Queen of the Clouds

Last updated
Queen of the Clouds
Tove Lo - Queen of the Clouds.png
Studio album by
Released24 September 2014 (2014-09-24)
Recorded2012 – Spring 2014
Studio
Genre
Length51:17
Label Island
Producer
Tove Lo chronology
Truth Serum
(2014)
Queen of the Clouds
(2014)
Lady Wood
(2016)
Singles from Queen of the Clouds
  1. "Habits (Stay High)"
    Released: 6 December 2013
  2. "Talking Body"
    Released: 13 January 2015
  3. "Timebomb"
    Released: 12 August 2015
  4. "Moments"
    Released: 27 October 2015

Queen of the Clouds is the debut studio album by Swedish singer Tove Lo, released on 24 September 2014 by Island Records. The album follows her first extended play Truth Serum (2014) and includes the successful singles "Habits (Stay High)" and "Talking Body". Lo worked with several writers and producers such as The Struts, Klas Åhlund, Alexander Kronlund, Alx Reuterskiöld, and Captain Cuts. Musically, Queen of the Clouds is primarily a electropop, dance-pop and synth-pop record. Lyrically, the album's themes center on the stages of a relationship, including passion, love and break-ups.

Contents

Queen of the Clouds garnered generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and lyrical content. It was promoted with television performances and through the Queen of the Clouds Tour. On 25 September 2015, a year after the album's original release, a "blueprint" edition was announced; the bonus length features tracks from Truth Serum, a new version of "Moments", the originally Spotify-exclusive "Not Made for This World", and an explicit version of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 's "Scream My Name".

Background and development

Queen of the Clouds is the follow-up to Lo's debut extended play Truth Serum . The album is divided into three sections: "The Sex", "The Love" and "The Pain". Similar to theme of a poisoned relationship in Truth Serum, the album centers on a breakup and provides a complete story of her romantic struggles. She described her music as like a therapist where she could sing about things she would not normally dare to speak about. [4] The title for the album came from her song "Not on Drugs" and describes her new lifestyle touring the world after the success of her first EP. Lo said that it represented the feeling of "floating on top of the world" and that it was important that the album title represented her. [5]

Composition

Heavily influenced by electropop musical styles, Queen of the Clouds is predominantly a concept album which divides the record into three sections: "The Sex", "The Love" and "The Pain". [4] [6] Similar to the theme of poisoned relationships explored on Lo's debut extended play, Truth Serum (2014), the album centers on a breakup and provides a complete narration of her romantic struggles. She described her music as "like a therapist" where Lo could sing about things she would not normally feel comfortable speaking about. [4] Queen of the Clouds blends multiple styles of music into a "monogenre" sound, containing heavy influences of EDM, hip hop, dance-pop, new wave, rock, and R&B, combining them into a "seamless compendium". [6]

The first section, "The Sex", opens the record with four songs about the "lecherous and reckless" beginning of a relationship, and are composed in an "infectious and tongue-in-cheek stampede of uptempo pop." [7] Album opener, "My Gun", has been described as an urban-influenced pop song textured with elements of dancehall. It begins with a "mournful"-sounding choir before building to an upbeat pop groove. Lo's vocals are low and seductive, before gliding into her higher range. The track explores the "flirty" stage before delving into more sexual themes, found later on "Talking Body", and has been compared to the works of Rihanna. [8] Lyrically, Lo compares her lover to "her gun" and sings of feeling a release of pleasure: "Boy, if you're gonna shoot me down/Do it gently". [7] The next track, "Like Em' Young", is driven by a tribal-influenced rhythm "coated" with a "parade" of dub-bass. Its lyrics are satirical in nature, as she criticises other women for judging her taste in younger men: "Hey girl, why you judging me/When your, your guy is turning 53?/ I don't know what really gets you more/Is it that my guy's gonna live out yours?" [7] "Talking Body" is a heavily sexual song described as "salivating with carnal lust", and according to Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe , evokes "the rush of early Madonna." [9] Lyrically, the verses see Lo in a state of idée fixe towards her partner, as she finds herself revolving her life around him. The chorus is musically armed with heavy propulsion combined with rising, subdued synths and sees her "objectifying" his model physique. Rounding out the first section is "Timebomb", a frantic electronic dance piano ballad hybrid described as a "sonic bombardment" of "euphoric" chords, drums, and psychedelic synths, and features an "explosive" chorus containing crashing cymbals and pounding bass. Lo's vocals in the track are sung out of time to the beat, rushing her lyrics into a single phrase. [7] [8]

