144-406: " Cool Girl " is a song recorded by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo for her second studio album Lady Wood (2016). Lo co-wrote the song with its producers Jakob Jerlström and Ludvig Söderberg, who are known collectively as The Struts. The track was released for digital download and streaming on 4 August 2016 as the album's lead single . It was released to contemporary hit radio stations in
288-555: A demo , while doing session singing to support herself. She learned to play the drums and became knowledgeable about music programming and record production . Lo later lived with the duo Icona Pop, in a suburb near Stockholm. Lo met an A&R man at a party in Stockholm celebrating Icona Pop's first record deal and handed him her demo. They met again by chance in a bar in London. He liked her demo and subsequently introduced her to
432-508: A math rock band, Tremblebee, with three other male students from the school. They played together for "three years in bars across Sweden, independently releasing some of their songs, before breaking up in 2009. During her time with the band, Lo developed a passion for performing on stage, and was introduced to Swedish production duo The Struts. After Tremblebee broke up, Lo's musical focus turned toward pop. She decided to work on her own tracks, spending six months in her shed studio producing
576-567: A Moog to compose a soundtrack for the televised footage of the Apollo 11 moonwalk , creating a link between electronic music and space in the American popular imagination. ARP synthesizers were used to create sound effects for the 1977 science fiction films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars , including the "voice" of the robot R2-D2 . In the 70s and 80s, synthesizers were used in
720-719: A Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2016. The album peaked at number 17 in the United Kingdom and number six in Sweden, where the Swedish Recording Industry Association (GLF) certified it platinum for sales of 40,000 units. Serving as the album's lead single , a United States release of "Habits (Stay High)" became a sleeper hit . It was Lo's commercial breakthrough there, peaking at number three on
864-465: A Stockholm music school. During her time at Rytmus, she developed a friendship with Caroline Hjelt, who would later form the Swedish duo Icona Pop . After two years, she graduated from the school and felt assured that her career would be in music despite her parents preferring she do something else. In 2006, Lo began writing songs with Christian Bjerring, a guitarist from Rytmus. The pair then formed
1008-456: A bestselling album of Bach compositions arranged for Moog synthesizer by Wendy Carlos , demonstrated that synthesizers could be more than "random noise machines", taking them to the mainstream. However, debates were held about the appropriateness of synthesizers in baroque music , and according to the Guardian they were quickly abandoned in "serious classical circles". Today, the synthesizer
1152-541: A big deal", adding that she was very lucky growing up in a liberal country. In March the same year, she gave an interview with Out magazine , stating she had never been in a relationship with a woman. She referred to herself as pansexual in December 2022 in Paper Magazine . Lo says she created a media image for herself that is synonymous with her true identity. She has a prominent tattoo along her left upper arm of
1296-502: A contest where six fans could join her on her Animal Crossing: New Horizons island for a special DJ set by creating an outfit for their villager, with the best getting invited to the performance. On 5 February 2021, Martin Garrix released the track " Pressure ", which features Lo. Lo made her feature film acting debut in the 2021 Swedish-language film adaptation of Vilhelm Moberg 's The Emigrants . On 11 February 2022, Lo released
1440-642: A country where that is considered "normal and not shameful", and many of her fans like the way she expresses herself. Lo also believes she receives these kinds of comments due to gender double standards , adding that: "I felt like I was getting asked all these questions because I'm a girl. ... It would be insulting to ask a guy that. Which it is to a girl as well." On 26 July 2020, Lo announced on her Instagram story that she had married her boyfriend, Charlie Twaddle. After her commercial breakthrough, Lo has received many award nominations. She has earned six Grammis awards in her native Sweden, including Artist of
1584-480: A cover of Glass Animals ' song " Life Itself " (2016) with an accompanying band on BBC Radio 1's segment Live Lounge . The staff of Virgin Radio France stated Lo sang a "more elegant version" of "Cool Girl" than usual. On 21 November, the singer performed "Cool Girl" on The X Factor Australia ; she wore a bomber jacket and a bathing suit while singing and dancing on a barely illuminated stage. Rachel Sonis praised
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#17329167879651728-519: A dynamic mix of prominent drum instrumentation , quiet verses and thunderous choruses indebted to the template of grunge music. Described as "the world's most brutally honest pop star" by Alex Panisch of Out , Lo uses songwriting as a means of therapy for subjects she avoids speaking about. Her lyrics are primarily autobiographical , and are based mostly on mistakes, love, sex and failed relationships being characteristically direct, candid and complex. According to Tim Jonze of The Guardian ,
1872-479: A girl harnessed to the back of a bumblebee . It is from the cover of Jack Off Jill 's album Clear Hearts Grey Flowers ; the album cover was designed by Mark Ryden . Frequently barefoot during her live performances, Lo's look is often compared to that of her style icon Janis Joplin . Her other style influences include hippie fashion, and the fashion of older rock singers, the people of Stockholm and Edie Sedgwick . According to Elle writer Rebecca Moss, Lo
2016-440: A label on it, so we can run free, yeah". Similarly, Bustle ' s Amy Mackelden said Lo's narrator prefers to have a casual relationship, as indicated by the lines, "No, let's not put a label on it, let's keep it fun". She also noted the lyric "I wanna be free like you" hints at the "outdated expectations often placed on women to only be in monogamous relationships". On 20 July 2016, Tove Lo posted several pictures that included
2160-752: A platinum certification from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) for selling 20,000 units in Poland. In Australia, "Cool Girl" debuted at number 52 on the ARIA Singles Chart in its opening week. It peaked at number 30 and received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling 35,000 units there. In New Zealand, the song reached number 15 and spent fourteen weeks on
2304-558: A pop staple, used on songs by A-ha , Kenny Loggins , Kool & the Gang . Its "E PIANO 1" preset became particularly famous, especially for power ballads , and was used by artists including Whitney Houston , Chicago , Prince , Phil Collins , Luther Vandross , Billy Ocean , and Celine Dion . Korg M1 presets were widely used in 1990s house music, beginning with Madonna 's 1990 single " Vogue ". Synthesizers are common in film and television soundtracks. In 1969, Mort Garson used
2448-482: A post about the controversy on her Facebook account, saying she was shocked by the viewers' reactions because she considered Sweden a country that "has come so much further in terms of equality between men and women, as well as women's sexuality". She later told BBC Radio 1 's Newsbeat , "Touching yourself is the least harmful thing you can do. It's just you and your body enjoying yourself. There's no harm coming out of that." On 8 November, Lo performed "Cool Girl" and
2592-581: A repackaged version of Queen of the Clouds was released as the "Blueprint Edition". It featured all the tracks from the original release, as well as "Heroes (We Could Be)" and tracks from Truth Serum . Four days later, she started her first headlining concert tour, the Queen of the Clouds Tour , featuring fellow Swedish singer Erik Hassle as the opening act. Also that year, she won STIM 's Platinum Guitar prize, which
