Pop Break Live: Tove Styrke at Le Poisson Rouge in New York, and Tractor Tavern in Seattle, WA
Words and Photos by Joselito Pardillo
When approaching writing a review for an artist, I come in under the pretense that “fanboyism” and professionalism are kept separate. A review should be an unbiased look into an artist. With that being said, disregard everything said above and make way for Sweden’s new Queen, Tove Styrke.
My first Tove Styrke show is what I’d like to think is the equivalent of what hearing sound for the first time ever is like. Or maybe what seeing energy in physical form is like.
Exaggerating?
Maybe, but tell that to the New York City crowd at Le Poisson Rouge with the post-show blown-out hair. Or the insane Seattle mob screaming their hearts out at Tractor Tavern. Or how about the Norwegian crowd who somehow managed to
warm themselves long enough to mimic a small scale riot. Tove epitomizes stage presence, propelling even the most reserved concert viewer to sway along.
Speaking of “sway,” the release of Tove’s new album, Sway brings musical satisfaction to another level. It lyrically captures heartfelt moments, backs it up with Tove’s signature spark and wraps it in a blanket of soft, almost minimalistic beats. Songs like “On the Low” and “Say My Name” perfectly demonstrate the album’s ability to convey an intimacy of a one on one concert with Tove herself, while having a power behind it enough to satisfy a stadium’s worth of fans.
If you were to tell me I’d be traveling across the US and to another country just to relieve another moment of a Tove Styrke show, my bank account and I would suffer some kind of break for having gone full fanboy. But it happened. And it was worth it to witness the beginnings of Tove Styrke’s rise to world domination.
