Tove Lo Biography

Tove Lo, by her full name Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, is a Swedish electropop singer and songwriter. She was named “Sweden’s darkest pop export” by Rolling Stone and is frequently referred to as “the saddest girl in Sweden”. She met fame in 2014 due to her extremely catchy single Habits (Stay High). The song reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, its popularity doubled after the Hippie Sabotage remix.

Early Life & Career

Tove was born in a wealthy district near Stockholm and studied music in school. She ulteriorly described her childhood as “safe” and “protected”, therefore she wanted to try else things. In 2006 Tove started a rock band called Tremblebee. During that period she developed a friendship with Icona Pop. A few years later, despite her parents’ wish, she pursued a professional career in the music industry. She continued to compose independently and released her first single Love Ballad. 

Breakthrough & Fame

Eventually, in 2014, Tove signed with Island  and Polydor Records. The contract firstly spawned an EP titled Truth Serum, which included two singles, among which her breakthrough song. The EP itself did not gain much success but Habits (Stay High) managed to spread the name Tove Lo all over the globe. Later that year the singer released her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds. The album reached number 14 on the US Billboard 200. Habits (Stay High) was the lead single and became a sleeper hit. The album offered three more singles, from which Talking Body gained some popularity. Additionally, Tove collaborated with Katy Perry on her Prismatic World Tour and created the song Scream My Name forThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1.

In 2015, Tove received 2 Grammy Awards – Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. In addition to her solo work, Tove co-wrote a number of songs for other singers, including Hilary Duff’s Sparks and Ellie Goulding’s Love Me like You Do. Moreover, she was featured on Coldplay’s Fun. In 2016, the Swedish singer released her second album, describing it as “darker and dreamier”. Lady Wood received really good rewards but it was generally agreed that it did not have the impact of its predecessor. However, the lead single Cool Girl was all over the international charts. In 2017, Tove’s Lies in the Dark was featured in the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack.

Photo source: Discogs