On Friday, October 28, the music world changed. Feminist dream-pop goddess Tove Lo dropped her second studio album, “Lady Wood.” Everyone already knew that this album was going to dominate everyone’s ears, but I was not prepared for just how good, just how important, this album was going to be.
The album begins with an intro similar to the spoken word pieces spaced throughout her first album, “Queen of the Clouds.” From there, the record jumped right into “Influence,” featuring Wiz Khalifa, and there was no turning back. Tove Lo is known for her sex-driven music, but there is so much more behind it that so many people do not realize. Tove Lo breaks down and defies gender roles in her music, (very similarly to Phoebe Ryan, mentioned in a piece I wrote a few weeks ago- and ironically, Tove Lo just announced a tour with her!) which I find to be very important for the music scene today. Tove Lo explores her emotions and her inner struggles through her music, singing about love, lust, loss, and growth all throughout her album. Tove Lo’s music is fun at times and gloomy at others, creating an interesting juxtaposition all throughout “Lady Wood” that leads listeners to reflect thoughtfully on the music.
I have several favorites on this record- I definitely enjoy “Cool Girl,” the lead single. It is incredibly catchy and overall perfect in its lyrics and beat- honestly, who does not love to sing the chorus? At least five times a day I catch myself singing “Ice cold I roll my eyes at you, boy.” But, I also enjoy several other songs on the record. There really is not one song that I extremely dislike. Other favorites include “Flashes,” “Don’t Talk About It,” “Keep It Simple,” and “Imaginary Friend.”
Tove Lo’s music can be widely understood as purely sexual, but there are all of these hidden layers that make it feminist and thoughtful, allowing girls to listen to her music and think that they do not have to stay confined by what is thought to be expected of them. “Lady Wood” continues and enhances Tove Lo’s mission to help liberate women and make them feel as confident as possible. Girls do not have to fit into anyone’s strict standards and should be able to make their own decisions without worrying about fitting into a certain role, so to speak, which is definitely a common anthem for Tove Lo.
Feminism, liberation, and originality. That is the Tove Lo motto. It is time we come to love and really appreciate Tove Lo for her music and the message that she sends out to women everywhere. Music like this is here to help women in the music industry and helps to promote equality by defying all assumptions about gender. Tove Lo does not care, and neither should you.
So, welcome to “Lady Wood.” All are welcome to stay in this perfectly feminist musical era and enjoy themselves. I know I will.
