Tove Styrke - Hard

Release Date:  June 3rd, 2022

Let's Go! I really liked her 3rd album "Sway" and on a recent episode of She-Hulk, they used "Say my name" as an end-credit. That's kind of validating.

Review: Like the last album, this is also very short, clocking in at only 25 minutes. It opens up with a statement song with lots of crunchy sounds. I don't it's ground breaking, but it has a lot of energy. The 2nd song continues with a marching beat. "Free" could be the type of song that could go viral if the right people see it.  maybe the line "i just wanna be free" is commonplace, I think the way the chorus just soars for that part is a stand out moment.

"24H" is fine. iono, it's a low key song so it's a bit sensual. "Hardcore" kind of sucks. I guess it depends on your mood if you like low bpm songs. It's missing something to grab me. Probably the star of this album is "Start Walking." I'll be honest, when I first heard it, I was blown away. it sounds so familiar that i for sure thought it had sampled something, but i can't find any info, so i guess it's just a good disco track. "Millennial Blues" is excellent because the instrumentals are very minimum, but it's so pretty the way she sings it. I feel like it's the most "Sway" era sounding.

"Show Me Love" is nice too, but it drove me a bit crazy because the guitar strums reminds me of "stand by me" but it never goes there, then the chorus sounds like something else, but i can't recall what it does remind me of.  Maybe it's meant to be generic to appeal to the masses. It's a pretty ballad. Finally "Bruises" is the album closer, which i liked, but also felt like it was on cruise control towards the finish line.

Summary: "Sway" was so good, and maybe it was because it was 2018 and I wasn't familiar to how pop music sounded in other countries, "Hard" felt like a let down. I still found enjoyment out of it, but it's kind of a mixbag of great songs to standard pop songs.

Favorite Songs: Free, Start Walking, Millennial Blues
Rating: 7/10