The second section, "The Love", has been described as "a thunderous yearning through gigantic mid tempo, electronic balladry". [7] It opens with the "volcanic" ballad "Moments", which boasts atmospherics and influences of "trippy" samba. Lyrically, it sees Lo confessing her flaws before declaring "On good days, I am charming as fuck!". [7] "The Way That I Am" is a dubstep song filled with "pain and passion" as Lo sings in a soulful rasp and lyrically cries out to her partner to love her as she is; including flaws. [7] "Got Love" is one of the albums "pure" pop moments, and contains an unwaveringly positive attitude. Lyrically, she rejoices exultant feelings of first falling in love as she sings "Good enough to make the ocean look like it's a pond/Good enough to turn the valleys into mountain tops", and discusses the theme of immortality "We live like legends now, know that would never die/Oh, we Got Love". [7] Closing out the section is the power pop song "Not on Drugs". Primarily a guitar-driven song that explores the topic of a feeling of love so bewildering and overpowering that it affects your behavior, as if you were on drugs. [7]

The final section is "The Pain" which explores the difficulty piecing together one's life after the destruction and demise of a relationship through "distraught" lyricism and melancholic pop. The section opens with the "thunderous" electropop power-ballad "Thousand Miles", which lyrically depicts Lo's obsession with reuniting with her lost love at all costs, even if it means running "a thousand miles". [7] Musically, the mid-tempo track tells a story of a girl "struggling to forget a rocky relationship with an ex," and is sonically amped up by the singer's "emotionally distraught" vocals and "thundering" drum rhythms. [10] The following song, "Habits (Stay High)" sees her emotionally unravel even more, as she talks about self-medicating by smoking marijuana to cope to live without her lover. It's "snappy" verses are filled with "quietly distinct, often strange imagery", including Lo eating her dinner in the bathtub, getting drunken munchies, and seducing dads on the playground. [11] Musically, it is a Purity Ring-inspired song, and creates a calming atmosphere compared to that of morphine. [7] "This Time Around" is a dark Charli XCX-inspired track which reflects on the lessons learned from a heartbreak. Lo's vocal performance on the song has been described as particularly yearning and broken. [7] The final song of the section and album is "Run on Love", an "easy-going" reworked nu-disco dance collaboration with EDM producer Lucas Nord. Lyrically, Lo sings of picking up her heart and choosing to no longer be a victim by living in the moment enjoy time with her lover before it runs out. [9] [7]

Release and promotion

Lo announced the release of Queen of the Clouds in an interview with Rolling Stone on 19 August 2014. [12] Shortly after, on 9 September 2014, the album was made available to pre-order online through the iTunes Store. [13] On 16 September 2014, the album tracks "Moments", "Timebomb" and "Thousand Miles" were also made available to download alongside the iTunes pre-order. [14] On 24 September 2014, Lo performed "Habits" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote her album. [15] The album was also supported by the Queen of the Clouds Tour between September and November 2015.

Singles

The lead single, "Habits (Stay High)", was originally released as "Habits" on 25 March 2013 prior to the release of Truth Serum in March 2014. It was later re-released as "Habits (Stay High)" on 6 December 2013. "Habits (Stay High)" peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2014. [16] A remix of "Habits" by record production duo Hippie Sabotage, alternatively titled "Stay High", was released on 3 March 2014 and peaked at number 13 on the Swedish Singles Chart. [17] It performed even more successfully elsewhere, peaking within the top 10 of the charts in Norway, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

"Not on Drugs" was originally revealed as the album's second single with its lyric video of the premiering in June 2014 [18] and its music video premiering in August of the same year, [19] but a different single, "Talking Body", was chosen to replace it, impacting pop radio on 20 January 2015. [20] "Talking Body" has since peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 as of 20 May 2015.

