Sway (Tove Styrke album)

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Sway
Studio album by
Released4 May 2018 (2018-05-04)
GenreElectropop[1]
Length26:48
LabelRCA
Producer
Tove Styrke chronology
Kiddo
(2015)
Sway
(2018)
Hard
(2022)
Singles from Sway
  1. "Say My Name"
    Released: 28 April 2017
  2. "Mistakes"
    Released: 15 September 2017
  3. "Changed My Mind"
    Released: 2 February 2018
  4. "On the Low"
    Released: 6 April 2018
  5. "Sway"
    Released: 2 May 2018
  6. "Vibe"
    Released: 19 October 2018

Sway is the third studio album by Swedish singer Tove Styrke.[2] It was released on 4 May 2018 by RCA Records.[3] It peaked at number 11 on the Swedish Albums Chart.[4]

Production[edit]

The production of the album took more than 18 months.[5] In a 2018 interview with Evening Standard, Styrke said: "I really wanted to strip things down. It was the opposite of my previous project, where the main rule was that there are no rules. This one was about restraint, making sure that every part is good enough to be there. And when you make it that minimal, it asks more of the song. You're going to hear every word, every melody, and it all matters so much."[6]

Release and singles[edit]

On 28 April 2017, Styrke released "Say My Name"as the lead single from the album. The second single "Mistakes" followed on 15 September.[7] A cover of Lorde's "Liability" re-titled "Liability (Demo)" was unveiled as a promotional single on 15 December.[8] "Changed My Mind" was unveiled as the third single alongside the album announcement on 2 February 2018.[9][10] Before the album's release, the single "On the Low" came out.[11] A music video for the single "Sway" premiered on 8 June 2018.[12] Another track called "Vibe" was released as a single on 19 October 2018, included in a digital re-edition of the album ahead of a tour through United Kingdom.[13]

To promote the album, Styrke embarked on the Sway Tour in the fall of 2018.[14]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
NME[15]
Pitchfork7.5/10[16]
PopMatters[17]

Margaret Farrell of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, calling it "one of the most exuberant albums in recent memory."[16] Owen Myers of The Fader described it as "a short and very sweet triumph, with eight inventive pop songs that align Styrke closely with the genre's current forward-thinking vanguard."[18]

On 4 May 2018, Rolling Stone included it on the "10 New Albums to Stream Now" list.[19] On 22 May 2018, NME included it on the "Best Albums of 2018 So Far" list.[20]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
MusicOMH Top 50 Albums of 2018
48
Rolling Stone 20 Best Pop Albums of 2018
12

Track listing[edit]

All tracks produced by Elof Loelv, except where noted.

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Sway"
3:30
2."Say My Name"
  • Styrke
  • Loelv
  • Sibanda
 3:25
3."On the Low"
  • Styrke
  • Loelv
 3:46
4."Mistakes"
  • Styrke
  • Loelv
 3:25
5."Changed My Mind"
  • Styrke
  • Loelv
  • Söhdahl
  • Trewartha
  • Trewartha
  • Osternberg
 3:05
6."I Lied"
  • Styrke
  • Loelv
  • Ailin
 3:13
7."On a Level"
  • Styrke
  • Janiak
  • Janiak
  • Gustav Nyström[a]
3:31
8."Liability" (demo)John Alexis2:53
Total length:26:48
iTunes Store edition[23]
No.TitleLength
1."Sway"3:30
2."Say My Name"3:25
3."On the Low"3:46
4."Mistakes"3:25
5."Changed My Mind"3:05
6."I Lied"3:13
7."Vibe"2:54
8."On a Level"3:31
9."Liability" (demo)2:53
Total length:29:42

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD edition.

  • Tove Styrke – vocals, executive production
  • Joe Janiak – production (1, 7)
  • Elof Loelv – co-production (1), production (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  • Gustav Nyström – co-production (7)
  • John Alexis – production (8)
  • Henrik Edenhed – mixing
  • Henrik Jonsson – mastering
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Joanna Nordahl – creative direction
  • Sepidar Hosseini – visual identity
  • Emma Svensson – photography
  • Petter Eriksson – executive production

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Sway
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[4] 11

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cragg, Michael (26 October 2018). "What to see this week in the UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  2. ^ Viswanath, Jake (4 May 2018). "Tove Styrke Will 'Sway' Her Way Into Pop History". Paper. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  3. ^ Ginsberg, Gab (4 May 2018). "Tove Styrke Talks New Album 'Sway,' Touring With Lorde and Katy Perry: 'Oh My God, Is This Real Life?'". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Swedishcharts.com – Tove Styrke – Sway". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  5. ^ Newstead, Al (2 May 2018). "First Spin: Tove Styrke spoils us with upcoming album title track 'Sway'". Triple J. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  6. ^ Smyth, David (8 June 2018). "Tove Styrke interview: I know that I'm good at this and that's very reassuring". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  7. ^ McNeilage, Ross (4 October 2017). "Tove Styrke Is A Runaway Bride In The Epic 'Mistakes' Video". MTV UK.
  8. ^ Riddell, Rose (14 December 2017). "Listen: Tove Styrke covers Lorde's 'Liability'". Coup De Main.
  9. ^ Bruner, Raisa (2 February 2018). "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week". Time.
  10. ^ "P3 Guld-vinnaren Tove Styrke släpper singeln "Changed My Mind" och releasedatum för kommande albumet "Sway"". Mynewsdesk (in Swedish). 2 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Tove Styrke släpper singeln "On The Low" från kommande albumet "Sway" - på scen med Lorde sjungandes Robyn cover". Mynewsdesk (in Swedish). 6 April 2018.
  12. ^ Valentine, Claire (8 June 2018). "Tove Styrke on 'Sway' and Authentic Depictions of Queer Love". Paper.
  13. ^ "Tove Styrke has released a vibey new single ahead of her upcoming tour dates". Dork. 19 October 2018.
  14. ^ Bretzer, Ralph (26 November 2018). "Självsäkrare Styrke till Skåne" [More confident Styrke to Skåne]. Skånska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 7 February 2023. (subscription required)
  15. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (4 May 2018). "Tove Styrke: 'Sway' Review". NME. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  16. ^ a b Farrell, Margaret (2 May 2018). "Tove Styrke: Sway". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  17. ^ Horowitz, Steve (25 May 2018). "Tove Styrke 'Sways' to the Music". PopMatters. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  18. ^ Myers, Owen (1 June 2018). "Nine years into her pop career, Tove Styrke is more confident than ever". The Fader. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  19. ^ Johnston, Maura (4 May 2018). "10 New Albums to Stream Now: Liz Phair, Rae Sremmurd, Leon Bridges and More Editors' Picks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  20. ^ Smith, Thomas (22 May 2018). "The best albums of 2018 so far". NME. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  21. ^ Hubbard, Michael (5 December 2018). "musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2018". MusicOMH. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  22. ^ Spanos, Brittany; Sheffield, Rob (14 December 2018). "20 Best Pop Albums of 2018: Tove Styrke, 'Sway'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Sway av Tove Styrke". iTunes. Retrieved 6 December 2018.