Lady Wood

Lady Wood is the second studio album by Swedish singer Tove Lo. It was released on 28 October 2016 by Island Records. Lady Wood is considered the first half of a two-piece concept album that describe "highs, lows and ultimate demise of a relationship." Its chapters "Fairy Dust" and "Fire Fade" precede the chapters "Light Beams" and "Pitch Black" from her following album Blue Lips (2017). It was recorded between July 2015 and May 2016, which Lo commented was a quicker turnaround than the "whole life" she was afforded when creating her previous record Queen of the Clouds (2014).[4]

This article is about the Tove Lo album. For the area in Leeds, see Lady Wood, Leeds. For the district in Birmingham, see Ladywood.

Lady Wood
Studio album by
Tove Lo
Released28 October 2016 (2016-10-28)
RecordedJuly 2015 – April 2016
Studio
Genre
Length39:35
LabelIsland
Producer
Tove Lo chronology
Queen of the Clouds
(2014)		 Lady Wood
(2016)		 Blue Lips
(2017)
Alternative cover
2018 deluxe vinyl reissue with Blue Lips
Singles from Lady Wood
  1. "Cool Girl"
    Released: 4 August 2016
  2. "True Disaster"
    Released: 15 November 2016

The tracks that begin each chapter are instrumental compositions by The Struts member Ludvig Södberg ("Fairy Dust"), and Ilya Salmanzadeh ("Fire Fade"). Except for these introductory tracks, Lo co-wrote the album's 10 songs. The album features new collaborations with producers Ilya, Oscar Holter, Oscar Görres, Rickard Göransson, and Joel Little, and guest vocals from rapper Wiz Khalifa, and fellow singer-songwriter, Joe Janiak. Two short films complimented the album's two chapters. The first, Fairy Dust, was released on 31 October 2016, and was followed by Fire Fade on 25 August 2017. These short films focus on a fictionalized, self-destructive version of Lo while expanding on the album's lyrical themes. Both short films were produced by Diktator, written by Lo and Tim Erem and directed by Erem.

"Cool Girl" was serviced as the lead single from Lady Wood on 4 August 2016, reaching number 15 in Sweden and number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "True Disaster" was released on 15 November 2016 as the album's second single. The album peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, becoming her highest-charting album in the country to date. To promote the album, Lo embarked on her second tour, Lady Wood Tour.

Background and composition

Lady Wood was inspired by "the chase, the rush, the peak, and the downfall [of the] emotional rollercoaster" Lo experienced since her extended play Truth Serum and debut studio album Queen of the Clouds were released in 2014.[5] The album consists of two chapters: "Fairy Dust", which details the euphoria surrounding a gratifying encounter, and "Fire Fade", which highlights a subsequent sense of self-awareness.[6] Lo announced Lady Wood is to be the first half of a two-piece album, with the third and fourth chapters "Light Beam" and "Pitch Black" to be included on Lo's third studio album in 2017.[6]

Release

On 17 August 2016, Lo revealed that her second studio album would be titled Lady Wood and would be released on 28 October.[7] About the title, Tove Lo recalls "writing the bridge of the title track, and thinking that I wanted to say, like, 'You're turning me on,' but I wanted to find another word. Like, what's the word for a female hard-on? I think I heard it in a movie somewhere—they were just like, 'You give me wood.' And I was like, 'Girl wood, or, Lady wood! Yes!'"[8]

Promotion

The lead single from the album, "Cool Girl", was released on 4 August 2016,[9][10] reaching number 15 in Sweden and number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[11]

"Influence" was released on 9 September 2016 as the first promotional single from the album. The song features American rapper Wiz Khalifa. "True Disaster" was originally released on 14 October 2016 as the second promotional single. The song was sent to US contemporary hit radio on 15 November 2016 as the album's second single.[12]

Tour
Main article: Lady Wood Tour

On 23 October 2016, five days prior to the release of the Lady Wood, Lo announced North American and European headlining Lady Wood Tour, with special guests Phoebe Ryan and Broods, to promote the album.[13][14] Various South American dates, Australian dates, other miscellaneous concerts, and festival dates were later announced at different times.[15] The tour kicked off on 6 February 2017 in Seattle, Washington.

