Tag Archives: tove lo

Best Songs of 2025

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Here’s a list of my top songs for this year, in an order that might be surprisingly mixable. These are not necessarily from 2025; I just happened to have heard them in the last twelve months.

  1. Bitter, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
  2. Opalite, by Taylor Swift on The Life of a Showgirl
  3. Ghost in My Machine, by Mia Wray on Only Love
  4. Why Am I Dancing_ by Pet Shop Boys on Nonetheless
  5. Pretty Ugly, by Zara Larsson on Midnight Sun
  6. Shapeshifter, by Lorde on Virgin
  7. Suburbia, by Tove Lo on Dirt Femme
  8. Blood Orange, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
  9. Nice to Meet Me, by Mia Wray on Only Love
  10. davina mccall, by Wet Leg on moisturizer
  11. Don’t Be Tough, by Jason Isbell on Foxes in the Snow
  12. Got to Begin Again, by Billy Joel on Cold Spring Harbor
  13. Perfect, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
  14. Favourite Daughter, by Lorde on Virgin
  15. Human, by Brandi Carlile on Returning to Myself
  16. feelslikeimfallinginlove, by Coldplay on Moon Music
  17. 2 Die 4, by Tove Lo on Dirt Femme
  18. Broken Glass, by Lorde on Virgin
  19. Dancing in a Hurricane, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
  20. Get Out My Way, by Mia Wray on Only Love
  21. Buckle, by Florence + The Machine on Everybody Scream
  22. I Leave Everything to You, by The Swell Season on Forward

A quartet of musicians are here with multiple tunes: Freya Ridings (4), Lorde (3), Mia Wray (3), and Tove Lo (2).  Freya and Mia both have such unique texture to their voices; Lorde marries her whispers with a rumbling, dark soundscape; and Tove’s vocals are so clear, a perfect coupling with the electronica.

The only downside of these four taking over the songlist is that The Zombies, Lucius, Maren Morris, Purity Ring, The Beths, Laura Stevenson, Vampire Weekend, Nation of Language, and Perfume Genius will have to wait until next year…hopefully. There’s just so much good music out there every year.

Favorite Songs of 2016

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Better late than never: Here’s a list of my top songs for this year, in an order that might be surprisingly mixable. These are not necessarily from 2016; I just happened to have heard them in the last twelve months.

Fronteras, by Gaby Moreno on Ilusion
Million Reasons, by Lady Gaga on Joanne
Lady Wood, by Tove Lo on Lady Wood
Move Your Body, by Sia on This Is Acting
Hold My Hand, by Jess Glynne on I Cry When I Laugh
Until the Day Dims (Heavy Hands Remix), by The Woodlands on Heavy Hands Remix
Gimmie Love, by Carly Rae Jepsen on Emotion
A Happy Place, by Katie Melua on The House
Fight Song, by Rachel Platten on Wildfire
School Friends, by Now, Now on Threads
James, by Maggie Rogers on Blood Ballet
We’ve Only Just Begun, by the Carpenters on The Essential Collection
Open, by Rhye on Woman
Hold You Tonight, by The Woodlands on Gems and Bones
Hollywood, by Grouplove on Big Mess
Almost Makes Me Wish for Rain, by Lucius on Good Grief
Still Falling for You, by Ellie Goulding on Bridget Jones’s Baby Soundtrack
Used to Love You, by Gwen Stefani on This Is What the Truth Feels Like
Mayhem, by Imelda May on Mayhem
Lone Ranger, by Rachel Platten on Wildfire
Maybe This Christmas, by Tracey Thorn on Tinsel and Lights
She’s Got You, by Rhiannon Giddens on Tomorrow Is My Turn

The highlight this year is Tove Lo’s “Lady Wood,” which has some serious sonic landscapes.  Tove Lo also wrote another song here, the Ellie-Goulding-helmed “Still Falling for You.”  Ms. Lo is at the top of her game.