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Blue Lips and Album Aesthetics


BLUE LIPS - TOVE LO
Albums like Blue Lips are very important in the music industry at the moment.  Aesthetics are an on going playing card in the distribution of albums.  With both the actual imagery and the music Tove Lo is always creating a picture, almost an alternative world that's ever so dark and dreary, but romantic.


Recently I have discovered Tove Lo's new album. This was one of those albums where as soon as I heard it, I connected with it and felt the urge to discuss it with everyone- hens the blog post.


Image result for tove lo lady wood part 2Tove Lo is huge in the music industry at the moment, not only as a successful chart topping pop artist but also as a songwriter.  She currently has 8,318,154 monthly listeners on spotify.  She was also a collab writer in one of my favourite Lorde tracks 'Homemade Dynamite.'  And personally I could really hear that Tove Lo was part of the writing process- with the up front, brutally honest vibe.

I was very happy to realise that there was another album after 'Lady Wood' (her previous album.)   'Blue lips 'is supposedly the 'phase II' of Lady Wood.

The track that I highly recommend you give a listen to (if you've only got time for one song) is track 4 'Shivering Gold.'  This song, similarly to most Tove Lo songs contains a lot of synthesisers- almost 80's pop vibes but mixed with some striking vocal harmonies/tones beckoning you in to the uplifting chorus with an attitude.  Throughout all of the verses there aren't any drums at all- we're almost in a dreamy nostalgic state with Tove Lo every time we aren't in the chorus, eavesdropping into her sexual encounters and darker memories.
Another album that I see demonstrating similar aesthetic/persona techniques but in a different way is..
Related image
INVASION OF PRIVACY- CARDI B:  I first thought of this album because Cardi B has one of the most memorable personas in music this year.  She is unapologetic, slightly unhinged and completely transparent- but all in the best kinds of ways.  She is another advocate for women in rap music, and yet her sound differentiates her from all the others.  Cardi B has resisted a lot of hate on her way up to the top of the charts however she has stuck it out and created this album.  The title 'Invasion of Privacy' summarises the themes as Cardi has said in interviews.  Especially with her recent pregnancy as well as new found fame, she has found her self feeling anxious and not wanting to give as much back to the public as much when it comes to her personal life.
The Aesthetic of this album was probably just as carefully crafted as the songs on it.  The overstated outfit meshed with comedic undertones and empowered sexuality created a great cover and really depicts the inner workings of the album.  She presents her classic image- a mix of street and glamour combined into one and creating something quite different to anyone else.
Cardi B has been involved in a Law suit with one of her previous album covers (Gangta Bitch music Vol.1) but the previous cover also created a great image for female empowerment and urban aesthetics. 

"GIVE YOURSELF A TRY"
Image result for give yourself a try 1975I've also noticed that some of the most recent releases this week have all been very focused on imagery and mysterious promotion via imagery.  For example the 1975's new track 'Give yourself a try.'  I followed the build up to this track on the 1975's Instagram as they kept posting modern article style templates all with the headings as "GIVE YOURSELF A TRY" in different text sizes on each one; some with a picture behind and some simply looking like a newspaper article.  The track has now been released, with some insightful messages around today's society particularly for the younger generation.  The 1975's new album "A Brief Encounter into online relationships" is rumoured to be released October this year.
"SO SAD SO SEXY"
Image result for lykke li so sad so sexy
Lykke Li also released some mysterious promo on the build up to a few of her newly released singles "two nights" and "sex money feelings die" and the now released album "So Sad So Sexy".  The promo for this album was executed in a similar way to the 1975's method,   simple words being shown with only simple imagery to leave fans guessing as to what could be on the way.


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