On 23 May 2015, at the Boston Calling Music Festival, Lo announced that "Timebomb" would serve as the third single. [21] It was digitally released on 12 August 2015. [22] However, Republic Records, which handles Lo's American radio promotions, opted not to push "Timebomb" to radio. Instead, "Moments" impacted pop radio on 13 October 2015, [23] as the fourth single from the album. [24]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 73/100 [25]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Cuepoint (Expert Witness) Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [27]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [28]
Digital Spy Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [29]
Evening Standard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [30]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [31]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [32]
Pitchfork 7.2/10 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [33]

Upon release, Queen of the Clouds received positive reviews from music critics. According to Metacritic, the album received an average score of 73/100 based on 4 reviews. [25] Sam Lansky from Time praised the lyrical content of the album, stating that "the tracks all have a satisfying stomp and crash, but it's her lyrics that shine brightest, trading in pop clichés but flipping them in the same breath." He described the hooks of the tracks as commercial enough to give Lo a "fighting chance at stateside stardom". [1] Carrie Battan from Pitchfork gave the album a 7.2 out of 10 and described her music as "bruised, brightly arranged pop songs that feel grand but not excessive". She also noted that her "disarming honesty" and "well-phrased lyrics" are what sticks to the brain. [11] Evan Ross from andPOP gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars described Queen of the Clouds as "a really enjoyable album that pretty accurately describes what it's like to be young and in love" and particularly liked that the album was an entire concept instead of randomly thrown in tracks. He praised the production and enjoyable filler songs. He also noted that Lo's "EDM-inspired album" had more substance than other similar albums. [34] Maxie Molotov-Smith from Fortitude Magazine gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the "stark heart-on-sleeve" honesty in Lo's lyrics and described the music as "expertly-crafted electronic pop music" with infectious hooks. [35]

Jon O'Brien from Music Is My Oxygen gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and praised Lo's standing out from the crowd, describing her album as a "refreshingly raw debut which casts Tove Lo as pop's premier hot mess". [36] Kathy Iandoli from Idolator gave the album 3.5 out of 5 and praised the honesty of the lyrics and noted that Lo "has become masterfully adept at jamming thoughtful words into dancey songs through her past songwriting, but she takes it a step further with Queen Of The Clouds". [37] A reviewer from PressPLAY gave the album a 4 out of 5 and praised the album's lyrical content and that Lo "goes into the dark places that modern pop tends to avoid", although they also wrote that there was a "slight need for variety and a tighter edit of the tracklist". The critic also described Lo as having a "frantic, drunken energy [...] that keeps you hooked on her songs unlike any of her peers". [38]

Commercial performance

In Lo's native Sweden, Queen of the Clouds debuted at number six on the Sverigetopplistan charts, remaining in the top 100 for 79 weeks. Sverigetopplistan reports that Queen of the Clouds is the 58th most successful album of all time in Sweden. In the United States, the album entered the Billboard 200 at number 14 with first-week sales of 19,000 copies. [39] As of August 2016, it had sold 190,000 copies in the US. [40] The album debuted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 4,722 copies in its first week. [41] The album also peaked within the top 50 in Australia, Finland, New Zealand and Norway.

