Nilsson wears a top and skirt by MELITTA BAUMEISTER, a shirt by MARC JACOBS, boots by MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA, a ring by J. HANNAH AND the stylist’s own earrings.

  • Words Tara Joshi
  • Photography Emman Montalvan
  • Styling Annie & Hannah

TOVE LO

Nilsson wears a top and skirt by MELITTA BAUMEISTER, a shirt by MARC JACOBS, boots by MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA, a ring by J. HANNAH AND the stylist’s own earrings.

Issue 49

, Scandinavia

,
  • Words Tara Joshi
  • Photography Emman Montalvan
  • Styling Annie & Hannah
  • Set Designer Kelly Fondry
  • Hair Preston Wada
  • Makeup Nick Lennon

The pop star reflects on the big feelings behind her biggest hits.

When Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson was 15 years old, she won a prize for a short story she wrote. In it, two best friends have grown apart because one of them gets a boyfriend; in response, the other friend starts stalking her, and ends up killing her “just to keep her close.” Nilsson—known professionally as pleasure-seeking pop star Tove Lo—is laughing as she recounts this tale. “It was pretty dark,” she concedes, “but there was humor to it. And Sweden being Sweden, they were like, ‘Yay!’ Most of the stories I wrote were about a girl doing twisted things.”

Since Nilsson broke through 10 years ago with the sleeper hit “Habits (Stay High),” songs with undercurrents of deviance and discomfort—about girls ...

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