Tove Styrke 'Kiddo'

New song with Ritual

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKVsvcF0QL8

There's a little bit of English scattered about this song, but this seems like she might have given up on trying to break outside of Sweden.

^^ I wouldn't be so concerned - this is a cover of a song from 1987, recorded for a Swedish TV program called "Så mycket bättre", the premise of which is (according to Wikipedia) "that each artist attempts to do their own version of another artist's well-known songs, with each person getting an episode featuring all of their songs being performed by the other musicians".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMRiFt9p-hY

Ah ok

She posted a a message to her socials basically saying that she's aware this might alienate her English-speaking fans but it won't be forever

I became aware of Så mycket bättre through this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4c2xI4WGVE

(Petra Marklund, when she was still September, doing a pop cover of a Swedish rap classic. Warning Tove Styrke fans: not long after she would trade in English for Swedish as her main performing language)

I'm just always on edge about it because artists I liked that tried to break in the UK and US in the 00s have often just resorted to singing in their native Swedish/Danish/Norwegian after it didn't go, and that's if they're still releasing work at all.

New song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8-X0tAhO-Q

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