Fairy Dust and Fire Fade
["Fairy Dust"] is when I hear the fans shouting my name and I'm about to hit the stage. "Fire Fade" is when it all sort of starts to wear off and I'm losing connection with the fans a bit, and I'm trying to get back to that first chase. You feel vulnerable there. It's where you start to reveal your true self.

— Lo describing the chapters of Lady Wood.[5]

Main articles: Fairy Dust and Fire Fade

The trailer for Fairy Dust, a short film based on the first half of the album, was unveiled on 17 October 2016.[16] The full short film for Fairy Dust was released on 31 October 2016.[17] A short film for the second half of the album, titled Fire Fade, was released on 25 August 2017.[18]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[20]
DIY[21]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[22]
NME[23]
The Observer[24]
Pitchfork7.0/10[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
Slant Magazine[25]

Lady Wood received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 16 reviews.[19] Entertainment Weekly's Madison Vain praised the album as "the darkest, weirdest, most irresistible pop record of the fall" and wrote, "While Lo's lyrics are stark and intensely personal, the music sounds engineered for the masses."[22] Writing for NME, Nick Levine commented that "[s]ome listeners may not warm to Lo's persona, but her songwriting skills are difficult to fault", adding that "she keeps the hooks coming throughout as her hip, minimal electro-pop quivers, shimmers, pulses and throbs."[23] Alim Kheraj of DIY noted that "Lady Wood isn't an album made for radio or easy digestion. The hooks are there but, like Tove herself, they aren't succumbing expectations."[21]

Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone opined that the album "doesn't have anything that hits quite as hard as 'Stay High (Habits)' [sic] and 'Talking Body' [...] But its minimalist tech-house sound has a darkly textured allure".[3] Heather Phares of AllMusic remarked that "despite its provocative title, [Lady Wood] often feels more straightforward than Queen of the Clouds did."[20] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine concluded that "Lady Wood is admirably lean and tightly focused, and though it doesn't boast confessionals on the order of Like a Prayer's, it offers a peek inside the psyche of a smart, burgeoning young star."[25] Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork stated that "Lady Wood is short, but Lo finds ample darkness to plumb."[2] The Observer's Kitty Empire expressed that "Lady Wood is, if anything, classier than Queen of the Clouds. But it might not sell so well, in that it lacks the sleazy catnip—the sex clubs, the self-abasement—displayed in the latter's defining singles."[24]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[26] and Tidal[27]

Lady Wood – standard edition[28]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fairy Dust"
The Struts0:57
2."Influence" (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
The Struts3:44
3."Lady Wood"
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Oscar Holter
  • Holter
  • Söderberg
3:19
4."True Disaster"
  • Lo
  • Holter
Holter3:24
5."Cool Girl"
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
The Struts3:19
6."Vibes" (featuring Joe Janiak)
The Struts3:46
7."Fire Fade"
Ilya0:52
8."Don't Talk About It"
Ilya3:54
9."Imaginary Friend"
  • The Struts
  • Little
4:12
10."Keep It Simple"
Payami3:51
11."Flashes"
Görres4:16
12."WTF Love Is"
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
The Struts3:41
Total length:39:35
Lady Wood – Target exclusive edition bonus tracks[29]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Cool Girl" (The Knocks remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
5:00
14."True Disaster" (Hyperbits remix)
  • Lo
  • Holter
  • Holter
  • Hyperbits[a]
3:34
15."Influence" (Chords remix) (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • Khalifa
  • The Struts
  • Chords[a]
3:43
Total length:51:12
Lady Wood and Blue Lips – Deluxe vinyl exclusive 10-inch picture disc[30]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Cool Girl" (Timbaland remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
 
2."WTF Love Is" (Karma Fields remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • The Struts
  • Karma Fields[a]
 
3."Cycles" (MK remix)
  • Lo
  • Söderberg
  • Jerlström
  • Janiak
  • The Struts
  • MK[a]
 
4."Bitches" (featuring Charli XCX, Icona Pop, Elliphant, and Alma)
Payami 

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a remixer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lady Wood.[26]