2736-463: A second ADSR envelope. An "envelope modulation" ("env mod") parameter on many synthesizers with filter envelopes determines how much the envelope affects the filter. If turned all the way down, the filter produces a flat sound with no envelope. When turned up the envelope becomes more noticeable, expanding the minimum and maximum range of the filter. The envelope applied on the filter helps the sound designer generating long notes or short notes by moving
2880-456: A songwriting group which included The Struts and Hjelt. In 2011, Lo decided to pursue a career in songwriting and earned a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music . This new career path led her to travel to Los Angeles , and work with Swedish producer Max Martin . In 2012, she collaborated with British production team Xenomania and Swedish producer Alexander Kronlund , co-writing Girls Aloud 's " Something New ", Icona Pop's " We Got
3024-405: A sound depending on how each module is connected to other modules by patch cables . Moog developed a means of controlling pitch through voltage , the voltage-controlled oscillator . This, along with Moog components such as envelopes , noise generators , filters , and sequencers , became standard components in synthesizers. Around the same period, the American engineer Don Buchla created
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#17329167879653168-581: A starting price of $ 13,000, its use was limited to universities, studios and wealthy artists. The Roland D-50 (1987) blended Roland's linear arithmetic algorithm with samples, and was the first mass-produced synthesizer with built-in digital effects such as delay , reverb and chorus . In 1988, the Japanese manufacturer Korg released the M1 , a digital synthesizer workstation featuring sampled transients and loops . With more than 250,000 units sold, it remains
3312-574: A synthesized melody. Soft Cell used a synthesized melody on their 1981 hit " Tainted Love ". Nick Rhodes , keyboardist of Duran Duran , used synthesizers including the Roland Jupiter-4 and Jupiter-8 . Chart hits include Depeche Mode 's " Just Can't Get Enough " (1981), the Human League 's " Don't You Want Me " and works by Ultravox . In the 1980s, digital synthesizers were widely used in pop music. The Yamaha DX7, released in 1983, became
3456-457: A track I fall in love with... but writing my own songs, I rarely write on tracks. Then it's pretty much always 'the story' first. Then I add some chords and melody on my piano, or do a minimal production to get the sound right. Lo grew up idolising Courtney Love and was inspired by grunge culture and the polarising lyrics of her music and her band, Hole . She also became fascinated with Love's romantic relationship with Kurt Cobain , as well as
3600-510: A wave of new software instruments. Propellerhead's Reason , released in 2000, introduced an array of recognizable virtual studio equipment. The market for patchable and modular synthesizers rebounded in the late 1990s. In the 2000s, older analog synthesizers regained popularity, sometimes selling for much more than their original prices. In the 2010s, new, affordable analog synthesizers were introduced by companies including Moog, Korg, Arturia and Dave Smith Instruments . The renewed interest
3744-512: A zoo that was called Tove, and that I totally fell in love with. It was my dear godmother who decided to call me Tove Lo, after that lynx. It stuck." Lo moved to the affluent Djursholm district of Danderyd Municipality , just north of Stockholm when she was six years old. She describes her childhood as being "very protected" and her family as "pretty posh". The singer excelled in social sciences at school and grew fond of literature, writing poetry and short stories . In an interview with
3888-438: Is "a true '90s child unwilling to part with her early iconography ". Lindsey Rhoades of The Village Voice writes, "Tove Lo rocks a specific brand that veers slightly from most other women in pop—she paints herself as the hard-drinking, hard-drugging, DTF party girl, admitting the somewhat destructive nature of these preoccupations but celebrating them all the same." In 2014, Lo's first clothing line, which she also modelled,
4032-430: Is "an understated song for a lead single from a major artist". In an interview with iHeart Radio , Lo said she selected "Cool Girl" as Lady Wood 's first single because she felt it is a "great introduction" to the album that exemplifies its mix of pop melodies and personal lyrics with "minimal and aggressive" beats. She added, "it was fun to come out with something that wasn't a knife-to-the-heart twist like most of
4176-455: Is a preamp that boosts (amplifies) the electronic signal before passing it on to an external or built-in power amplifier, as well as a means to control its amplitude (volume) using an attenuator . The gain of the VCA is affected by a control voltage (CV), coming from an envelope generator, an LFO, the keyboard or some other source. Voltage-controlled filters (VCFs) "shape" the sound generated by
4320-459: Is a stylish song that shows "how crafty [Lo] can be with her lyrics when the groove, offered by producers The Struts, is unstoppable". The staff of Jenesaispop called it a groundbreaking track with a subtle hook and elegant production. Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork said the song has a sassy, "stuttery" chorus and added that Lo emulates Sia during the bridge. Writing for The Line of Best Fit , Ed Nash labeled "Cool Girl" one of "pop anthems of
4464-746: Is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals . Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis , additive synthesis and frequency modulation synthesis . These sounds may be altered by components such as filters , which cut or boost frequencies ; envelopes , which control articulation , or how notes begin and end; and low-frequency oscillators , which modulate parameters such as pitch, volume, or filter characteristics affecting timbre . Synthesizers are typically played with keyboards or controlled by sequencers , software or other instruments, and may be synchronized to other equipment via MIDI . Synthesizer-like instruments emerged in
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4608-621: Is as important, and as ubiquitous, in modern music today as the human voice." As electricity became more widely available, the early 20th century saw the invention of electronic musical instruments including the Telharmonium , Trautonium , Ondes Martenot , and theremin . In the late 1930s, the Hammond Organ Company built the Novachord , a large instrument powered by 72 voltage-controlled amplifiers and 146 vacuum tubes . In 1948,
4752-513: Is awarded to accomplished Swedish songwriters. Lo was featured on Coldplay 's single " Fun ", from their seventh album A Head Full of Dreams released in December 2015. On 19 February 2016, Lo released " Scars ", the lead single of the soundtrack to the film The Divergent Series: Allegiant . The next month, she was featured on the remix version of the single " Desire " by English band Years & Years , which charted in Belgium and Sweden. In
4896-514: Is based on the lyrics of her EP, Truth Serum . Lo has voiced her frustration over censorship in the United States, including her lyrics, although she understands it is the only way to get her songs played on the radio. The artist has also commented that, "... in Sweden, we don't really censor that way. You hear every swear word, in Swedish and English, on the radio, and kids will be singing along." The singer has often said in interviews that she
5040-411: Is credited to the appeal of imperfect "organic" sounds and simpler interfaces, and modern surface-mount technology making analog synthesizers cheaper and faster to manufacture. Early synthesizers were viewed as avant-garde , valued by the 1960s psychedelic and counter-cultural scenes for their ability to make new sounds, but with little perceived commercial potential. Switched-On Bach (1968) ,
5184-400: Is divided into two chapters, "Fairy Dust" and "Fire Fade". The singer's third studio record, Blue Lips , is a sequel to Lady Wood and is split into two chapters: "Light Beams" and "Pitch Black". Lo's lyrics often contain profanity and drug metaphors . Discussing the process of writing for other artists, the singer told Paste that she avoids drawing from her own experiences so that
