Queen of the Clouds [LP] [Bonus Tracks]

by Tove Lo

Overview

Swedish singer/songwriter Tove Lo followed her hit single "Habits (Stay High)" -- a disarmingly vulnerable recounting of all the shocking things she does to numb a painful breakup -- with Queen of the Clouds, a debut album that falls somewhere between Icona Pop's sugar rush hedonism and Sia's moody confessions. A good friend of Icona Pop's Caroline Hjelt (and co-writer of the group's "Ready for the Weekend"), like Sia, Tove originally thought she'd have a better chance at a pop career by penning songs for others than in the spotlight herself. However, her songwriting background ensures that Queen of the Clouds has plenty of hooks, as well as a high-concept approach: she organizes pop's eternal concerns of lust, love, and heartbreak into a set of songs that breaks the span of an entire relationship into thirds. While the spoken-word snippets that introduce each part of the album aren't strictly necessary, the format gives Queen of the Clouds more emotional resonance and balance as it spans seize-the-moment highs such as the fizzy, P!nk-esque "Timebomb," the openness of "The Way That I Am," and the loss of "Thousand Miles." Tove also proves her electro-pop has a similar range with songs that range from bouncy ("Not on Drugs") to sleek (the EDM moves of "Run on Love"). However, it's Tove's frankness that makes her truly distinctive. "Habits (Stay High)," with its tales of going to sex clubs and gorging on Twinkies, is still Queen of the Clouds' standout, although "Moments," where she admits "On the good days I am charming as f*ck," is a close second. By owning her mistakes, she turns them into strengths -- and delivers a winning first album in the process. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2014
Label:	Island
UPC:	0602547019592
Rank:	20723

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Sex (Intro)
2. My Gun
3. Like Em Young
4. Talking Body
5. Timebomb
6. The Love (Interlude)
7. Moments
8. The Way That I Am
9. Got Love
10. Not on Drugs

Disc 2

11. The Pain (Interlude)
12. Thousand Miles
13. Habits (Stay High)
14. This Time Around
15. Run on Love [QOTC Edit]
16. Love Ballad
17. Not on Drugs
18. Over
19. Habits (Stay High)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tove Lo   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Alesso   Primary Artist
Lucas Nord   Primary Artist
Filip Runesson   Strings
Shellback   Keyboards
David Nystroem   Piano
Daniel Ledinsky   Strings,Vocals (Background)
Alx Reuterskioeld   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Ludvig Soederberg   Guitar
Jakob Jerlstrom   Guitar
Mike "Scribz" Riley   Keyboards
The Struts   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Elliot Wilkins   Guitar

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Andy Selby   Vocal Editing
John Hanes   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Michael Ilbert   Mixing
David Bowie   Composer
Brian Eno   Composer
Klas Ahlund   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Shellback   Producer,Programming
Ali Payami   Composer,Producer,Remixing,Programming,Instrumentation
Alexander Kronlund   Composer
Nate Company   Composer
Ryan McMahon   Composer
Nate Campany   Composer
Daniel Werner   A&R
Peter Hart   A&R
Mike Riley   Composer
Bjorn Engelmann   Mastering
Ryan Rabin   Composer
Jason Gill   Composer,Producer
Mattias Larsson   Composer
Robert Marvin   Engineer
Tobias Jimson   Composer
Daniel Ledinsky   Composer,Additional Production
Alx Reuterskioeld   Composer,Producer
Alessandro Lindblad   Composer,Producer
Captain Cuts   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Kyle Shearer   Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Robin Fredriksson   Composer
Michel Flygare   Composer
Hippie Sabotage   Remixing,Additional Production
Johannes Helje   Photography,Cover Design,Photo Editing
Daniel Aberg   Design,Cover Design,Art Direction
Tove Lo   Composer,Cover Design,Hand Lettering
Ludvig Soederberg   Composer
Jakob Jerlstrom   Composer
Mike "Scribz" Riley   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
The Struts   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Lucas Nord   Mixing,Producer
Ben Berger   Composer
Elliot Wilkins   Composer
Spyke Lee   Assistant
Lucas Nordqvist   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Caiti Green   A&R
Clara Taegtstroem   Cover Design
Jeff Saurer   Arranger
Julius Petersson   A&R
Kevin Saurer   Arranger
Lars Norgren   Mixing
Mattman & Robin   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Oskar Wettergren   Hand Lettering
Mike "Scrilbz" Riley   Composer
Cutting Room   Mastering
Jeffery Saurer   Arranger