Tove Lo just released her latest album, ESTRUS, and, keeping to true Tove Lo fashion, the album is a toxic masterpiece. Some of you may know this messy Swedish popstar from her more viral tracks, including “Talking Body,” “Habits (Stay High),” and “Never Be Like You” by Flume featuring Tove Lo. If you remember the sexy vibe of these songs, be ready for more just like that. ESTRUS is hugely representative of Tove Lo’s typical musicality, where the album’s song lyrics explore sex and toxic behaviour in relationships alongside iconic, sultry beats.
The album was teased with the early release of a snippet from the song “F.A.M.T,” which stands for “F*ck Away My Tears.” As the abbreviation would suggest, the song is reminiscent of the messy fallout from a probably not-so-healthy relationship/situationship and the coping mechanisms the speaker is resorting to to try and deal with the loss. The chorus is without a doubt iconic with the lyrics, “I should be working on myself right now/Don’t wanna know, don’t/wanna figure it out/I’d rather f*ck away my tears somehow,/… I would feel better with your hand in my mouth.” This song is certainly a standout from the album, but there are a handful of other great songs that encapsulate that classic relationship messiness Tove Lo is known for exploring in her prose.
Of the 13 other songs left from the album, “are we on a break,” “source of life,” “DNH,” “if I could I would,” “I’m your girl, right?,” and “des fleurs,” featuring Stromae, are my favourites. All songs follow the same theme as “F.A.M.T,” and delve into the complicated nature of relationships. Many of the song titles more explicitly reference confusion and instability between lovers, especially “are we on a break” and “I’m your girl, right?,” with the two songs almost playing off each other as the speaker looks for answers.
On the other hand, some of the songs focus more on the happiness and pleasure found in relationships, rather than solely dwelling on the negative aspects. “source of life” and “des fleurs” are two that stand out to me as songs that explore the beauty and sensuality found within partnerships. With Stromae being featured on “des fleurs”, the two singers have a conversation with each other through the lyrics. Half the song is in French, a language universally associated with love and romance.
Lastly, “DNH,” which stands for “Drunk ‘n’ Horny”, represents the hypersexuality experienced by some people going through a breakup, closely linking it to “F.A.M.T.” Contrastingly, “if I could I would” is a more solemn song, seeming to mourn the relationship through an expression of guilt over the speaker’s avoidant tendencies. These two songs, when placed next to each other, represent the highs and the lows of a breakup.
Overall, this album was a huge success. It clearly represents Tove Lo’s signature style while also not feeling repetitive or redundant. Additionally, I love that many of these songs didn’t feel like they were being produced for the sole reason of being used in 10-second snippets on TikTok to go viral. Tove Lo is currently on tour for ESTRUS and is set to perform across North America and Europe. I wasn’t lucky enough to score tickets (mostly because the only Canadian concert is in Toronto (booooo)), but if you had better luck than me, embrace your messy party girl and scream your heart out while you reminisce over your very own toxic breakup.