Raised in 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 was signed to Universal Music, Island and Polydor. The following year, Lo rose to prominence with her debut album, Queen of the Clouds. 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, 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 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, such as Charli XCX, Flume, SG Lewis, Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue and Coldplay, among others.
Flashes
Tove Lo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't mean I forgot about you back home
You think I'm surrounded
But babe, I do most of this alone
People come, I push them away
People talk, I know what they say
People come, I push them away
What about you?
When I fuck things up
When I fuck things up in front of camera flashes
What about you?
When all I built up
When all I built up with sweat, blood, tears just crashes
What about you?
What about you?
"Money is a problem"
You say in a way like I'm to blame
I don't really need them
All I want is for us to stay the same
What about you?
People come, I push them away
People talk, I know what they say
People come, I push them away
People talk, I know what they say
What about you?
When I fuck things up
When I fuck things up in front of camera flashes
What about you?
When all I built up
When all I built up with sweat, blood, tears just crashes
What about you?
What about you?
What about you?
What about you?
Oh! (What about, what about)
Yeah, oh, what about you?
Oh, yeah, nah, when I fuck things up, yeah
Oh, yeah, fuck things up, what about you?
Oh, what about you (fuck things up)
Yeah
(When I fuck things up)
Fuck things up
Coming over me
(All of these flashes)
What-a-bout-You? (All of these flashes)
Comin' over me
When I fuck things up
In front of camera flashes (All of these flashes)
What about you?
When all I built up
With sweat, blood, tears just crashes
What about you?
Fuck things up, yeah
In "Flashes" by Tove Lo, she talks about the price of fame and the toll it takes on her personal relationships. The singer admits that although she is present, she has not forgotten about her loved ones back home. Despite being surrounded by people, she often feels alone in her experiences. The lyrics suggest that Tove Lo is aware of how her actions and personality have affected her public image, with people constantly talking about her. Even though she pushes people away, she still wants to know if her loved ones have her back if she makes a mistake during a public appearance or if everything she worked so hard for comes crashing down. She also addresses the issue of money and how it affects her personal life.
Throughout the song, Tove Lo references "camera flashes" as a symbol of the spotlight that she is under. When she messes up, whether it is in front of the camera or behind the scenes, she wonders about the people in her life who have been with her through it all. She admits that she has contributed to some of the issues in her relationships, but she also feels that sometimes those around her do not support her in the way she needs. Overall, "Flashes" explores the difficulties that Tove Lo faces in balancing fame and personal relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Just because I'm present
Just because I'm here doesn't mean I've forgotten about you back home.
Don't mean I forgot about you back home
Being here doesn't erase my memories of you or our relationship.
You think I'm surrounded
You think I have a lot of people around me to support me.
But babe, I do most of this alone
But in reality, I'm mostly handling things on my own.
People come, I push them away
When people try to get close to me, I push them away.
People talk, I know what they say
I'm aware of what people say about me behind my back.
What about you?
But what about you? How do you handle things when everything goes wrong?
When I fuck things up
When I make mistakes and mess things up.
When I fuck things up in front of camera flashes
When I make mistakes publicly and in front of the media.
What about you?
But what about you? How do you deal with pressure and stress?
When all I built up
When everything that I've worked hard for.
With sweat, blood, tears just crashes
Collapses and falls apart despite all the effort I've put into it.
Money is a problem
You blame our problems on the issue of money.
You say in a way like I'm to blame
You make it seem like it's my fault, even though it's not.
I don't really need them
Money isn't my top priority or the solution to our problems.
All I want is for us to stay the same
I just want our relationship to remain strong and unchanged.
Fuck things up
Make mistakes and mess things up.
Coming over me
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions and stress.
(All of these flashes)
The bright lights and attention of the media.
What-a-bout-You? (All of these flashes)
How do you handle this kind of pressure and attention?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR MICHAEL GOERRES, LO TOVE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chandnirai7039
Am I the only one who thinks Tove lo is not getting the attention she deserves... She is such and amazing singer and songwriter.. I love all of her songs.. Love the saddest girl of Sweden
@KL-bg8fi
Agreed.
@nickteves9716
chandni rai well I love her and I'm a Metal Head haha
@aaronk3788
@@nickteves9716 same here, it is amazing.. you can just let one song play after another
@ann3apr1l81
I know right people missing out
@danielfloyd.
I honestly love the fact that she is successful but not overly saturated on radios. She has managed to create a niche for herself and her music. You don't really hear this style of music on the radios. I like the fact that she isn't super exposed and that her stuff is still pretty lowkey.
@MaskedViolinist07
The last part of the song is just unreal...like being in another wild and beautiful universe. I can’t explain it, but I want to stay there forever.
@carla3693
Feel the same way
@eathansx
One of the few singers where I love every song she has ever made
@nathanjs4207
"You think I'm surrounded. But babe, I do most of this alone."