a prominent figure in pop music of the past two decades. Her songs tend to expose the uninhibited sides of human emotion – whether that be raw, unfiltered heartbreak on “Habits (Stay High)”, or euphoric, thrilling new love and mutual attraction on “2 Die 4”. On ESTRUS, Tove Lo turns her attention to aging into her late thirties and the physical and emotional chaos that comes with it, placing these themes atop sleazy electropop beats that greatly complement her established style.
Rocking the album from its early moments is “I’m your girl right?”, perfectly capturing the conflict between Tove Lo’s body and mind that the album title describes. Despite Tove Lo’s affection towards her significant other being rooted in genuine emotion, she unravels fears of losing herself in the relationship as physical desire takes over. Following this, the album takes an intriguing left-turn on the Stromae-assisted “des fleurs”. The lyrics “Bring me flowers / bring your sweat to my bed tonight” lock in the physical attraction established by the previous track, while the constant back-and-forth between English and French adds to the song’s already sensual energy.
Where the album occasionally falls flat is in its inability to find a balance between experimentation and familiarity. For instance, the sonics of “F.A.M.T” feature many outdated tropes of electropop – from abrasive drums to muddy mixing. Underneath its surface, the track could have been a standout, if it weren’t for these setbacks making it feel like it could have been ripped straight from Lo’s debut album, Queen of the Clouds. Meanwhile, the bass synth layers on “idiot” are almost identical to those of “Season 2 Weight Loss” by Harry Styles, making the track feel like a play on newer trends in modern electropop.
What pulls the album back to its strengths is where quieter moments give way to authenticity. “the bad one” sees Tove Lo owning up to being the ‘bad guy’ who broke someone’s heart in the past – a self-reflective admission of guilt. While “roomie” is a spin on tech-house, where its metaphor of “going down on Mother Nature” uses humorous, absurd, and heavy sexual imagery tied to nature.
Overall, ESTRUS is a pleasantly captivating record that doesn’t break any new ground for Tove Lo, but it hardly needs to. Its strongest moments stem from the tension between emotional intimacy and physical desire, where its pulsating, sweaty club beats add to the album’s chaotic energy. Six albums in, Tove Lo’s still got it!
7.3/10