5328-449: Is one of the most important instruments in the music industry, used in nearly every genre. It is considered by the authors of Analog Days as "the only innovation that can stand alongside the electric guitar as a great new instrument of the age of electricity ... Both led to new forms of music, and both had massive popular appeal." According to Fact in 2016, "The synthesizer is as important, and as ubiquitous, in modern music today as
5472-421: Is portrayed by Esco, with whom she has a "love and hate relationship". The music video for "Cool Girl" begins with a sequence of scenes representing the other videos from Fairy Dust . Lo is in her motel room shaving her head. After this, she dances on a car in the parking lot. A group of dancers later appear inside the car then leave it to perform a dance alongside Lo. Lo said she wanted to include choreography in
5616-572: Is the ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) envelope: Low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) produce waveforms used to modulate parameters, such as the pitch of oscillators (producing vibrato ). Arpeggiators, included in many synthesizer models, take input chords and convert them into arpeggios . They usually include controls for speed, range and mode (the movement of the arpeggio). Synthesizers are often controlled with electronic or digital keyboards or MIDI controller keyboards, which may be built into
5760-525: Is unapologetically proud of her body; she occasionally engages in exhibitionism at her shows, such as exposing her breasts while singing "Talking Body". "I started just by showing a little bit of boob or just being sassy, and everyone got so excited and then one night I just did it", she told MTV News at Bonnaroo. Lo is often asked about being a negative role model for women, given the many sexual and drug references in her lyrics. The artist has commented she finds it normal to talk about sex since she grew up in
5904-402: Is written in the key of A minor and set in common time signature with a tempo of 102 beats per minute . Lo's vocals range from the low note of E 3 to the high note of D 5 . During the chorus, a synthesizer riff is played and vocal inflections are used in the background. "Cool Girl" is divided into two chapters, "Fairy Dust' (the high) and "Fire Fade" (the comedown), and is included in
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6048-558: The American Federation of Musicians (AFM). Robert Moog felt that the AFM had not realized that his instrument had to be studied like any other, and instead imagined that "all the sounds that musicians could make somehow existed in the Moog — all you had to do was push a button that said ' Jascha Heifetz ' and out would come the most fantastic violin player". The musician Walter Sear persuaded
6192-627: The BBC , she explained, "Growing up so safe, I think I was looking for something else." During her teens she suffered from bulimia , for which her mother sought to help her through a therapist. After her first serious relationship breakup she cut herself several times due to the embarrassment. Nilsson developed a love for music and formed a girl band with her friends. She wrote her first song with them at age 10 or 11. By age 15, Lo had written "all these lyrics that nobody ever saw" and had performed twice on stage, before enrolling at Rytmus Musikergymnasiet,
6336-513: The Buchla Modular Electronic Music System . Instead of a conventional keyboard , Buchla's system used touchplates which transmitted control voltages depending on finger position and force. However, the Moog's keyboard made it more accessible and marketable to musicians, and keyboards became the standard means of controlling synthesizers. Moog and Buchla initially avoided the word synthesizer for their instruments, as it
6480-515: The Djursholm district of Danderyd, Lo is an alumna of the music school Rytmus Musikergymnasiet. She formed the rock band Tremblebee in 2006. After it disbanded, Lo pursued a career in songwriting and earned a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music in 2011. Working with producers Alexander Kronlund , Max Martin , and Xenomania , she became a successful songwriter, while also recording and releasing her own compositions independently. In 2013, Lo
6624-688: The OB-X (1979). In 1978, the American company Sequential Circuits released the Prophet-5 , the first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer. Whereas previous synthesizers required users to adjust cables and knobs to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating a sound, the Prophet-5 used microprocessors to store sounds in patch memory. This facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds". The synthesizer market grew dramatically in
6768-624: The Roland TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines, became a foundation of electronic dance music genres such as house and techno when producers acquired cheap second-hand units later in the decade. The authors of Analog Days connect the synthesizer's origins in 1960s psychedelia to the raves and British " second summer of love " of the 1980s and the club scenes of the 1990s and 2000s. Gary Numan's 1979 hits " Are 'Friends' Electric? " and " Cars " made heavy use of synthesizers. OMD 's " Enola Gay " (1980) used distinctive electronic percussion and
6912-544: The Tim Erem -directed short film Fairy Dust , which features six songs from Lady Wood . In the clip, Lo dances in a motel parking lot with a group of dancers while in another scene she is seen shaven-headed and writhing on top of a glass coffin in a desert. Lo performed "Cool Girl" in 2016 on television shows The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , Sweden ' s Idol and The X Factor Australia . Lo's performance on Idol garnered negative reviews from viewers, who criticized
7056-460: The Top 40 Singles chart . Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) certified the track gold, denoting sales of 15,000 copies in the country. The music video for "Cool Girl" premiered on 19 August 2016 on Tove Lo's Vevo channel. It was released as the first installment of the Tim Erem -directed short film, Fairy Dust , which features the songs from the first chapter of Lady Wood . Erem met Lo at the 2015 edition of
7200-659: The UK Singles Chart and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 . It also earned Lo nominations for the Golden Globes , Grammys and Critics' Choice Awards . The Swedish group Urban Cone 's single "Come Back to Me"—from their album Polaroid Memories —released in March 2015 featured Lo. She also co-wrote and was featured on "Rumors", on Adam Lambert 's third studio album The Original High . On 24 September 2015,
7344-715: The United Kingdom . The singer was later named VH1 's You Oughta Know and iHeart Radio 's On the Verge artist. She made her live television debut performing "Habits (Stay High)" on the Late Night with Seth Meyers in June 2014. Lo's debut album, Queen of the Clouds , was released on 24 September 2014 to generally positive reviews. It debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 , selling 19,000 copies in its first week, and received
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#17329167879657488-438: The lead single from Lo's second studio album Lady Wood (2016). Six days later, Republic Records announced "Cool Girl" would be sent to US contemporary hit radio stations on 23 August 2016, and in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2016. The single's artwork depicts Lo licking a doughnut, which Idolator ' s Carl Williott said is something only Lo could have done. Writing for the same website, Robbie Daw said "Cool Girl"
7632-717: The "fears of losing herself". On 31 May 2023, Lo released the single "I Like U", which was followed on 21 July 2023 by an EP of remixes; the Emergency_Loop & Melanie C remix was released as a promotional single. To mark the 6 year anniversary of the release of her 2017 song Disco Tits , a remix by frequent collaborator Karma Fields was released on 7 September 2023. Music critics have described Lo's music as synth-pop , electropop , dance-pop and indie pop , comparing her musical style to that of singers Kesha , Lorde , Robyn , and Katy Perry . Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker describes Lo's sound as "of