Track listing

Queen of the Clouds – North American standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Sex"  0:06
2."My Gun"
  • Tove Lo
  • Daniel Ledinsky
  • Jakob Jerlström
  • Ludvig Söderberg
  • The Struts
  • Ledinsky [a]
3:36
3."Like Em Young"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:39
4."Talking Body"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
3:58
5."Timebomb"Åhlund3:34
6."The Love"  0:05
7."Moments"Lo Mattman & Robin 3:22
8."The Way That I Am"Payami3:07
9."Got Love"
  • Lo
  • Alx Reuterskiöld
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:48
10."Not on Drugs"
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Reuterskiöld [b]
3:02
11."The Pain"  0:05
12."Thousand Miles"
  • Lo
  • Mike "Scribz" Riley
  • Scribz Riley
  • The Struts
3:34
13."Habits (Stay High)"
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
The Struts3:29
14."This Time Around"
  • Lo
  • Nate Campany
  • Kyle Shearer
Shearer4:04
15."Run on Love" (Lucas Nord featuring Tove Lo) (QOTC edit)Nord4:00
16."Habits (Stay High)" (Hippie Sabotage remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Hippie Sabotage [a] [c]
4:18
Total length:47:47
Queen of the Clouds – international edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Love Ballad"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:30
17."Habits (Stay High)" (Hippie Sabotage remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Hippie Sabotage [a] [c]
4:18
Total length:51:17
Queen of the Clouds – international Spotify edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18."Not Made for This World" Astma & Rocwell 3:38
Total length:54:35
Queen of the Clouds – European digital edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18."Over"
  • The Struts
  • Mattman & Robin [b]
  • Gill [b]
3:44
19."Out of Mind"
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
The Struts3:09
20."Paradise"
  • Lo
  • Riley
  • Elliot Wilkins
  • The Struts
  • Scribz [b]
3:03
Total length:65:01
Queen of the Clouds – UK Spotify edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
21."Talking Body" (Clean Edit)
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
  • The Struts
  • Shellback
3:58
Total length:68:59
Queen of the Clouds – international Blueprint Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Paradise"
  • Lo
  • Riley
  • Wilkins
  • The Struts
  • Scribz [b]
3:03
18."Over"
  • Lo
  • Larsson
  • Fredriksson
  • Gill
  • The Struts
  • Mattman & Robin [b]
  • Gill [b]
3:44
19."Out of Mind"
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
The Struts3:09
20."Crave" Captain Cuts 3:28
21."Not Made for This World"
  • Lo
  • Jimson
  • Flygare
Astma & Rocwell3:38
22."Scream My Name"Lo
3:34
23."Habits (Stay High)" (Hippie Sabotage remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Hippie Sabotage [a] [c]
4:18
24."Heroes (We Could Be)" (Alesso featuring Tove Lo)Lindblad3:29
Total length:75:22
Queen of the Clouds – North American iTunes Store deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Love Ballad"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:30
18."Crave"
  • Lo
  • Rabin
  • Berger
  • McMahon
Captain Cuts3:30
19."Not on Drugs" (Ali Payami remix)
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Reuterskiöld [b]
  • Payami [c]
2:51
Total length:57:38
Queen of the Clouds – North American Spotify deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Love Ballad"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:30
18."Not Made for This World"
  • Lo
  • Jimson
  • Flygare
Astma & Rocwell3:38
19."Not on Drugs" (Ali Payami remix)
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Reuterskiöld [b]
  • Payami [c]
2:51
Total length:57:46
Queen of the Clouds – North American LP edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Love Ballad"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:30
16."Not on Drugs" (The Knocks Remix)
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Reuterskiöld [b]
4:27
17."Over"
  • Lo
  • Larsson
  • Fredriksson
  • Gill
  • The Struts
  • Mattman & Robin [b]
  • Gill [b]
3:44
18."Habits (Stay High)" (Hippie Sabotage remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Hippie Sabotage [a] [c]
4:18
Total length:58:28
Queen of the Clouds – North American Blueprint Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Love Ballad"
  • Lo
  • Jerlström
  • Söderberg
The Struts3:30
18."Paradise"
  • Lo
  • Riley
  • Wilkins
  • The Struts
  • Scribz [b]
3:03
19."Over"
  • Lo
  • Larsson
  • Fredriksson
  • Gill
  • The Struts
  • Mattman & Robin [b]
  • Gill [b]
3:44
20."Out of Mind"
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
The Struts3:09
21."Heroes (We Could Be)" (Alesso featuring Tove Lo)
  • Lindblad
  • Lo
  • Bowie
  • Eno
Lindblad3:29
22."Crave"
  • Lo
  • Rabin
  • Berger
  • McMahon
Captain Cuts3:30
23."Not on Drugs" (Ali Payami remix)
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Reuterskiöld [b]
  • Payami [c]
2:51
Total length:71:03
Queen of the Clouds – North American Spotify Blueprint Edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
23."Not Made for This World"
  • Lo
  • Jimson
  • Flygare
Astma & Rocwell3:38
24."Not on Drugs" (Ali Payami remix)
  • Lo
  • Reuterskiöld
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Reuterskiöld [b]
  • Payami [c]
2:51
Total length:74:41

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the international standard edition of Queen of the Clouds. [42]

