Tove Lo Shakes Off The Club With 4 A.M. YouTube Deep Dives

The last time Tove Lo held a Gay Guy Music Video Night, she rewatched… herself. “We just went through all of my short films, and I was just like, ‘See, this one was so f*cking cool,’” she recalls. “It’s a little bit embarrassing, but also on brand.” Her confidence is justified. From romancing a robot in “No One Dies From Love” to going on a murderous, globe-trotting adventure in the Grammy-nominated “Glad He’s Gone,” the Swedish popstar has no shortage of modern GGMVN classics, always outfitting her electro-pop delights with narratives that keep you guessing.

Her latest single “I’m your girl right?,” from her upcoming album Estrus (out Sept. 18), upholds the high bar she’s set for herself, with Lo finding animalistic liberation in a Handmaid’s Tale-style religious cult. “I’m so fascinated by cults and how you’ll sacrifice so much of yourself just to belong,” she says. Below, Lo opens up about the music videos she puts on for GGMVN (well, besides her own), growing up bisexual in Sweden, and life lessons from queer nightlife.

When it comes to pop videos, “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn is 10/10. That was on at all times at my house. It has that sad, romantic feel — being lonely in the club. I remember feeling that way so many times when I was going out at 16 with my fake ID. You’d see someone you think is cute, but they don’t look back at you, and then you’re sitting in the corner, moody and drunk.

I remember seeing the video for the first time on Sweden’s equivalent to MTV, but I was a fan of hers long before that. One of the first songs I ever practiced singing was a song she put out when she was a teenager: “Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect).” I was singing that at home and also practicing “Show Me Love,” with the bridge that went really high. I was trying to hit that note and never really got it. What a time. She’s one of those artists who’s had such a long career with 100% integrity all the way. She really took ownership quite early on, like, This is who I am. This is what I want to do. It’s so clear who she is as an artist. It’s very inspiring to me.

When I do Gay Guy Music Video Nights with my friends, we spend a long time on one artist, like going through all the eras of Madonna. We usually come home at 4 a.m., but we’re not ready to go to bed, so we just start putting stuff on. You start with someone’s latest video and take a trip down memory lane, like, “No, but remember this video?” You end up at some of the really big ’90s videos, and then you jump forward, like, “Oh, but have you seen this new artist who was inspired by that one?”

I think an iconic pop video has a strong narrative that’s clear but told with humor, and there’s usually a fashion element involved as well. The looks have to be strong. I’m gonna toot my own horn here, or the directors’, because it was their ideas, but my “Glad He’s Gone” and “No One Dies From Love” videos — when I got those ideas back, I was like, This is just genius. They keep you engaged the whole time. I love a good performance video with choreo that’s hot and sexy and fun, but I’m such a sucker for a good narrative.

One of my early favorite videos is Arcade Fire’s “We Exist.” I didn’t expect that kind of strong message [about queer and trans acceptance] from the band. There’s beauty and sadness in it, and then I find the choreography so charming. The way that they end up on stage at Coachella is just one of the most amazing things — that was just such a great addition to the video. I wouldn’t say I’m a crazy fan of the band, but that video really stayed with me.

In Sweden, I grew up in a typical suburb. There were maybe one or two people who were gay — they were kind of out, but not really — but it wasn’t something that was used as a slur or something bad. I never felt like it was a problem that I was making out with a ton of girls. It wasn’t until I moved to New York and LA that I realized there were hubs for queer people. When we go out, we always try to find the underground gay club, because that’s where all the best DJs are. The underground scene in LA has become really good. People serve more looks. People are really dancing. It feels more warm and social. Usually I end up at Certified Groovers and Midnight Lovers. Rhonda always throws a great, fun, queer party.

I think the biggest lesson that LGBTQ+ communities have taught me is open-mindedness for people and their journey — not jumping to conclusions from first impressions. There’s another level of like, “You don’t know what they’ve been through,” so I’ve learned to be patient with people who are figuring themselves out and not be so quick to judge. That’s something I’ve taken to heart, and the acceptance and pride I’ve seen in queer spaces is so beautiful and exciting.