Love songs are everywhere. “Love” in general is the most sung about topic in the history of music, and as a universal experience, you can’t blame the pop stars of today for continuing the trend. Enter Tove Lo, back with her fifth album, Dirt Femme, and ready to get sweaty, nasty, and tearful while singing about a concept everyone is familiar with. The Swedish singer-songwriter has never shied away before when it comes to music that’s unapologetically horny (just look at her past hits “Disco Tits” or “Talking Body”), but in Dirt Femme, she’s also not afraid to get just a smidge more vulnerable over pulsing beats to keep you dancing the entire time as well.
There’s an unabashed desperation to Tove Lo’s lyrics. For her lover, she’s willing to act out of character, commit crimes, or even die for the unnamed subject of her songs. But seriously, she mentions her willingness to die for her partner so many times throughout Dirt Femme, that it risks getting repetitive. It’s probably a reference to the album’s fantastic opener and lead single “No One Dies From Love”, where she muses that she’ll be “the first.”
But with an album that promises a deep look into female sexuality and desire, why return to the same extreme? Some songs break the trend however, with the synth-heavy “Grapefruit” going over struggles with body dysmorphia, while country-tinged “Cute & Cruel” features a delightfully random feature from folk duo First Aid Kit. It’s these moments that help the album stand out, making it a fresh romp with a pop star who never really misses when it comes to her music.