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Review & Photos by Deirdre Kelly
On February 10th, Swedish pop icon Tove Lo, gave an exhilarating performance to a sold-out show at Boston’s House of Blues as a part of the Sunshine Kitty Tour. This run kicked off earlier this month in Nashville & will be closing off in Los Angeles by the end of the month before she heads overseas for some European appearances. Her album released last Fall, Sunshine Kitty, was the focal promotion of this tour (if the tour name didn’t give it away.) So, needless to say, fans have been itching to hear these new songs live for the first time.
Few moments before showtime & the crowd was chanting her name in anticipation. A fan at the barricade was also telling me that he flew all the way from England to see her. Even though she’ll be doing a few shows in the United Kingdom next month-- he couldn’t bear to wait!
Tove Lo eventually took the stage, lights silhouetting her, before the stage is a-glow & proceeds with a fierce performance of her first single off of Sunshine Kitty, “Glad He’s Gone” immediately amping up the crowd. This independent-woman anthem transitioned into her lost summer love song, “Bad As The Boys” which evoked some Shakira hip moves. Throwing it back to her 2016 album Lady Wood, “Cool Girl,” followed suit creating an inferno on the dancefloor and some sassy recitals of the lyrics from members of the audience. Beautifully transitioning into her next dreamy song, “Shifted,” she managed to relate to the crowd on a deeper level as she sang “I’m done, done, I’m done, done putting in work” as it was a Monday night.
In between songs, Tove Lo gave a warm welcome to Boston & encouraged every attendee to let loose & shamelessly dance; referring to it as “the dancing section” of the set despite the constant grooving in the first portion. Club-esque hits “Influence” & “Are U gonna tell her?” were played seamlessly as the crowd doing exactly as instructed: dancing like no one’s watching while she would seemingly incorporate her daily workout routine into her dance moves (specifically referring to the “glute bridges” she was doing while lying down.) Continuing the club-like atmosphere, then came “Jacques,” causing every sardined person in the pit to jump to the beat. Shortly after, one of her most well-known tracks, “Talking Body” was performed with great liberation & some light flashing from the singer during the bridge. But hey, she warned us, we were Talking Body. Continuing the sensual dance party with her single, “Really Don’t Like U,” originally recorded with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, & then party anthem “disco tits.” This later prompted a member of the audience to toss a bra on stage to which Tove Lo responded with “this keeps happening to me, I don’t know why” before presuming it’s probably from the “sexual energy” they bring to every show.
Soon after, the singer took us back to her first full length record, Queen Of The Clouds, with an intense performance of “Not On Drugs” before slowing it down to a raw solo performance of another “Moments” gracefully played on a keyboard piano. It was definitely one of those moments where you could see the artist connecting with the audience on another level. Maintaining the vulnerability on stage, she performed “hey you got drugs?” which is the closing track on her third album, BLUE LIPS, & one of my personal favorites. Before you knew it, Tove Lo returned to the stage in a whole new outfit: a bikini top, some high-rise patchworked jeans & her signature barefeet, to sing “bitches” with her opening act, ALMA, who also happens to be one of the many female features on this single alongside Charli XCX, Icona Pop & Elliphant. Lifting the crowd’s spirits back up, the elation continued with the familiar Lady Wood’s “True Disaster” transitioning into newer Sunshine Kitty hits, “Mateo” & “Come Undone.” Just as Tove Lo’s high energy had not wavered, neither had the crowd’s as feel-good “Anywhere U Go” & fan-favorite “Out Of Mind” plays while fans sang to each other every word without ever missing a beat. The inevitable ending creeped upon us before Tove Lo returned for an unforgettable encore. Her psychedelic stage production complemented her hypnotic performance of another single from Sunshine Kitty, “Sweettalk My Heart.” Throwing it all the way back to one of the songs that kick-started her career, the 2014 classic “Habits (Stay High)” followed after with the audience’s recital virtually drowning out her vocals completely. Tove Lo then closed her set with a jovial number; her latest single drop, “Bikini Porn.” Completely embracing the true essence of carefree with the lyrics “You rollin’ free with no worries,” the crowd would chant the last chorus with her before it was finally time to bid-adieu.
Boston’s sold out show was a wonderful representation of Tove Lo’s fanbase support. The incessant cheering & dancing throughout the show really heightened the fun-loving experience of what a Tove Lo show truly provides. If there is anything you should take from this, it’s that you should support more badass women in the music industry just like Tove Lo. Sunshine Kitty is available on all streaming platforms & in-stores so what are you waiting for? Time to dance in your bikinis.
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