7776-518: The 1980s. 1982 saw the introduction of MIDI , a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments; it remains an industry standard. An influential sampling synthesizer , the Fairlight CMI , was released in 1979, with the ability to record and play back samples at different pitches. Though its high price made it inaccessible to amateurs, it was adopted by high-profile pop musicians including Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel . The success of
7920-661: The 2014 thriller, the music clip features a woman going on what seems to be a revenge rampage". Isis Briones of Teen Vogue stated the scene in which Lo shaves her head parallels the moment Amy Dunne "starts to snap" in Gone Girl . Tove Lo's first television performance of "Cool Girl" was on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on 31 August 2016. She also sang the track at the Lady Wood and Fairy Dust premiere party on 28 October 2016 in Hollywood , California. On 4 November, Lo performed
8064-409: The 21st century, analog synthesizers returned to popularity with the advent of cheaper manufacturing. Synthesizers were initially viewed as avant-garde , valued by the 1960s psychedelic and countercultural scenes but with little perceived commercial potential. Switched-On Bach (1968) , a bestselling album of Bach compositions arranged for synthesizer by Wendy Carlos , took synthesizers to
8208-474: The AFM that the synthesizer demanded skill, and the category of "synthesizer player" was accepted into the union/ However, players were subject to "suspicion and hostility" for years. In 1982, following a tour by Barry Manilow using synthesizers instead of an orchestra, the British Musicians' Union attempted to ban synthesizers, attracting controversy. That decade, a few musicians skilled at programming
8352-682: The Canadian engineer Hugh Le Caine completed the electronic sackbut , a precursor to voltage-controlled synthesizers , with keyboard sensitivity allowing for vibrato , glissando , and attack control. In 1957, Harry Olson and Herbert Belar completed the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer at the RCA laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey. The instrument read punched paper tape that controlled an analog synthesizer containing 750 vacuum tubes. It
8496-515: The Coachella festival and directed her music video for " Moments " (2015). He agreed to do the creative directorial work with the singer because he considered her "one of the most creative artist I've ever met" and said; "She always wants to do something new. She always wants to be outside the box." The film was co-written by Lo and Erem, and was filmed in five days in Los Angeles . Lo said the filming
8640-726: The Fairlight drove competition, improving sampling technology and lowering prices. Early competing samplers included the E-mu Emulator in 1981 and the Akai S-series in 1985. In 1983, Yamaha released the first commercially successful digital synthesizer , the Yamaha DX7 . Based on frequency modulation (FM) synthesis developed by the Stanford University engineer John Chowning , the DX7
8784-677: The Hot 100 and also reached number 39 on the Pop Songs list. The song peaked at number 42 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. "Cool Girl" also charted in several European countries. In Sweden, the song entered the Singles Top 100 chart at number 16 on 12 August 2016. The following week, it peaked at number 15, spending sixteen weeks on the chart. It received a platinum certification from the Swedish Recording Industry Association (GLF) for selling 40,000 units in
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#17329167879658928-788: The Minimoog, Pro-One , and TB-303 , and drum machines such as the TR-808 . Other synthesizer clones include the MiniMOD (a series of Eurorack modules based on the Minimoog), the Intellijel Atlantis (based on the SH-101 ), and the x0x Heart (based on the TB-303). Creating clones of older hardware is legal where the patents have expired. In 1997, Mackie lost their lawsuit against Behringer as copyright law in
9072-551: The US Billboard Hot 100 . The album's second single " Talking Body " peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 16 in Sweden, and number 17 in the United Kingdom. Her next singles were " Timebomb " and " Moments ". Lo was also featured on Swedish DJ Alesso 's single " Heroes (We Could Be) " from his debut album, Forever . It was a commercial success, peaking at number five in Sweden, number six in
9216-742: The United Kingdom and number thirty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Lo served as the opening act for the third leg of American singer Katy Perry 's Prismatic World Tour in November 2014. She wrote, produced and recorded the song "Scream My Name" for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 film soundtrack released that month. In late 2014, the singer was signed to Max Martin's songwriting collective Wolf Cousins . The 2014 album releases of Cher Lloyd 's Sorry I'm Late , Lea Michele 's Louder , and Zara Larsson 's 1 featured tracks co-written by Lo. She also co-wrote " What Are You Waiting For? " by The Saturdays . In December 2014, Lo announced she
9360-543: The United States and promoted her album Lady Wood . Lo co-wrote and performed the song " Lies in the Dark ", from the soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades Darker , released on 10 February 2017. Six days later, it was announced that she would be opening for Coldplay on their A Head Full of Dreams Tour across Europe, the United States, and Canada from June to October 2017. Lo co-wrote " Homemade Dynamite ", from New Zealand artist Lorde 's second studio album, Melodrama . It
9504-553: The United States in the mid-20th century with instruments such as the RCA Mark II , which was controlled with punch cards and used hundreds of vacuum tubes . The Moog synthesizer , developed by Robert Moog and first sold in 1964, is credited for pioneering concepts such as voltage-controlled oscillators , envelopes, noise generators , filters, and sequencers. In 1970, the smaller, cheaper Minimoog standardized synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards, unlike
9648-437: The United States on 23 August and three days later in the United Kingdom. "Cool Girl" is a downtempo electropop song with elements of techno and house music . Its lyrics were inspired by a monologue spoken by the character Amy Elliott-Dunne in the 2014 film Gone Girl . According to Lo, the lyrics are about the games people play in a relationship because they are scared to be vulnerable. Critics had diverse opinions about
9792-723: The United States. Lo's debut EP, Truth Serum , was released on 3 March 2014. It became her first charting release in Sweden where it peaked at number 13. The EP was also a critical success, and led to several news media sources referring to Lo as "a pop star in waiting". It spawned three singles; "Out of Mind", the lead single , appeared only on the Finnish Airplay Chart , peaking at number 39. The next singles were "Habits (Stay High)" and its remixed version by production duo Hippie Sabotage , re-titled as " Stay High ". It marked Lo's international breakthrough into mainstream success, peaking at number 13 in Sweden and number six in
9936-560: The World " and tracks for the duo's self-titled debut album . Lo then decided to manage an "indie career on the side", recording her more personal compositions and releasing them independently. She released her first single, " Love Ballad ", in October 2012, and her second single, " Habits ", in March 2013. The latter gained her a substantial online following. Throughout 2013, Max Martin and his fellow Swedish producer Shellback mentored Lo. She
10080-483: The Yamaha DX7 found employment creating sounds for other acts. Synthesizers generate audio through various forms of analog and digital synthesis. Oscillators produce waveforms (such as sawtooth , sine , or pulse waves ) with different timbres . Voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs) control the volume or gain of the audio signal. VCAs can be modulated by other components, such as LFOs and envelopes. A VCA
10224-710: The Year and Song of the Year for "Habits (Stay High)". Lo has also won four Scandipop Awards, which recognize the best music by artists from Nordic countries . As a songwriter of "Love Me like You Do" by Ellie Goulding, Lo received nominations for the Golden Globes, Grammys and Critics' Choice Awards. The singer has also been nominated for the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Swedish Act from 2014 to 2017. Headlining Supporting Synthesizer#Bass synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth )
