Tove Styrke 'Kiddo'

not convinced by "Good Vibes", it feels particularly unambitious

Phew. "On the Low" is a proper return to form:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6MHzzzJkZlAPKaHdpq4EKK?si=nYsbZLtnR0S_ppOKHvL47A

also: we have album cover art
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DaF2-_jV4AA7uWy.jpg

nice cover

really love this one, maybe the best from this album yet. i heard a live recording of this last year and have been eagerly awaiting the studio version ever since and it does not disappoint at all

ready to release this lil beast of an album 🥤🌹 #yayforSWAY #MayTheFourthBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/aojs4fO6mz

— Tove Styrke (@tovestyrke) April 20, 2018

album tracklist:

Sway
Say My Name
On the Low
Mistakes
Changed My Mind
I Lied
On a Level
Liability (Demo)

pretty disappointing that it's so short (26 minutes) and over half of it has been released already

it's quite baffling, and especially given that she cancelled a tour last year citing a need to complete the album as the reason

Much as I want this to be amazing, that doesn't seem a terrifically exciting tracklist.

How the hell do you follow Kiddo though? What a one-off burst of idiosyncratic joy that one is (except for track six, which i still never play).
Maybe Kiddo was so good it spooked her?

Feel like "Aftergold" beats most of these too.

On the "Low" and "Mistakes" are pretty cool though. Maybe this will be way better than I'm thinking? God, I hope so.

I don't see any reason to expect it'll be anything less than very good judging by the released tracks but I do have to wonder what's going on, did the label just insist she had to release what she had or something?

This is all very odd indeed. We've already had four singles from it (two great, two just good) and then it ends with a demo of her recent Lorde cover? I'd rather she'd taken the time to finish the whole album. Kiddo was incredible and I've been really excited for a follow up.

the Lorde cover was released as Liability (demo) to begin with, no idea what it's doing on there, it's pretty inessential

I mean an album featuring "Mistakes" and "Say My Name" isn't going to be bad but Kiddo was fourteen tracks and did many different things (yet somehow stayed cohesive). It feels like there's a real "will this do?" air about this era and given that she's probably the best contemporary popstar who isn't Charli XCX it's distinctly underwhelming.

Kiddo was real special.

My expectations were probably out of line for this one. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

when the tracklisting first leaked via a retailer listing i thought that it must be a placeholder or something

Alert! Sway single out now everywhere https://t.co/QkCVrjgt63 🌹🥤 #yayforsway pic.twitter.com/9dq8Bmnkkv

— Tove Styrke (@tovestyrke) April 30, 2018

I'm not a fan of the way it has been released, but with the exception of the Lorde cover being a bit of a throwaway, all of the songs are very good. Still looking forward to hearing the remaining two tracks. Or if she'd continue putting out a single every couple of months indefinitely, I'd be okay with that as well.

the remaining two tracks are very good as well

^Yep. I've done a 180 on "Changed My Mind" too.

Great (mini) album.

This sounds way better as an album than I was thinking it would.

This is a great EP. I wish there was more of it, the slinky minimalism suits her voice.

This is really good

production on this is great. best played loud. my favorite pop thing so far this year.

Can’t say I’m crazy about mistakes but otherwise solid

Really? That's the only song from this I'd keep.

Mistakes is my favourite song on here by some distance. Sway is a decent mini album overall, but after the way she brilliantly played with different genres on Kiddo (one of the best albums of the last few years), this all seems too safe. It feels like a backwards step. I don't think this is even as good as her debut which only hinted at how great she would become on Kiddo. I was really expecting something more from her. Hopefully it'll grow on me when the initial disappointment wears off.

this all seems too safe. It feels like a backwards step.

There's no daylight between this collection of songs and Dua Lipa or a dozen other people. Which is okay, but...just overkill.

these songs are way better than the Dua Lipa album!

it's a little safer/more on trend than Kiddo but I think it's a bit more consistent overall even if it doesn't quite reach the height of Ego. the only disappointment for me is the length

I've always felt that Styrke's melodies are a lot more intuitive than most. Like, "New Rules" is a great pop song but it doesn't feel as effortless as some of Styrke's best moments. Sway has some of the weirdest production I've heard in pop music in a long time but it doesn't feel integral to the songwriting or performance, its more like decoration.

this is a lot of fun to dance to when youre drunk btw

Let’s try

I think the problem I have with the liability cover is the kalimba has no sustain to it so it can't provide enough backing to the vocals, making it feel weird and empty

the liability cover is conveniently the last track so more often than not I abandon it

https://www.popdust.com/woman-crush-wednesday-tove-styrke-2564643785.html

What's coming up next for you?