Musicians
  • Tove Lo – vocals (tracks 2–6, 8–12)
  • Wiz Khalifa – vocals (track 2)
  • The Struts – programming, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion (tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 12)
  • Oscar Holter – programming, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion (tracks 3, 4)
  • Ludvig Söderberg – programming, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion (track 3)
  • Joe Janiak – vocals, guitar (track 6)
  • Ilya – programming, arrangement, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion (track 8)
  • Joel Little – programming, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion (track 9)
  • Ali Payami – programming, drums, keyboards, bass, guitar, all other instrumentation (track 10)
  • Oscar Görres – programming, bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion (track 11)

Technical
  • The Struts – production (tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 12)
  • Noah Passovoy – vocal recording (track 2)
  • Oscar Holter – production (tracks 3, 4)
  • Ludvig Söderberg – production (track 3); executive production
  • Ilya – production (track 8)
  • Sam Holland – engineering (track 8)
  • Jeremy Lertola – engineering assistance (track 8)
  • Cory Bice – engineering assistance (track 8)
  • Joel Little – production (track 9)
  • Ali Payami – production (track 10)
  • Oscar Görres – production (track 11)
  • Tove Lo – executive production
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • John Hanes – engineering for mix
  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Randy Merrill – mastering assistance

Artwork

Charts

Release history
Region Date Version(s) Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 28 October 2016 (2016-10-28) Standard
Island [28]
United States Target exclusive CD [29]
11 November 2016 (2016-11-11) Standard LP [50]
Various 17 December 2018 LP (with Blue Lips) [30]

Notes
  1. Tracks 2–6 and 8–12
  2. Tracks 8 and 10
  3. Track 9

References
  1. Campbell, Chuck (1 November 2016). "Music review: Tove Lo's 'Lady Wood' doesn't cut it". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  2. St. Asaph, Katherine (1 November 2016). "Tove Lo: Lady Wood Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  3. Dolan, Jon (28 October 2016). "Review: Tove Lo Part Pop Star, Part Perfect Disaster on 'Lady Wood'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  4. "Tove Lo Is Officially Done With Her New 'Dark Techno' Album". American Top 40. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  5. Chang, Keith (19 October 2016). "Tove Lo Bares Her Soul on Revealing Cover Shoot for Fault Magazine Issue 24". Fault. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  6. Spanos, Brittany (14 October 2016). "Tove Lo on Going to Extremes: 'I'm Never as Happy as When I Lose Control'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  7. Sonis, Rachel (17 August 2016). "Tove Lo's Second Album 'Lady Wood' Will Be Released In October". Idolator. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  8. Stone, Avery (20 October 2016). "Sex, Love, and 'Lady Wood': A First Date with Tove Lo". Vice. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  9. "Cool Girl – Single by Tove Lo". iTunes Store (New Zealand). Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  10. Craddock, Lauren (4 August 2016). "Tove Lo Takes a Page From 'Gone Girl' for New Single 'Cool Girl': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  11. "Tove Lo – Chart history: The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  12. "Top 40/Mainstream > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  13. "Tove Lo tour dates for UK and Europe announced - tickets". NME. 24 October 2016.
  14. Blistein, Jon (25 October 2016). "Tove Lo Plots 2017 'Lady Wood' Tour". Rolling Stone.
  15. "Tove Lo se apresentará no 'Lollapalooza 2017' do Brasil, Argentina e Chile". Tove Lo Brasil (in Portuguese). 28 September 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  16. Williott, Carl (17 October 2016). "Watch Tove Lo Scream, Crash Her Car In "Fairy Dust" Trailer". Idolator. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  17. Rettig, James (31 October 2016). "Watch Tove Lo's Fairy Dust Short Film". Stereogum. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  18. Reed, Ryan (25 August 2017). "Watch Tove Lo Walk on Walls in Introspective 'Fire Fade' Short Film". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  19. "Reviews for Lady Wood by Tove Lo". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  20. Phares, Heather. "Lady Wood – Tove Lo". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  21. Kheraj, Alim (25 October 2016). "Tove Lo – Lady Wood". DIY. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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  23. Levine, Nick (27 October 2016). "Tove Lo – 'Lady Wood' Review". NME. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  24. Empire, Kitty (30 October 2016). "Tove Lo: Lady Wood review – a hard sell for girl power". The Observer. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  25. Cinquemani, Sal (27 October 2016). "Tove Lo: Lady Wood". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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  27. "Lady Wood". Tidal. 2016.
  28. Issues of Lady Wood:
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