Tove Styrke drops short but sweet pop chorus masterclass
Tove Styrke has come a long way making the music she wants to make. The Swedish pop star first had her breakthrough in the Swedish version of pop idol and released a self titled electro pop album with a distinctive sound soon after. In 2015 she followed it up with the outstanding album Kiddo, that showed a different side to her art and a big leap in terms of artistic growth. Since the spring of 2017 she has been spoon feeding us new songs which are now bundled on her third album Sway.

Tove decided to call it an album, but it could also be considered an EP as it only has 7 songs and a Lorde cover. Considering she already released the singles ‘Say My Name‘, ‘Mistakes‘, ‘Changed My Mind‘ and ‘On The Low‘, that leaves us with only three new tracks. The seven tracks together however, form a cohesive and hook driven little pop record.

Both previous albums already showcased Tove’s ability to write an irresistible pop chorus, but this new record is almost like a masterclass in creating hooks. Take single ‘Mistakes’ as an example. It shines in all its simplicity. There is some repetition there without getting too repetitive and the lyrics are straight to the point: ‘you make me, you make, you make me wanna make mistakes, love how bittersweet it tastes’. It sounds easy, but you kind of have to be a little pop genius to come up with it!

‘On The Low’ follows a similar pattern with a laidback electronic production and high pitched vocals, that almost bring back the light as a feather sound of fellow Swede Lykke Li’s debut. Title track ‘Sway’ challenges the irresistible guitar loop of first single ‘Say My Name’ with smooth drum rhythms. Lyrically, the tracks deal with the different stages in your love life. ‘I Lied’ is all about the moment you just wanted to casually date someone, but then the feelings start to get more real, while the single ‘Changed My Mind’ descbribes the moment you wanted to end things with someone, but then change your mind because you are still very much attracted to them. Relatable tunes are the best tunes!

Literally every single track delivers a chorus that sticks with you. After you hear all seven of them a battle might take place in your head between these impeccable hooks. Pop at its finest for sure!