Musicians

Technical

  • The Struts – production (tracks 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, 13); engineering (track 2)
  • Daniel Ledinsky – additional production (track 2)
  • Spyke Lee – engineering assistance (track 2)
  • Lars Norgren – mixing (tracks 2, 3, 7–10, 12–14)
  • Shellback – production (track 4)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (track 4)
  • John Hanes – engineering for mix (track 4)
  • Klas Åhlund – production (track 5)
  • Michael Illbert – mixing (track 5)
  • Mattman & Robin – production (track 7)
  • Ali Payami – production (track 8)
  • Alx Reuterskiöld – co-production (track 10)
  • Scribz Riley – production (track 12)
  • Kyle Shearer – production (track 14)
  • Robert Marvin – additional engineering (track 14)
  • Andy Selby – vocal editing (track 14)
  • Lucas Nord – production, mixing (track 15)
  • Hippie Sabotage – remix, additional production (track 16)
  • Björn Engelmann – mastering

Artwork

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Queen of the Clouds
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [64] Platinum20,000
Mexico (AMPROFON) [65] Gold30,000^
Poland (ZPAV) [66] Platinum20,000
Singapore (RIAS) [67] Gold5,000*
Sweden (GLF) [68] Platinum40,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [69] Gold100,000
United States (RIAA) [70] Platinum1,000,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for Queen of the Clouds
RegionDateFormatEditionLabelRef.
Australia24 September 2014
  • Standard
  • deluxe
Universal [71]
Norway [72]
Sweden [73]
Canada30 September 2014 [74]
United States Island [75]
Italy11 November 2014Universal [76]
United Kingdom11 May 2015 Polydor [77]
25 September 2015CDBlueprint [78]
Canada2 October 2015
  • CD
  • digital download
Universal [79]
United StatesIsland [80]
Australia30 October 2015Universal [81]
Sweden [82]
United KingdomPolydor [83]

Notes

  1. Tracks 2–4 and 7–9
  2. Track 4
  3. Track 5
  4. Tracks 10, 12, 13 and 17
  5. 1 2 Track 14
  6. 1 2 Track 15

Related Research Articles

<i>Blue Lips</i> (Tove Lo album) 2017 studio album by Tove Lo

Blue Lips is the third studio album by Swedish singer Tove Lo. It was released on 17 November 2017 by Island Records. Blue Lips is considered the second half of a two-piece concept album that describe "highs, lows and ultimate demise of a relationship." Its chapters "Light Beams" and "Pitch Black" succeed the chapters "Fairy Dust" and "Fire Fade" from her previous album Lady Wood (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not on Drugs</span> 2014 single by Tove Lo

"Not on Drugs" is a song by Swedish recording artist and songwriter Tove Lo for her debut extended play Truth Serum and her debut studio album Queen of the Clouds, both of which were released in 2014. It was co-written by Lo together with its producers, Alx Reuterskiöld and the Struts. The recording premiered on 24 February 2014 on Swedish radio station P3 as a promotional single from Truth Serum. It was also released as part of Queen of the Clouds however it is not considered part of the promotion for the record, since its other scheduled releases were cancelled in order to promote "Talking Body", the album's second single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timebomb (Kylie Minogue song)</span> 2012 single by Kylie Minogue

"Timebomb" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released as a stand-alone single on 25 May 2012 by Parlophone, and distributed in both physical and digital formats. It was released as part of Minogue's anniversary for her 25th year in the music industry. The track was written by Karen Poole, Matt Schwartz and Paul Harris, whilst production was handled by the latter two collaborators. A different song with the same title was written for Minogue by American singer Michael Jackson but was never released. In 2012 it was included as part of the K25: Time Capsule singles box set. However the song received its first widespread album debut on the 2019 collection Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icona Pop discography</span>

The discography of Icona Pop, a Swedish synth-pop duo, consists of three studio albums, four extended plays and twenty two singles. The press, including NME, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, have praised the duo. The Guardian described the debut single "Manners" as "effortlessly cool".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tove Lo</span> Swedish singer and songwriter (born 1987)

Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, known professionally as Tove Lo, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been called "Sweden's darkest pop export" by Rolling Stone. She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take on pop music. Out referred to her autobiographical lyrical content as making her "the saddest girl in Sweden".

