★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Pop's straight-talking Tove Lo has dropped her fourth LP under the colourful title Sunshine Kitty. If you're not aware of Tove Lo, you'd be under the impression that the title came from the actress in Mean Girls who sobbed 'I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy'. In fact, it embodies edgier themes, ranging from feminism to sex positivity, not all that surprising when you take into account her previous works go under the titles Lady Wood and Blue Lips. The cover features a polaroid of Tove bent over a kitchen workspace and I'm thinking now that I'll venture to an IKEA showroom and recreate it. There's also a Disney-styled lynx perched besides her and she also has one tattooed on her right hand. I think she likes them a bit.
The album's lead single, Glad He's Gone, is a drop of colour on what is a rather sombre discography that curated a narrative of a heartbroken soul navigating life through a never ending party. There's a genius (and sometimes humorous video) for it that clicks with the deadpan lyrics and, quite frankly, I imagine myself in the video when walking to the offy. Untamed by mainstream success, her songwriting remains brilliant through the fact that she has been bold enough to twist any subject into an infectious melody. Take a look at Bad as the Boys for example, that features the underrated ALMA; it's opens a story of unsuccessful bi-curiosity.
Tove Lo's previous albums have balanced fun pop songs with brutal ballads. Using interludes as a wall between the spectrum of dark and light, Sunshine Kitty has these themes splattered all over, making the album unpredictable and exciting. The Halsey-esque indie-pop stylings can be found on the likes of Stay Over and Come Undone. The haunting chorus of Sweettalk my Heart put her vocals on the pedestal they deserve to be on, demonstrating the strength and, simultaneously, delicacy. Mateo is one of those tracks that just forces you to confront your own insecurities as she sings in an utterly earnest fashion. It's not drowning in pretentious lyrics, it feels vulnerable and ultimately becomes an album highlight. Mistaken is also rather deep, I think I'd only just recovered from the emotional scarring of Mateo when this track dropped.
The party-girl edge is sonically not lost on the album with a number of upbeat bops to jolt the listener. Are U Gonna Tell Her is a techno-infiltrated, heart-racing assertion of the thrill of a one night affair to the shame of it after. Her sultry tone provides a pop sparkle and its undeniably a stand out. She brings guests onto the album, including Doja Cat (who I think everyone is going to become obsessed with) for Equally Lost to make the album bite a little more. Tove Lo also included her already successful Jax Jones collaboration, Jacques, to the tracklist. However, it is certainly more suitable for the chart-friendly Jax Jones and it feels more like a marketing ploy than an important sonic edition for the album. It ultimately becomes out of place.
Really don't like u. Three words: Kylie.fucking.Minogue. Having someone who has cemented their pop legacy in the way that Kylie Minogue has and then having her jumping on your song is surely on par with getting a knighthood from the Queen of England. It's a little heartwarming to consider what it may have meant for Tove Lo. It doesn't feel monetised but instead is two certified pop stars teaming up to make magic. It's an amusing, deliciously auto-tuned song that taps into petty jealousy, but leaves no remnants of loathing or salty feelings. Anywhere u go (no one has provided any clarity on the current trend of capitalising song titles) is a superb end. It feels like the finite moment of an intense drama film. The punchy chorus has you singing every lyric whilst creasing your face in passion.
The brighter touches of the album feel like a natural progression for Tove Lo. It will also never not be wonderful to hear her deliver the uptempo bops that she has a knack for. However, her greatest achievements always arise when she demonstrates vulnerability. The sometimes brutal lyrics that are blended with loud pop synths are distinct and clever. The album is not so much of a bold departure from previous sounds that her other albums have been when they dropped, but it's undoubtedly a solid addition to her discography. There are more songs to dance to, more to cry to, more to sing in fervour. Maybe avoid singing Shifted to your mother though, listen to it and you'll understand why.
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