I'm gonna go on tour with Katy Perry in Europe which I'm looking forward to like crazy. And then I'm gonna release more music! I've got some really good songs I'm super-eager for people to hear.

if we get another mini-album this year or something that'd be great

On a level rules

After the srsly otherworldly experience at The Borderline in London 2 weeks ago 👼🏼 it feels like such a rush to announce that I’ll be back w my very first UK headline tour: 🌹Sway UK Tour🌹 Can’t WAIT to SWAY with you guys 💕💕💕 Tickets on sale Friday June 29th. pic.twitter.com/vQnV06XX2K

— Tove Styrke (@tovestyrke) June 26, 2018

"UK tour", Scotland shafted yet again I see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glwNAQMBRTY

Is this the most underrated pop album of the year? Every song in here has catchy, charming moments and fun production choices.

It’s better than the last Lorde album and the Dua Lipa one but maybe those have stronger singles or better marketing?, either way she deserves more hype.

she seems to be in a weird position where she's on a major label but has very little resources dedicated to her and also has never managed to catch much indie buzz either in the way that Charli and Sky etc have

certainly very underrated

Also she’s a much better live performer than those two. Every Dua Lipa performance I’ve heard is usually off-key or playback and Lorde is ok if a bit awkward live (which suits her) but has nowhere near the vocal range that Tove does.

https://youtu.be/d1PeZ8mJ09U

https://youtu.be/234LUxm1vYs

Charli XCX was also releasing very underrated, brilliant singles, what got people looking her way was her collaborations with Iggy Azalea and Icona Pop which were huge hits and Boom Clap for a teen movie soundtrack.

I feel like she didn’t quite take advantage of that fame though and she has reverted to indie stardom when she was already on mainstream level.

Agree with you Moka other than the record being better than lorde’s last one. Top 10 easy for 2018 tho

I love this album ("album") but I don't think it's anywhere near the heights climbed on Kiddo

probably the best EP this year easily

New Song!

NEW SONG ”VIBE” OUT OCT 19TH 🌊 pre-save it plz ❤️ https://t.co/tQNVdnt0Xm pic.twitter.com/Ms0v9q8L0R

— Tove Styrke [tuva stierka] (@tovestyrke) October 12, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMXi0fqi-lw

Pretty good. I like the way it abruptly stops near the beginning. Incidentally, this has been slotted in as a new track 7 on Sway - can we call that an album now?

I had no idea that's how her name was pronounced:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNg5_2UUCNU

New song with Ritual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG4BkxvcF2g

with all the goodwill I have towards her I'm really disappointed by this - it feels like a sketch that nobody could figure out how to write a bridge for so they just abandoned it, I was surprised that it finished so quickly. And there's none of the muscle that she brought to previous stuff, she sounds unconvincing as a "bad bitch" which is alarming when she's such a charismatic presence on Kiddo and Sway.

yeah absolutely, doesn't bode well at all unfortunately

Quite enjoying the new (very short) album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M__gkNlczHw

Relistening Kiddo and Sway this morning. She had so much potential. Ego alone should’ve been a worldwide chart hit.

I think in retrospective the artist she reminds me the most of in path and style is Mø, but Tove never had her “lean on” moment.

Feel like her potential actually WAS achieved on those records. They're really great!

Sure, nobody gave a fuck... and, sure, she kinda started ironing off idiosyncrasies by the end of the Kiddo campaign with things like the Brit cover (though Sway was still a great record even though it was seemingly purpose built for providing only the most efficient pop possible). The last record has bits that I enjoy, but also a bunch of faceless/tasteless whatever. I feel like she went so far down the road of paring everything down that what she/we was/were left with was ultimately quite hollow.

Feel like she has more great music in her though.

You’re right. The potential of her music was achieved. The frustrating part is the missed chart potential. With a more savvy team behind her she could have been at a higher level of recognition.

Agreed!
I have on idea why those records didn't connect.
Kiddo in particular got played more than just about anything in this house!

Saw her at a small club on the Sway tour - was a helluva show - what a set list:
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tove-styrke/2018/the-red-room-at-cafe-939-boston-ma-3be96070.html

*NO idea