<i>Truth Serum</i> (EP) 2014 EP by Tove Lo

Truth Serum is the debut extended play (EP) by Swedish recording artist Tove Lo. The singer signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music in 2011, which led her to write songs for artists like Girls Aloud and Icona Pop. Around that time, she was going through a hard situation in a relationship, so she eventually started composing tracks related to that matter. She then decided to keep those tracks for herself as she considered them too personal. Lo independently released two of the songs as singles, "Love Ballad" in October 2012, and "Habits" in March 2013. Their popularity gained the singer a record deal with Universal Records in 2013. The EP was eventually released through the label to digital retailers on 3 March 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habits (Stay High)</span> 2013 single by Tove Lo

"Habits (Stay High)" is a song recorded by Swedish singer Tove Lo from her debut extended play (EP), Truth Serum, and her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds (2014). It was written by Lo with Ludvig Söderberg and Jakob Jerlström, while it was produced by the latter two under the production name the Struts. Initially, the singer self-released the song under the title "Habits" on 15 March 2013 as her second independently released single. After Lo was signed to Universal Music, the track was re-released on 6 December 2013 under the title of "Habits (Stay High)" as both the second single from Truth Serum and the lead single from Queen of the Clouds. Musically, it is a pop and electropop song which features a minimal and upbeat electronic instrumentation. Its lyrics delve into the singer's attempts to forget her previous boyfriend through substance abuse, drinking and other hedonistic practices. Consequently, some critics and Lo herself noted a contrast between the song's production and its lyrical content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talking Body</span> 2015 single by Tove Lo

"Talking Body" is a song by Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo, released to American contemporary hit radio on 13 January 2015 by Republic Records. It served as the second single from her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds (2014). It reached the top 20 in Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tove Lo discography</span>

Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo has released five studio albums, three extended plays (EP), 33 singles, seven promotional singles and 37 music videos. Lo started her career as the lead singer and songwriter in math rock band Tremblebee from 2006 until 2009. In 2011, she signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music, and started recording songs. She self-released "Love Ballad" as her debut single in October 2012. The next year, Lo released "Habits", which received positive feedback from music blogs and led her to sign a record deal with Universal Music Group. Lo's first EP, Truth Serum, was released under the label on 3 March 2014, and entered the top 20 in Norway and Sweden. Three singles were released from the EP, including a remixed version of "Habits" by production duo Hippie Sabotage, re-titled as "Stay High". The track peaked at number 13 in Sweden and reached the top ten of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timebomb (Tove Lo song)</span> 2015 single by Tove Lo

"Timebomb" is a song by Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo from her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds (2014). It was written by Lo, Alexander Kronlund and Klas Åhlund, and produced by Åhlund. Initially a promotional single, the track was later released as the third single from the album on 12 August 2015. It is an electropop and EDM track with piano instrumentation; the lyrics talk about a passionate and fleeting romance that is not meant to last.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen of the Clouds Tour</span> 2015 concert tour by Tove Lo

The Queen of the Clouds Tour was the first headlining concert tour by Swedish recording artist Tove Lo in support of her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds (2014). The tour was officially announced nine months after the release of the album, on June 22, 2015. The tour began on September 28, 2015, in San Diego at the North Park Theatre and was scheduled to conclude on November 14, 2015, in Tove Lo's home city of Stockholm, Sweden, with a total of twenty shows over the span of three months. Due to illness, Tove Lo was forced to cancel the tour's four European.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Mind (song)</span> 2013 single by Tove Lo

"Out of Mind" is a song by Swedish recording artist Tove Lo for her debut extended play, Truth Serum (2014). It was written by Lo alongside Alx Reuterskiöld and produced by The Struts with Reuterskiöld. The song was released on 16 October 2013 as the lead single from Truth Serum by Universal Music. It was also her third single overall, after "Love Ballad" and "Habits".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moments (Tove Lo song)</span> 2015 single by Tove Lo

"Moments" is a song by Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo. It was released to American contemporary hit radio on 27 October 2015 through Republic Records. It serves as the fourth and final single from her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds (2014). A remixes EP was released on 4 March 2016, featuring remixes by Seeb, Felix Snow and Samuraii. A new version of the track was included on the Blueprint Edition of her debut studio album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Ballad (Tove Lo song)</span> 2012 single by Tove Lo

"Love Ballad" is the debut single by Swedish singer Tove Lo. It was co-written by Lo, Ludvig Söderberg and Jakob Jerlström, and was produced by her co-writers under their production name The Struts. In 2012, after signing a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music and co-writing songs for artists including Girls Aloud and Icona Pop, Lo decided to become an independent singer to keep her most personal songs for herself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say It (Flume song)</span> 2016 single by Flume

"Say It" is a song by Australian musician Flume, featuring the vocals from Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo. The track was released as the third single from his second studio album, Skin. It was premiered on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on 20 April 2016 and released on 22 April 2016, by Australian label Future Classic. The song performed successfully in Oceania, peaking at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart and number four on the RMNZ Singles Chart.