10368-408: The album. The first, Fairy Dust , was uploaded to YouTube on 31 October 2016 but was removed for a few hours because of the site's policies on sexual content. The singer addressed the situation via Twitter , stating that she was not even naked on the clip. The next clip, Fire Fade , was released on 25 August 2017. In late 2016, Lo was an opening act for Maroon 5 's The Maroon V Tour across
10512-469: The amateur electronics market, such as a design published in Practical Electronics in 1973. By the mid-1970s, ARP was the world's largest synthesizer manufacturer, though it closed in 1981. Early synthesizers were monophonic , meaning they could only play one note at a time. Some of the earliest commercial polyphonic synthesizers were created by the American engineer Tom Oberheim , such as
10656-472: The bestselling synthesizer in history. The advent of digital synthesizers led to a downturn in interest in analog synthesizers in the following decade. 1997 saw the release of ReBirth by Propellerhead Software and Reality by Seer Systems , the first software synthesizers that could be played in real time via MIDI. In 1999, an update to the music software Cubase allowed users to run software instruments (including synthesizers) as plug-ins , triggering
10800-672: The country. On 18 August 2016, "Cool Girl" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 55. It spent eight weeks on the chart, where it peaked at number 46. The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) the week of 7 July 2017 for selling 200,000 units in the UK. In Denmark, "Cool Girl" peaked at number 26 on the Track Top 40 chart and was certified gold by the IFPI Danmark for selling 45,000 copies there. In Germany,
10944-450: The emergence of synth-pop from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The work of German krautrock bands such as Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream , British acts such as John Foxx , Gary Numan and David Bowie , African-American acts such as George Clinton and Zapp , and Japanese electronic acts such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Kitaro were influential in the development of the genre. The Roland TB-303 (1981), in conjunction with
11088-415: The entire year" because of its "infectious" chorus. The staff of website Idolator reviewed "Cool Girl"; Robbie Daw said it has a subtle, club-friendly charm and Rachel Sonis called it a "sarcastic, flirty anthem". Mike Wass was more critical, saying "Cool Girl" is neither the song of the summer nor the track of the week. According to Beth Bowles from Exclaim! , although "Cool Girl" is catchy, it "felt like
11232-685: The first string synthesizer , designed to emulate string sections . After retail stores started selling synthesizers in 1971, other synthesizer companies were established, including ARP in the US and EMS in the UK. ARP's products included the ARP 2600 , which folded into a carrying case and had built-in speakers, and the Odyssey , a rival to the Minimoog. The less expensive EMS synthesizers were used by European art rock and progressive rock acts including Brian Eno and Pink Floyd . Designs for synthesizers appeared in
11376-445: The first chapter of Lady Wood , which discusses the "early stages of attraction" of relationships. Lo said the musical style of the track was inspired by the music played at the minimal techno raves she had attended during the two years before writing the song. According to Lo, a "cool girl" is somebody who is "honest, and real, and doesn't apologize for who she is, and just doesn't let anyone else affect who she should be". She said
11520-577: The heads of a drum kit ; touchplates, which send signals depending on finger position and force; controllers designed for microtonal tunings ; touchscreen devices such as tablets and smartphones ; and fingerpads. Synthesizer clones are unlicensed recreations of previous synthesizers, often marketed as affordable versions of famous musical equipment. Clones are available as physical instruments and software. Companies that have sold software clones include Arturia and Native Instruments . Behringer manufactures equipment modelled on instruments including
11664-641: The human voice." The Moog was adopted by 1960s rock acts including the Doors , the Grateful Dead , the Rolling Stones , the Beatles , and Keith Emerson . Emerson was the first major rock musician to perform with the Moog and it became a trademark of his performances, helping take his band Emerson, Lake & Palmer to global stardom. According to Analog Days , the likes of Emerson, with his Moog performances, "did for
11808-466: The keyboard what Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar". String synthesizers were used by 1970s progressive rock bands including Camel , Caravan , Electric Light Orchestra , Gentle Giant and Renaissance . The portable Minimoog (1970), much smaller than the modular synthesizers before it, made synthesizers more common in live performance. Early synthesizers could only play one note at a time , making them suitable for basslines, leads and solos. With
11952-489: The larger modular synthesizers before it. In 1978, Sequential Circuits released the Prophet-5 , which used microprocessors to allow users to store sounds for the first time. MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments, was introduced in 1982 and remains an industry standard. The Yamaha DX7 , launched in 1983, was a major success and popularized digital synthesis . Software synthesizers now can be run as plug-ins or embedded on microchips . In
12096-484: The last record". The day before its release, New Zealand singer Lorde praised "Cool Girl" on Twitter, calling it the "pop song of the summer". Lo told the BBC, "I was very excited because [Lorde is] such a great writer. There's so many female pop artists out there and everyone's supporting each other, which I think is really cool." Heather Phares of AllMusic selected "Cool Girl" as a "track pick" for Lady Wood , saying it sets
12240-551: The liner notes of Lady Wood . Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Tove Lo Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson (born 29 October 1987), known professionally as Tove Lo ( Swedish pronunciation: [ˈtûːvɛ ˈluː] ), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been called "Sweden's darkest pop export" by Rolling Stone . She is known for her raw, grunge -influenced take on pop music . Out referred to her autobiographical lyrical content as making her "the saddest girl in Sweden". Raised in
12384-402: The lyrics are about stripping the labels in a relationship where the protagonist does not want commitment. Alim Kheraj from DIY labelled "Cool Girl" as a "non-conformist anthem" in which the narrator prefers "lusty casualness" over monogamy. In contrast, Jenesaispop's Jordi Bardají concluded the song talks about the desire for freedom in a relationship, as indicated in the verses, "We don't put
12528-577: The lyrics of "Cool Girl" were written in a sarcastic, ironic way, and that they talk about the "games that we play in a relationship because we are so scared to be vulnerable". She added, "It's almost like you stay cold and don't really show your emotions to kind of have the upper hand". In the chorus, "I'm a cool girl / I'm a, I'm a cool girl / Ice cold, I roll my eyes at you, boy", Lo's narrator uses irony to trick her partner into thinking she does not care about his actions. She told Genius , "Obviously I care, I would not even be rolling my eyes. I guess it's just
12672-446: The lyrics of a new song using the hashtag "soon" to her Instagram account. Five days later, also on Instagram, she uploaded two animated GIF images with the same lyrics and hashtag as the previous post. On 29 July, on Twitter , Lo revealed her new single was called "Cool Girl" and uploaded a seven-second instrumental of the track and announced its release date. It was made available for digital download and streaming on 4 August 2016 as
