Queen of the Clouds
[Blueprint edition]
Tove Lo
2014
Synth-pop/Dub Rave/Dream Pop
Carefully crafted in its concept, this high-paced BPM effort is one of the best works not only by the Swedish singer-songwriter, but also the millennial age of alt-pop and festival-circuit dance music.
BY DA’SHAN “NIGHTSHAWN101” SMITH
JANUARY 31, 2024
This will just be said off the bat…
In terms of alternative pop albums released in the 2010’s, Queen of the Clouds by the Swedish juggernaut Tove Lo, is the best of that time period. Let’s not waste anytime: This is a certified A+ record.
It pertains to the qualities of mainstream allure: As evident by the breakout single, “Habits (Stay High),” which documents the singer’s need to indulge in substance abuse as a coping mechanism to forget an ex-boyfriend. The original version is slower tempoed, highlighting the emotional impact of the storytelling. It’s ultimately the remixed “Hippie Sabotage” version– that draws upon trap-raving production morphed with psychedelic trance– that launched the song to a bigger more contemporary presence. Audiences become intoxicated by the “millennial whoops,” a music term that explains the repetitive “oh oh” vocal sound. To date, “Habits (Stay High)” is Tove Lo’s highest charting song globally– peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Conceptually speaking, Queen of the Clouds exudes mastery. It’s broken up into three parts– well four, if including the bonus track run. “THE SEX,” “THE LOVE,” and “THE PAIN” are all moments of the inevitable pop cycle, but the way Tove Lo (real name, Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson) tells her story can uniquely only be applied to her style.
The album starts with a spoken word interlude giving way for “THE SEX.” Tove Lo claims “the passion in the beginning will always be the best part of it.” From there, we’re greeted with choral “woo’s,” a baby laughing, and a gun getting cocked to a buzzing siren on “My Gun.” It’s militant nature opposes the soul clapping– mixing a sermon of sorts with the pinching passion of an exhilarating electro-pop beat. Guns are fired throughout Tove singing “that’s my gun, that’s my gu-uuun” and her knack to hum along some “mmm’s.” “Do you think I’m easy?” she questions in the opening track which is guided by a tropical riddim that stifles itself against the intensity. “My tune, your moon, jump on my cloud and we go high,” Tove aptly teases, simultaneously introducing the album’s titular concept.
Just as “Habits (Stay High)” resonated with global audiences, so did “Talking Body.” Vocally, in each verse she sings with a Celtic-like dialectic– over a slow creeping beat that displays a build up of lust. Like most of the album, “Talking Body” displays a burst of adrenaline rush. Tying into the theme of “THE SEX,” Tove Lo is not shy when she shouts, “if you love me right, we f*ck for life,” ultimately providing a blunt truth of the physical action as well as the euphemism for staying one forever with someone that is trusted and dependable. Thanks to the chorus, the song charted throughout the globe– reaching the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on Mainstream Pop radio. The most addicting part of “Talking Body” is not only the drawn out bridge, but also a lower-register background vocal that utilizes monotone to underscore the “we f*ck for life” portion of the hook.
Much of Queen of the Clouds consists of a dramatic flare– one that expresses vulnerability. From “Timebomb” which races against its literal length and the pounding of piano keys and beat explosions; to “Moments” where Tove Lo reveals her insecurities about her looks and not being comparable to other women. “Moments” kicks off “THE LOVE,” which is realized after “Timebomb” happens at the end of “THE SEX.” On “Moments” she does a great staccato of mentioning, “but on good days, I am charming as f*ck,” showing a sheer honesty and acknowledgement of where she stands on the spectrum. “THE LOVE” skit features Tove Lo simply saying, “and then you freak out, because suddenly you need this person.”
What makes Queen of the Clouds stand out is how raw and uncensored Tove Lo is with her music. She’s not afraid to put it out there– whether that's by incorporating vulgarity or using the instrumentals to express where she stands at the particular moment on the LP. “The Way That I Am” finds a femme fatale crying out “I love you anyway” in the midst of an argument. That vibe would be revisited in the ‘Blueprint Edition’ of bonus tracks where she shouts the hook of “Out Of Mind.” What could be a ballad in “The Way That I Am,” turns out to be an angsty dub-laden confessional. That trickles into the joyous, dream pop thriller, “Got Love,” where the Celtic-attitude resurfaces.
