Tove Lo is not, as she frequently likes to remind us, like your average pop star. The 27-year-old Swede sings about taking drugs and binge-drinking and having sex with dads she’s picked up in the playground. Sometimes she comes across as refreshingly open, at others the references to spliffs (naughty!) and her fondness for swearing (tut!) feel awkwardly crowbarred in. Thankfully, even the cringiest lyrics (“If you love me right, we fuck for life”) are aligned with massive choruses. Sonically, it doesn’t deviate much from current synthy trends, and the album’s overriding “concept” – which follows the arc of a relationship – will only be revelatory for those who didn’t know that people like to have lots of sex with a partner at first, before sometimes going on to fall in love and then have a blazing row. But tracks such as My Gun are undeniable bangers, while the lyrics can be smart, especially on Like Em Young, which takes a repellent pop trope and turns it neatly on its head.