12816-503: The mainstream. They were adopted by electronic acts and pop and rock groups in the 1960s and 1970s and were widely used in 1980s music. Sampling , introduced with the Fairlight synthesizer in 1979, has influenced genres such as electronic and hip hop music. Today, the synthesizer is used in nearly every genre of music and is considered one of the most important instruments in the music industry. According to Fact in 2016, "The synthesizer
12960-582: The massive hooks that would be better suited at this end of the set". On 24 March 2017, Lo performed "Cool Girl" as part of the encore of a show in São Paulo , Brazil. On 4 April, the singer performed the song at Lollapalooza Chile . She sang "Cool Girl" at the Osheaga Festival 2017 in Montreal , Canada, on 4 August. Lo included the track on the set list of her Sunshine Kitty Tour in 2020. Credits adapted from
13104-417: The melody, chorus and pre-chorus with sarcastic lyrics and sent the track to The Struts. In early 2016, Lo and The Struts reunited in Stockholm to finish the song. "Cool Girl" was written by Tove Lo and The Struts, who also produced it, programmed it and played the bass guitar, keyboards, guitars and percussion instruments. They recorded the track at Wolf Cousins Studios in Stockholm. John Hanes engineered
13248-468: The moment: simple, spare, electronic , and unfussy". Her musical style is often described as dark, idiosyncratic and raw. Rolling Stone deemed her "Sweden's darkest pop export". Lo has a soprano vocal range. Peter Robinson writes, "As a vocalist she hints at euphoria and melancholy in equal measure". She has stated that her vocals are predominantly recorded from the first three takes of their demos to best convey her emotions. Her music uses
13392-467: The music pauses and Lo sets light to her motel room while saying, "Pain and pleasure go hand in hand, they say. But no one mentions that pain is really just a path to more pleasure. No more fear." Later scenes in the music video include a car crash and it ends with the text "to be continued". Scandipop considered the music video for "Cool Girl" to be "epic" while Elvis Duran and the Morning Show called
13536-414: The music video to match the song's "sarcastic and cheeky" themes. Other scenes in the video show Lo with a shaven head in a desert while writhing on the top of a glass coffin containing Esco's character; this scene represents Lo's freedom from her self-destructive side. Publications such as Fuse, Jenesaispop and Much said this scene represents the death of the singer's past self. After the song's bridge,
13680-401: The musical tone for the rest of the record. Amy Mackelden of Bustle considered it the "perfect summer anthem" because of its "bold" lyrics and praised the track's themes about casual relationships. Kyann-Sian Williams from NME included "Cool Girl" on his list of Tove Lo's seven greatest songs and said the "contrast of the slow and mellow verses compared to the liveliness of the refrain" makes
13824-410: The newspaper Expressen TV4 decided to broadcast the entire performance because they felt it was "important" the singer was not censored. Tengbom added, "We are very proud to have Tove Lo on Idol . She is one of our worldwide Swedish artists at the moment and she demonstrated why on the show. Her artistic and musical expression is hers, but of course it is sad that viewers had a bad reaction." Lo wrote
13968-404: The order it took place. Queen of the Clouds , her debut studio album, is a concept album that describes the stages of her relationships in three sections: "The Sex", "The Love" and "The Pain". Jason Lipshutz of Billboard described the album as "blisteringly honest" and "unapologetically uncensored". Her second studio album, Lady Wood , talks about "different kinds of rushes in life" and
14112-521: The oscillators in the frequency domain, often under the control of an envelope or LFO. These are essential to subtractive synthesis. Filters are particularly important in subtractive synthesis , being designed to pass some frequency regions (or "bands") through unattenuated while significantly attenuating ("subtracting") others. The low-pass filter is most frequently used, but band-pass filters , band-reject filters and high-pass filters are also sometimes available. The filter may be controlled with
14256-423: The parameters up and down such as decay, sustain and finally release. For instance by using a short decay with no sustain, the sound generated is commonly known as a stab . Sound designers may prefer shaping the sound with a filter instead of volume. Envelopes control how sounds change over time. They may control parameters such as amplitude (volume), filters (frequencies), or pitch. The most common envelope
14400-459: The performance, saying Lo "dazzled the crowd" and "effortlessly crooned her song's sultry lyrics" while dancing in her outfits. Kevin Apaza of Direct Lyrics complimented the singer's vocal rendition but criticized the stage lighting, saying he could not see Lo's face properly. The next day, the singer performed the track at an iHeartRadio Australia event wearing a low-cut, leather leotard. "Cool Girl"
14544-495: The product of a record label". Sebas E. Alonso of Jenesaispop noted "Cool Girl" was not as successful in North America as Lo's previous singles " Habits (Stay High) " (2013) and " Talking Body " (2015). The single debuted at number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in its opening week. Two weeks later, following the release of its music video, the track re-entered the chart at number 88. The song spent five non-consecutive weeks on
14688-456: The rawness and honesty of his music with his band Nirvana . While in high school, Lo developed a passion for pop music and songwriting, influenced mainly by the output of Swedish singers Robyn and Lykke Li . She says the simplicity and quirky lyrics of French singer Charlotte Gainsbourg 's album IRM (2009) is the main inspiration behind her career in music and said that it "opened a new world" for her sonically. She models her singing on
14832-450: The rise of polyphonic synthesizers in the 70s and 80s, "the keyboard in rock once more started to revert to the background, to be used for fills and atmosphere rather than for soloing". Some acts felt that using synthesizers was "cheating"; Queen wrote in their album liner notes that they did not use them. The Minimoog took a place in mainstream African-American music , most notably in the work of Stevie Wonder , and in jazz , such as
14976-530: The same month, she appeared as a featured artist on Nick Jonas 's " Close ", the lead single from his third studio album Last Year Was Complicated . The track peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received a Platinum certification by the RIAA. It also reached the top 20 in Canada and New Zealand. Lo was also featured on Australian musician Flume 's single " Say It ", released on 20 April 2016. The track
15120-546: The scores for thrillers and horror films including A Clockwork Orange (1971), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Fog (1980) and Manhunter (1986). Brad Fiedel used a Prophet synthesizer to record the soundtrack for The Terminator (1984), and the filmmaker John Carpenter used them extensively for his soundtracks. Synthesizers were used to create themes for television shows including Knight Rider (1982) , Twin Peaks (1990) and Stranger Things (2016). The rise of
15264-434: The singer "completely owns that twisted mindset" of the "Cool Girl" monologue of Gone Girl . Writing for Entertainment Weekly , Dana Getz stated the video is a "lawless take" on the song and that it "builds upon the song's Gone Girl -inspired lyricism". Marissa Martinelli of Slate said Lo's role in the music video was inspired by Gone Girl ' s character Amy Dunne while Patricia García of Vogue wrote, "much like
15408-544: The singer for touching her crotch on a family-friendly show. Lo later included "Cool Girl" on the set list of her Lady Wood Tour in 2017. The writing process for "Cool Girl" started when Tove Lo was taking a day off during her Queen of the Clouds Tour (2015) in Copenhagen , Denmark. At her hotel, Lo received a bass line from producers Jakob Jerlström and Ludvig Söderberg, who are known collectively as The Struts. They asked Lo if she wanted to write lyrics to it. Lo liked
15552-441: The singer tends to home in on "the more deranged side of love". Dubbed "the saddest girl in Sweden", Lo admits that her lyrics are predominantly sad because she is "useless" at writing tracks with a happier tone. Her lyrics have been noted to make subjects that are generally relegated to the genres of punk and hip hop more accessible in a pop framework. Lo's debut EP, Truth Serum , documents one of her failed relationships in