<i>So Good</i> (Zara Larsson album) 2017 studio album by Zara Larsson

So Good is the second studio album by Swedish singer Zara Larsson. It was released on 17 March 2017 by TEN Music Group and Epic Records. It was Larsson's first album in nearly three years, following her debut album 1 (2014), and her first album to be released internationally. Recording sessions with a handful of producers for the album began in 2015 and concluded in early 2017. The album includes guest appearances by the rapper Ty Dolla $ign and the singers MNEK and Wizkid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disco Tits</span> 2017 single by Tove Lo

"Disco Tits" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo. It was released on 7 September 2017 as the lead single from Lo's third studio album, Blue Lips, and it was her first release after the short film Fire Fade. The song was released on Spotify a week prior to the song's official release, but was removed soon after.

<i>Sunshine Kitty</i> 2019 studio album by Tove Lo

Sunshine Kitty is the fourth studio album by Swedish singer Tove Lo, released on 20 September 2019 by Island Records. It includes the singles "Glad He's Gone", "Bad as the Boys" featuring Alma, "Jacques" with Jax Jones, "Really Don't Like U" featuring Kylie Minogue and "Sweettalk My Heart". It was her final album under Island Records, as she became an independent artist on her following releases.

<i>Lady Wood</i> 2016 studio album by Tove Lo

Lady Wood is the second studio album by Swedish singer Tove Lo, released on 28 October 2016 by Island Records. Lady Wood is considered the first half of a two-piece concept album that describe "highs, lows and ultimate demise of a relationship." Its chapters "Fairy Dust" and "Fire Fade" precede the chapters "Light Beams" and "Pitch Black" from her following album Blue Lips (2017). It was recorded between July 2015 and May 2016, which Lo commented was a quicker turnaround than the "whole life" she was afforded when creating her previous record Queen of the Clouds (2014).