The pacing of Queen of the Clouds is what makes it one of the strongest albums of its time. While many projects of that alt-pop era contain stellar tracks that meld well in their concepts, Tove Lo forces you to immerse yourself in her feelings. It’s the off-kilter balance of BPMs that slip in subtle nuances that constantly keeps the ear on alert. For instance, “Got Love,” snakes in violins towards the end, which rounds out a raving song into a passionate frolic in a daisy filled field.
By “Not On Drugs,” which incorporates stop-and-go mechanisms, Tove Lo alludes to the album’s title “I’m Queen of the Clouds.” Filled with passionate pleas contrasted by matter-of-fact sentiments, Tove Lo wants to be believed when saying “baby listen please, I’m not on drug … I’m just in love.” The best part of “Not On Drugs” – and probably one of the more relatable anecdotes– is “and I’m trip, trip, tripping in my Empire State of Mind.” In a song that discusses dreams– a constant running theme on the LP, we’re experiencing an anti-hero falling apart in the city dreams built up. “You’re high enough for me,” she assures her lover as the background angels that are heard throughout the LP, seem to be crashing down with her. Unfortunately for her, that leads into “THE PAIN.”
The interlude for “THE PAIN” finds Tove Lo in a depressed state: “And then there's no good way to end things/'Cause it's ending, you know?” Brooding in its musical nature, “Thousand Miles” is the complete opposite of the bliss from Vanessa Carlton’s signature 2002 hit– in fact this one gives intricately layered melodrama. Just as it is haunting, it still gets to a point of being fast-paced during the chorus. Working as a dramatic climax, that leads into the vice-describing “Habits,” a response to how Tove Lo didn’t accomplish “get[ting] back” her lover. By “This Time Around” the heartbreak has set in– with Genius noting that the vibes are akin to the work of Charli XCX.
The final portion of ‘The Blueprint Edition’ channels why Tove Lo has become a staple in the festival scene– particularly during that time. “Run On Love” consists of a country-adjacent twang; there’s the “Hippie Sabotage Remix” of her biggest hit to date; “Over” and the Alesso-assisted “Heroes (We Could Be)” being standard fare for 2010’s raves; while, “Love Ballad” has a pub rumble. The best track of this collection is “Paradise,” because it sets listeners up for a euphoric chorus that speeds along while Tove Lo maintains her singing and songwriting confidence. It’s a burst of energy that harkens anime passion akin to the Powerpuff Girls meeting a saiyan who specializes in Swedish-hit-factory penmanship. The song literally sounds like… “Paradise.”
Not only is Tove Lo so assured in her own sound throughout Queen of the Clouds (that can not be editorially expressed enough…), she provides unpredictability from start to finish. Just when listeners think they’ve gotten enough of the rave music, there is “Crave” which completely throws all that for a loop. It’s a creeper that combines slow-tempoed dub with the millennial whoops Tove Lo is known for. “You are my favorite mistake” she takes her time revealing. What could be perceived as jumbled up– as soon as it gets into a high leveled burst during the hook– is exactly what Tove Lo sets listeners up for. Throughout the album, each track uses this same formula: Slow tempoed build ups that have a manic episode by the hook.
Queen of the Clouds is a stellar record from start to finish. Tove Lo presents herself as an anti-heroine that flips the script on the traditional love narrative that exists in pop music. At this stage of her career, she has not experienced the same level of commercial success– which is unfortunate because her talent radiates. However, one thing is for sure, the Queen of the Clouds should be proud of this masterpiece.
“My Gun” for being an exhilarating opener that is a journey in itself.
“Paradise” for giving exactly what its title suggests.
“Talking Body” for being addictive and a great follow up to the massive success of “Habits (Stay High)”
“Not On Drugs” for its passionate build up, witty lyricism, and centralizing the concept of the album.
“The Way That I Am” for best capturing her vulnerability with mystique and surpassing the typical dubstep song.
Key Tracks
Queen of the Clouds is a record that is assured of itself. It consists of passion, tact, edginess, and a unique sense of understanding its intention. There are literally no skips on the album. It exudes artistic confidence that happened to be lightyears ahead of its peers. Conceptually, lyrically, vocally, and production-wise, Queen of the Clouds is a bonafide masterpiece that will be hard for Tove Lo to top more than a decade later.