15696-503: The single " How Long " in promotion of the soundtrack to the second season of American teen drama Euphoria . On 3 May 2022 she released the single " No One Dies From Love " through her own label Pretty Swede Records, marking her debut as an independent artist after being signed to Island Records since 2014. On 21 June 2022 she announced that her fifth studio album Dirt Femme would be released on 14 October 2022. The album contains both "How Long" and " No One Dies from Love " as well as
15840-496: The single "True Romance". The track "Cute & Cruel" features the Swedish band First Aid Kit . Another single from this album, "2 Die 4", was released on 29 July 2022, which samples the melody of the 1969 hit Popcorn . On 5 August 2022, Pussy Riot released their debut mixtape Matriarchy Now , executively produced by Lo. On 14 October 2022, she officially released Dirt Femme through Pretty Swede Records with overarching themes of body positivity, femininity, and addressing
15984-541: The single peaked at number 43 on the Top 100 Singles chart and was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), denoting sales of 200,000 units in the country. In France, "Cool Girl" reached number 145 and the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) certified it gold for selling 66,666 copies in the country. The song entered Spain's Top 100 Canciones chart at number 96 in
16128-623: The song "Passion And Pain Taste The Same When I'm Weak". In March 2020, Lo released an English cover of Veronica Maggio 's song " Jag kommer " in partnership with Spotify for their It's Hits playlist. The song reached the top 40 in Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand. In May 2020 she released the Paw Prints Edition of Sunshine Kitty , a reissued version featuring 8 new songs including "Bikini Porn", her cover of "Jag kommer", and new single "sadder badder cooler". In July 2020 she released
16272-416: The song "great". Entertainment Weekly ' s Madison Vain called the song "pop gold" while Fuse 's Bianca Gracie labelled it a strong contender for song of the summer and said it has an "undeniably infectious hook". Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called "Cool Girl" a "wobbly single" that "struts in a deep funk that stands out from the rest of the album". Newsday ' s Glenn Gamboa said "Cool Girl"
16416-436: The song on the Swedish television show Idol 2016 . She wore a T-shirt, a sweater, and black underwear, and while she sang she briefly touched her crotch as a homage to Michael Jackson 's dancing routines. Her performance, which was recorded one hour before being broadcast on TV4 , was criticised by viewers who deemed it too sexual for a family-friendly television show. Clara Tengbom, executive producer of Idol 2016 , told
16560-536: The song while Serban Ghenea mixed it at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach , Virginia. Tom Coyne mastered it with assistance of Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City. "Cool Girl" is a downtempo electropop song that incorporates elements of techno and house music , with a length of three minutes and nineteen seconds. Its instrumentation incorporates a deep synthesizer bass line . It
16704-432: The songs do not become personal. She also said: "My main goal is to say something how they would say it, even if I might say it in a different way that makes more sense to me". In an interview with Coup De Main , Lo explained the songwriting process for her own songs: Sometimes it starts with a random lyric idea that sets the tone for the whole song. Chords and sounds build from the lyric and rhythm, kind of. Sometimes it's
16848-455: The strength of her online following, and the popularity of "Habits", Universal Music offered Lo a recording deal, releasing her first single, " Out of Mind " in October 2013. She would eventually be signed to Island and Polydor Records . Lo then shifted her focus to an international singing career, earning critical acclaim for her first live shows in London and during South by Southwest in
16992-399: The synthesizer led to major changes in music industry jobs, comparable to the earlier arrival of sound in film , which put live musicians accompanying silent films out of work. With its ability to imitate instruments such as strings and horns, the synthesizer threatened the jobs of session musicians . For a period, the Moog was banned from use in commercial work, a restriction negotiated by
17136-509: The synthesizer unit or attached via connections such as CV/gate , USB , or MIDI . Keyboards may offer expression such as velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, allowing for more control over the sound. Other controllers include ribbon controllers , which track the movement of the finger across a touch-sensitive surface; wind controllers , played similarly to woodwind instruments ; motion-sensitive controllers similar to video game motion controllers ; electronic drum pads , played similarly to
17280-556: The top 30 in Australia and was certified Platinum. In New Zealand and Sweden it also made the top 30 where it was certified Gold. Five days before to the album's release, Lo announced a European and North American solo tour, the Lady Wood Tour . It would take the singer to twenty-one cities across two continents, beginning on 6 January 2017. To promote the record, she released two short films directed by Tim Erem featuring tracks from
17424-474: The track and set up her bedroom studio and started listening to it repeatedly. She had recently watched the film Gone Girl (2014) and analyzed the "Cool Girl" monologue by a character portrayed by Rosamund Pike , who talks about being a "cool girl". Lo said; "I just remember this monologue ... where [Pike's character] says she's changed a lot [of] things about herself to become someone that she thought her husband would want". Inspired by that scene, Lo wrote
17568-418: The track's meanings, with some of them noting its themes of casual relationships. The song received positive reviews, commending its production and lyrical themes. "Cool Girl" entered the top 30 in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden. It was certified platinum in Sweden and gold in Australia, Denmark and New Zealand. A music video for "Cool Girl" premiered on 19 August 2016 as the first installment of
17712-404: The track. Writing for The Guardian , Alexandra Pollard noted the song's sarcastic tone and concluded the lyrics are about the false lack of interest people—especially women—are expected to show at the beginning of a relationship. Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone said "Cool Girl" describes the "varying roles and expectations in casual relationships " while Kyann-Sian Williams of NME stated
17856-400: The usual way of adding to the story of the game. You always try to act like you don't care but that's all, you do really." During the bridge , "I got fever highs / I got boiling blood / I'm that fire kind / We could burn together", Lo's narrator admits she is not a "cool girl" and that she prefers to have a passionate connection with her lover. Critics had diverse opinions about the meaning of
18000-488: The video "disturbing" and "bizarre". Jake Viswanath of V said the synopsis of the music video is confusing and that the context of the clip could be understood within the Fairy Dust movie. Viswanath praised the "sensual, acrobatic" choreography and said it "perfectly encapsulates the brooding and passionate tones of Lady Wood ". Some critics noted the video's similarities to the film Gone Girl . Bianca Gracie of Fuse said
18144-653: The vocal stylings of Amy Winehouse , Jeff Buckley , and Mikky Ekko . Other artists she has cited as musical influences include Madonna , The Weeknd , and Silverchair . An interview and profile of Tove Lo in W magazine in October 2016 referred to her as "openly bisexual ", citing that as one of several identifiers "she once took for granted but are now very much part of her public persona." In an interview with Attitude in January 2017, Lo referred to her own bisexuality: "Being open and owning my sexuality in both ways—with both men and women—I think that's just never been
