Each week, OOR Studio reaches out to various artists, musicians, and those with all-around good taste to create a playlist for us to play within our office. Of course, we share the best ones with you!
SOUND OF THE WEEK PT. 49: TOVE STYRKE
vor 3 years
This weeks playlist comes from the Swedish singer and songwriter TOVE STRYKE. Following her last singles like “Mood Swings” or “Start Walking“, “Show me love” is a song about mercilessly honest emotions and sexuality. Tove lets us dive into her current playlist here and talks to us about honesty and love.
What inspires /drives you to make music? And how would you describe your sounds?
My main inspirations come from my life. Important personal experiences seep into everything I make, both music and visuals. My sound is often changing because it depends on what story I’m trying to tell. But I’ve got a weak spot for productions that are sparse yet creative.
In your music you make yourself naked in a certain way, talk about personal emotions and make other people feel with you. How does it feel to let the people around you share in such intimate moments?
It’s a bit scary to share personal stuff. But it also brings you and the audience closer when it gets really personal. I’m trying every day to become more comfortable to share more and be more open and honest in my work.
Last week your new single “Show me love” was released. Do you think that sums up in 3 words what we all long for?
However, this is not a classic love song, but despite the euphoric melodies, it is actually about sexuality and unvarnished emotions. Why do you rely on this contrast here?
I think it taps into feelings that are very universal. The response to this song has been insane. People really seem to have taken it to heart.
Isn’t love always about sex? I feel like this was the most straight forward and honest way for me to write a real love song right now.
Emotionality is generally a rather taboo subject in our society. What does it really mean for you to speak truthfully about your own feelings and why is music your outlet here to release them into the world?
I think music is just a handy tool for me to communicate. It’s a language that I feel like I understand. That’s why it’s usually my go to expression. To me it is crucial to keep communicating with the world around me, and my easiest way to do that is to show my thoughts and emotions through visuals and music.
Often relationships fail because we can’t talk honestly about feelings. “Show me love” goes to someone you were terribly in love with. Sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to have a real conversation with someone or to be really honest about how you feel. Is “Show me love” for you kind of like this last final letter where you’re really honest for once?
Haha well not really. The person I wrote it for is my girlfriend now, so I wouldn’t call it a final letter. I think it’s such an important thing to confess our feelings to the people that we love. I always try to do that.
Credit:xx
You say we often devour love like fast food. Because we can never get enough of it, feel good shortly afterwards, but are hungry again 30 minutes later?
What I meant is that in some ways we treat love like any other consumption. Like it’s cheap. You trade an old one in for another. But to be loved is and to feel love is also the greatest thing that can happen to a person. It’s too large to even grasp. It’s the contrast I think it’s kind of fascinating.
But „Show me love” is also about sexuality. What role does it play in love and do you think you can really separate those two?
I think a lot of people can. That stuff is so personal. But to me they are tightly connected.
In love, we are also always looking for what overwhelms us, and love can be addictive. Why are we so dependent on someone loving and overwhelming us?
Because in comparison everything else is pointless.
In order to truly engage in love, you subscribe to the danger of unconditional trust. Candy and cement is what you call the combination of the high of love and the danger that surrounds it. Is that what we love about love? The exciting mixture of danger and highs?
Probably at least some of us do!
And last but not least: What’s next?
I’m working towards putting out an entire album late spring / early summer! The working title for this project is ”HARD”. Everything about it feels kind of raw and classic and pop and I can’t wait to show it to everyone!
Interview Carolin Desiree Becker
Picture courtesy Tove Styrke/ Ninja Hanna/ Cornelia Wahlberg
