In recent memory, 2014 was big year for music. A storm was brewing in the skies of the pop industry. Taylor Swift was still riding high off of her genre transitioning album “Red,” and we thought we knew everything about pop music.

The skies were blue, the sun was up and almost everyone was happy with the pop genre. Then came Tove Lo. On Sept. 24, she released an album to critical acclaim. She would blur the lines of pop and release songs about pain, mistakes and gritty nights shrouded in euphoric promiscuity.

Her album “Queen of The Clouds” contained bangers like “Habits,” “Talking Body” and more. Because of her, the once sunny atmosphere that was the pop genre took a dark turn and it became evident that a storm was imminent. That storm came in all of its beautiful darkness.
The queen of the clouds is back., and she has returned with her latest album: “Sunshine Kitty.”

“Sunshine Kitty” represents a shift not only in sound, but in tone, as well. Tracks like “Glad He’s Gone” and “Stay Over” exemplify this, as in both songs, Tove has something to say about love, a common topic in her work. These songs make it clear that her musical recipe hasn’t deviated too much from 2014, but her kitchen has undergone some renovations.

The sound of these tracks is more mellow, split from her usual dark foreboding songs. It almost sounds as if Tove is trying to fit in with the crowded pop-field around her, and that’s okay.

However, it can be disappointing to witness, when the attempt is ineffective. For example, tracks like “Equally Lost” and “Bad As The Boys” can make a listener forgetful that this is a Tove Lo album. “Bad As The Boys” sounds more like a Taylor Swift song, from the acoustic guitar to the light beat, to lyrics about boys.

Tove falls flat in her effort to blend in with the pop scene here. “Equally Lost” also takes away from the album. In this track, Tove collaborates with Doja Cat, who raps. It is a cringe-worthy effort, and the nadir of this album. Hip-Hop does seem to peek through the veil in this new album, and in some instances like the track “Come Undone,” it works.

However, on tracks like “Are u gonna tell her?” it’s more of a stretch. The track’s beat is very much something you would hear from modern rap, and Tove works well with it in terms of rhythm and pace. However, MC Zaac diminishes Tove’s efforts here and makes an otherwise outstanding track feel out of place.

Listeners may find themselves nostalgic with tracks like “Jaques”  and “Mateo,” as “Jaques” dance aesthetic sounds like her prior album “Blue Lips” and “Mateo”  sounds like her sophomore album, “Lady Wood.” Both were amazing tracks that convey to the pop audience that Tove Lo has not lost her identity. However, what really served as a perfect blend of 2014 and 2019’s Tove Lo was the track, “Really Don’t Like U.”

The track is accompanied by a house sound and Tove’s edgy singing; “Really I just don’t like you/ Look prettier than I do tonight.” Arguably, this song represents Tove Lo at her best in this album.

She’s in her element here: she’s gritty, mysterious and, oftentimes, promiscuous. All of what makes Tove Lo is in this track and you won’t be able to stop listening to this wherever you are; in the car, at home, outside or partying with your roomies when you should really be getting to finishing that project.

In sum, Tove Lo’s album represents a myriad of things. It represents a tonal shift that at times, will be welcome and other times will be repudiated. However, this album is still Tove Lo, she’s just deciding to experiment with something audibly new. Some experimentation yields pleasurable results for her, and others will leave you questioning her musical choices.

Altogether, it’s an album that deserves a listen and can be compelling when it isn’t trying too hard to fit in with today’s pop scene.

We do not know when we’ll hear from Tove again. However, we’ll still be excited to see where she will go next. Tove’s lyrics on her closing track of the album describes our feeling as listeners perfectly; “Come whenever. It doesn’t matter/ I’ll follow you anywhere you go.”