18288-686: The week of 31 August 2016, and peaked at number 79 on 18 September that year. The track charted for two weeks on the Italian Singles Chart , reaching number 49. It was awarded a gold certification from the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) for sales exceeding 25,000 copies in the country. "Cool Girl" also reached the top 30 in Norway and the digital singles charts in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It also received
18432-519: The work of Sun Ra . In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the Minimoog was widely used in the emerging disco genre by artists including Abba and Giorgio Moroder . Sampling, introduced with the Fairlight synthesizer in 1979, has influenced all genres of music and had a major influence on the development of electronic and hip hop music. In the 1970s, electronic music composers such as Jean Michel Jarre and Isao Tomita released successful synthesizer-led instrumental albums. This influenced
18576-647: Was acquired by the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center and used almost exclusively by Milton Babbitt , a composer at Princeton University . The authors of Analog Days define "the early years of the synthesizer" as between 1964 and the mid-1970s, beginning with the debut of the Moog synthesizer . Designed by the American engineer Robert Moog , the instrument was a modular synthesizer system composed of numerous separate electronic modules, each capable of generating, shaping, or controlling
18720-583: Was associated with the RCA synthesizer; however, by the 1970s, it had become the standard term. In 1970, Moog launched a cheaper, smaller synthesizer, the Minimoog . It was the first synthesizer sold in music stores, and was more practical for live performance. It standardized the concept of synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards. In the early 1970s, the British composer Ken Freeman introduced
18864-513: Was born on 29 October 1987 in Helsingborg , Scania County , Sweden . She has one older brother and is the daughter of iZettle co-founder Magnus Nilsson and psychologist Gunilla Nilsson Edholm. Her lifelong nickname and adopted stage name, Tove Lo, was given to her at age three by her godmother because of her love for lynxes (singular: "lo" in Swedish ). She explained; "There was this lynx at
19008-559: Was characterized by its "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly" sounds, compared to the "warm" and "fuzzy" sounds of analog synthesis. The DX7 was the first synthesizer to sell more than 100,000 units and remains one of the bestselling in history. It was widely used in 1980s pop music. Digital synthesizers typically contained preset sounds emulating acoustic instruments, with algorithms controlled with menus and buttons. The Synclavier , made with FM technology licensed from Yamaha, offered features such as 16-bit sampling and digital recording. With
19152-461: Was exhausting because Erem pushed her to film more scenes than she was accustomed to; she said, "I'm way more exhausted after five days of shooting videos than I am after a whole tour. I guess I like to torture myself. And also Tim loves to torture me." Fairy Dust stars Lo and Lina Esco , who plays Lo's "self-destructive alter ego". According to Tove Lo, the "Cool Girl" segment of Fairy Dust represents freedom from her "self-destructive side", which
19296-464: Was featured on Swedish disc jockey Lucas Nord's single, " Run on Love ", released in June 2013 for his album Islands . She also collaborated on the single "Strangers" by Seven Lions and Myon & Shane 54 for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones film soundtrack (2013), and Seven Lions' extended play (EP), Worlds Apart (2014). She also co-wrote Victoria Justice 's " Gold ", and tracks for Icona Pop's This Is... Icona Pop . Thanks to
19440-556: Was included on the set list of Lo's second tour, the Lady Wood Tour , in 2017. She performed the track wearing a latex bodysuit while swaying and doing a striptease . Matthew Kent of The Independent wrote a mixed review of the song's rendition at the O2 Ritz in Manchester , calling it one of the set's "kinks" and adding, "Chilled out Lady Wood lead 'Cool Girl' is a mission statement on record, but it doesn't quite deliver live as it lacks
19584-458: Was later featured on "Out of My Head", the lead single from English singer Charli XCX 's fourth mixtape Pop 2 , released in December of that year. On 7 June 2018, Lo released a remix of " Bitches " featuring XCX, Alma , Icona Pop and Elliphant as the second single from Blue Lips . Lo was featured on the track "Get Up and Fight", by Muse on the Simulation Theory album, which
19728-449: Was on November 9, 2018. On 31 May 2019, Lo announced through a press release that her fourth studio album would be titled Sunshine Kitty . The record's lead single, " Glad He's Gone ", was released that same day alongside its lyric video. On 1 August, Lo announced that the album would be released on 20 September 2019. The second single, " Bad as the Boys " featuring Finnish musician Alma ,
19872-560: Was part of the soundtrack for the second season of the American teen drama series Euphoria . In addition to her solo work, Lo has co-written songs for other artists, including Lorde 's " Homemade Dynamite " (2017) and Ellie Goulding 's " Love Me Like You Do " (2015), a song that garnered her Grammy Award and Golden Globe nominations. She has collaborated with many artists, including Charli XCX , Alesso , Broods , Flume , Nick Jonas , Seven Lions , Urban Cone , Kylie Minogue , Nelly Furtado and Coldplay . Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson
20016-517: Was released in October 2016 and debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200. Its lead single, " Cool Girl ", became an international hit. Her follow-up records, Blue Lips (2017) and Sunshine Kitty (2019), also performed well, the latter spawning the song " Glad He's Gone ", which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video . In 2022, she released the album Dirt Femme with singles like " How Long " and " No One Dies from Love ". The former
20160-513: Was released on 16 September 2017 as the record's third single. On 17 November 2017, Lo released her third studio album, Blue Lips , which she referred to as the sequel to Lady Wood . Compared to Lo's earlier releases, the record was less successful, peaking at number 138 on the US Billboard 200 and at number 15 in Sweden. The first single, " Disco Tits ", was released in September 2017. She
20304-467: Was released the following day. Lo released the third single on 28 August 2019, " Jacques ", a collaboration between her and British DJ Jax Jones . She then released " Really Don't Like U ", featuring Australian musician and songwriter Kylie Minogue , on 6 September 2019. Five days earlier, Lo appeared in Alma's song "Worst Behaviour". On 15 January 2020, she released the single " Bikini Porn ", which included
20448-408: Was signed to Universal Music , Island and Polydor . The following year, Lo rose to prominence with her debut album, Queen of the Clouds , which opened at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in October 2014. It spawned the sleeper hit single " Habits (Stay High) ", which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 , as well as " Talking Body ". Her second album, Lady Wood ,
20592-491: Was successful in Oceania , entering the top five in Australia and New Zealand. The artist co-wrote Ellie Goulding's " Still Falling For You ", the lead single from the soundtrack to the film Bridget Jones's Baby (2016). On 28 October 2016, the singer released her second studio album, Lady Wood . It topped the album chart in Sweden and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single, " Cool Girl ", entered
20736-621: Was taking time off to undergo surgery on her vocal cords which had developed cysts . The surgery took place successfully on 3 January 2015. At the 2015 Grammis , Lo won in the categories for Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for "Habits (Stay High)". She co-wrote the 2015 singles " Love Me Like You Do " by Ellie Goulding and " Sparks " by Hilary Duff . She went on to write two other tracks on Duff's fifth album Breathe In. Breathe Out. , "Stay In Love" and "One in A Million". "Love Me Like You Do" topped
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