References

  1. 1 2 Lansky, Sam (12 September 2014). "Review: Tove Lo Is Far From Sunny on Queen of the Clouds". Time . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Jonze, Tim (7 May 2015). "Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds review – naughty-naughty Swedish synth-pop". The Guardian . Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. Wass, Mike (6 September 2017). "Tove Lo Announces Amazingly-Titled New Single "Disco Tits"". Idolator . Retrieved 9 April 2020. Well, Tove retreats to the druggy dance-pop of Queen Of The Clouds.
  4. 1 2 3 Lipshutz, Jason (22 September 2014). "Tove Lo Falls Into Fame: On 'Habits,' Opening for Katy Perry & Using Music as Therapy". Billboard . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  5. Florino, Rick (11 September 2014). "Interview: Tove Lo". Artistdirect . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  6. 1 2 DeVille, Chris (25 September 2014). "The Week In Pop: Tove Lo Is About To Release The Best Pop Album Of 2014 (So Far)". Stereogum . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Molotov-Smith, Maxie (25 October 2014). "Album Review: Tove Lo – Queen Of The Clouds". Fortitude Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  8. 1 2 Ho, Helena (9 October 2014). "Album Review: Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Renowned for Sound . Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  9. 1 2 Capobianco, Ken (29 September 2014). "Tove Lo, 'Queen of the Clouds'". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  10. Gracie, Bianca (23 September 2014). "Tove Lo's "Thousand Miles": Listen To The New 'Queen Of The Clouds' Single". Idolator . Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Battan, Carrie (30 September 2014). "Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds". Pitchfork . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  12. Murray, Nick (19 August 2014). "Watch Tove Lo's Explosive 'Not on Drugs' Video". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  13. "BABES! I can't wait to share my FIRST EVER album with you. Make me the happiest #QueenOfTheClouds and pre-order it on iTunes NOW!!!". Facebook. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  14. "'MOMENTS' and 'TIMEBOMB' are available nooow!!! Hope you love them, I'm counting down the days till #QueenOfTheClouds... Thanks Vogue and Idolator for premiering". Facebook. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  15. "Tove Lo Performs "Habits"". YouTube . 24 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  16. "Tove Lo Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  17. "Tove Lo feat. Hippie Sabotage – Stay High". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  18. "Tove Lo – Not On Drugs (Lyric Video)". YouTube. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  19. "Tove Lo – Not On Drugs". YouTube. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  20. Cantor, Brian (8 December 2014). ""Talking Body" Now Slated as Tove Lo's Next Pop Radio Single". Headline Planet. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  21. Cullen, Abby (26 May 2015). "Boston Calling 2015 – City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA 5/22–5/24/15 (FESTIVAL RECAP)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  22. "Timebomb (Remixes) – Single". iTunes Store (Ireland). Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  23. "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access. 8 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  24. "Tove Lo – Moments". YouTube. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015. The fourth single from Tove Lo's debut album 'Queen Of The Clouds' is here!
  25. 1 2 "Reviews for Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo". Metacritic . Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  26. Phares, Heather. "Queen of the Clouds – Tove Lo". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  27. Christgau, Robert (6 February 2015). "Robert Christgau: Expert Witness". Cuepoint . Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  28. McCormick, Neil (2 May 2015). "Tove Lo, Queen of the Clouds, review: 'glossy modern pop'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  29. Davidson, Amy (11 May 2015). "Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds album review – Euphoric and miserable". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  30. Aizlewood, John (11 May 2015). "Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds, album review: 'a proper star'". Evening Standard . Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  31. Carroll, Jim (26 September 2014). "Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds". The Irish Times . Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  32. Empire, Kitty (10 May 2015). "Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds review – brash, busy and badly behaved". The Observer . Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  33. Hermes, Will (21 October 2014). "Queen of the Clouds". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  34. Ross, Evan (30 September 2014). "Track by Track Review: Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo". andPOP. Archived from the original on 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  35. Molotov-Smith, Maxie (25 October 2014). "Album Review: Tove Lo- "Queen of The Clouds"". Fortitude Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  36. O'Brien, Jon (30 September 2014). "Tove Lo "Queen of the Clouds" – Album Review". Music Is My Oxygen. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  37. Iandoli, Kathy (30 September 2014). "Tove Lo's 'Queen Of The Clouds': Album Review". Idolator . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  38. "REVIEW: Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". PressPLAY. 15 September 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  39. Trust, Gary (8 October 2014). "Meghan Trainor Leads Hot 100's Record-Setting All-Female Top Five". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  40. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double . Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  41. Jones, Alan (18 May 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: OMI's Cheerleader spends third week at No.1". Music Week . Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  42. Queen of the Clouds (liner notes). Tove Lo. Universal Music AB. 2014. 00602547024961.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  43. "Australiancharts.com – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  44. "Austriancharts.at – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  45. "Ultratop.be – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  46. "Ultratop.be – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  47. "Tove Lo Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  48. "Danishcharts.dk – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  49. "Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  50. "Lescharts.com – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  51. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  52. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Tove Lo". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  53. "Charts.nz – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  54. "Norwegiancharts.com – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  55. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  56. "Swedishcharts.com – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  57. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  58. "Tove Lo Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  59. "Årslista Album – År 2014" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  60. "Album Top-100 2015". Hitlisten.NU (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  61. "Årslista Album – År 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  62. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  63. "Årslista Album – År 2016" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  64. "Danish album certifications – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  65. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas . Retrieved August 25, 2022.Type Tove Lo in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Queen of the Clouds in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  66. "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2015 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  67. "Singapore album certifications – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Recording Industry Association Singapore . Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  68. "Veckolista Album, vecka 37, 2015 | Sverigetopplistan" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved August 25, 2022.Scroll to position 31 to view certification.
  69. "British album certifications – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  70. "American album certifications – Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  71. "Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. Australia. January 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  72. "Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. Norway. January 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  73. "Queen of the Clouds av Tove Lo". iTunes Store (in Swedish). Sweden. January 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  74. "Queen of the Clouds (Deluxe) by Tove Lo". iTunes Store . Canada. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  75. "Queen of the Clouds (Deluxe) by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  76. "Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo". IBS.it. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  77. "Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. United Kingdom. January 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  78. "Queen Of The Clouds (Deluxe Edition) by Tove Lo". Amazon . United Kingdom. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  79. "Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. Canada. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  80. "Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. United States. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  81. "Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. Australia. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  82. "Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) av Tove Lo". iTunes Store (in Swedish). Sweden. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  83. "Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) by Tove Lo". iTunes Store. United Kingdom. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.