Songs like Tove Lo: 10 tracks of blunt, dark-edged electropop

Songs like Tove Lo pair big, glossy Scandinavian pop hooks with lyrics that skip the polite version: the hangover, the bad decision, the crush that's obviously a mistake. Her appeal is that honesty set to a beat you can dance to. Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend," Zara Larsson's "Lush Life" and Caroline Polachek's "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" work the same way.

The Swedish songwriter born Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson broke through in 2013 with "Habits (Stay High)," a breakup song about staying out so you don't have to feel anything. Her debut album, Queen of the Clouds, followed in 2014 with "Talking Body." Lady Wood (2016) and Blue Lips (2017) were built as linked chapters, Sunshine Kitty (2019) brought the brighter "Glad He's Gone," and Dirt Femme (2022) included "No One Dies from Love."

What does Tove Lo sound like?

Most Tove Lo songs sit in a mid-tempo electropop pocket, fast enough to dance to but slow enough to feel heavy. The production leans on thick, low synth bass, crisp programmed drums and moody pads, and the choruses usually open into a chant-like hook that repeats until it sticks. On Lady Wood and Blue Lips the sound turns darker and more nocturnal; on Sunshine Kitty it brightens into something closer to straight pop.

Her voice is the signature: slightly husky, pushed into a raw, cracking upper register when a chorus needs it, then pulled back to a near-whisper for the verses. The themes return album after album: sex without romance, love that's bad for both people, partying to avoid a feeling, and the morning after. What sets her apart is the tone. She sounds neither ashamed nor triumphant, just honest, often with a dry sense of humor.

Songs like Tove Lo: 10 picks

1. Robyn, "Call Your Girlfriend" (2010). A Swedish dance-pop song in which the narrator coaches her new lover on how to end things kindly with the girlfriend he's leaving. The messy situation sung with total clarity is the template Tove Lo builds on.
2. Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX, "I Love It" (2012). A Swedish duo shouting a gleeful kiss-off over a crunchy electro beat. It's the reckless, burn-it-down side of Tove Lo at full volume.
3. Marina and the Diamonds, "Primadonna" (2012). A big, theatrical pop song from a narrator who knows she's difficult and won't apologize. Fans of "Cool Girl" will recognize the knowing, self-aware character.
4. Charli XCX, "Boom Clap" (2014). A bright, punchy love song with a stomping beat and a chorus built for shouting. Its mix of sugar and grit sits right beside Queen of the Clouds, released the same year.
5. Zara Larsson, "Lush Life" (2015). Another Swedish pop export, all summer-night freedom and a looping hook. It shares the Stockholm pop craft without the darkness, a good pick for the Sunshine Kitty mood.
6. MØ, "Final Song" (2016). The Danish singer over a moody, airy electropop beat, with a slightly rough voice that cracks at the right moments. Of all ten picks, it's the closest vocal match.
7. Dua Lipa, "New Rules" (2017). A set of rules for not going back to an ex, over a light, tropical-tinged dance beat. Knowing better and almost doing it anyway runs through half of Tove Lo's catalog.
8. Sigrid, "Don't Kill My Vibe" (2017). The Norwegian singer pushing back at people who talk down to her, over sharp, punchy electropop. It has the same plainspoken Scandinavian bluntness.
9. Caroline Polachek, "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" (2019). A breezy, slightly strange synth-pop song about pining for someone who has moved on. The wry, self-mocking angle on heartache matches Tove Lo's humor.
10. Chappell Roan, "Casual" (2022). A slow-building synth-pop song about an arrangement that's supposed to be casual and obviously isn't for one of the two people. Among newer artists, it's the most direct heir to Tove Lo's frankness.

Tove Lo's real hook isn't the synth line, it's the refusal to clean up the story.

Lyra Voss songs that fit

Lyra Voss is a Reykjavík electropop act whose debut album, Solstice Light, shares Tove Lo's Nordic synth palette, if not her grit.

1. Close match: Lyra Voss, "Voltage". The album opener and lead single (3:02) treats desire as an electrical charge, with a hook that holds pleasure and pain in the same breath. That push and pull is very Tove Lo; the difference is the imagery, circuits and current instead of her street-level detail.
2. Partial match: Lyra Voss, "Glass Parade". Track fifteen (3:38) looks back on a shared history with someone, a promise of forever made half as a dare, and brings the album back to the dancefloor. The nostalgia and the club setting line up; the mood is warmer and more hopeful than Tove Lo's breakup songs.

More artists like Tove Lo

Beyond the ten songs, the names most often grouped with Tove Lo come from the Scandinavian pop world she grew out of, including Robyn, Lykke Li, Sigrid, Zara Larsson, Astrid S and Icona Pop, plus English-language peers such as Charli XCX, Halsey, Bebe Rexha and Kim Petras.

Pick by what you play her for. If it's the bruised, late-night records like Lady Wood, go to MØ and Lykke Li. If it's the bright, funny singles, Charli XCX and Zara Larsson are the move. For the frankness about sex and relationships, Chappell Roan and Caroline Polachek carry it into the current decade.

Where to start

Start with "Call Your Girlfriend" to hear the Swedish pop template, then play "Lush Life" and "Final Song" back to back for the bright and the bruised sides. Finish with "Casual" and Lyra Voss's "Voltage". Our Scandinavian electropop guide maps the wider scene, and if Robyn is already a favorite, our songs like Robyn picks go deeper into Swedish dance-pop.

Key takeaways

1. Songs like Tove Lo pair dark, bass-heavy electropop with lyrics that tell the unflattering version of a night out or a relationship.
2. Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend" (2010) and Icona Pop's "I Love It" (2012) show the Swedish pop roots of the sound.
3. MØ, Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek and Chappell Roan share her candor from different angles.
4. Lyra Voss's "Voltage" and "Glass Parade" from Solstice Light (2026) match the push and pull of desire and the dancefloor nostalgia, with cooler, more cosmic imagery.

Tove Lo made bad decisions sound like great pop songs without pretending they were good decisions. The songs worth keeping next to hers do the same, and admit it with a straight face.

FAQ

What genre is Tove Lo?

Tove Lo is a Swedish pop singer and songwriter usually filed under electropop and dance-pop. Her records pair dark synth production with blunt, personal lyrics.

What artists are similar to Tove Lo?

Robyn, Lykke Li, Sigrid, Zara Larsson, MØ, Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek are among the closest. Each shares her mix of big pop hooks and candid songwriting.

What Tove Lo song should I start with?

"Habits (Stay High)" from 2013 is her breakthrough and the usual entry point. "Talking Body" and "Cool Girl" show where she went next.

Who is Lyra Voss?

Lyra Voss is a McCandless Records electropop and synth-pop act from Reykjavík, Iceland, whose debut album, Solstice Light, came out in May 2026. Its sixteen tracks are built around the longest day and the longest night of the year.