Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo has written over 70 songs for her five studio albums and one extended play, as well as for other artists. Between 2006 and 2009, Lo was a member of math rock band Tremblebee, and wrote the lyrics for their songs. In 2011, she signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music, and later joined songwriting teams Xenomania and Wolf Cousins. In 2014, Lo wrote and provided vocals for "Heroes (We Could Be)" by Swedish musician Alesso, which peaked inside the top ten in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Lo co-wrote "Love Me Like You Do", recorded by English singer Ellie Goulding, which was released as the second single from the soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). The track topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, Lo received nominations, alongside the others co-writers of the song, for the Golden Globes, Grammys and Critics' Choice Awards. Discussing the process of writing for other artists, the singer told Paste that she avoids drawing from her own experiences so that the songs do not become personal. She also stated: "My main goal is to say something how they would say it, even if I might say it in a different way that makes more sense to me".
In addition to her work for other artists, Lo has co-written the songs from her own record releases. While writing for other singers, she started to record the songs she deemed too personal to give away; the first one was "Love Ballad", which was initially offered to an artist who wanted to change the lyrics. The track became her first collaboration with co-writers Jakob Jerlström and Ludvig Söderberg, better known as The Struts, and was later released as Lo's debut single in October 2012. "Habits", also co-written with The Struts, was released as the singer's second single in March 2013. It was written during 2012's Hurricane Sandy in New York, and was inspired by Lo's attempts to forget a former boyfriend through substance abuse and other hedonistic practices. Its popularity among music blogs gained the artist a recording contract with Universal Music Group.
In March 2014, Lo released her first EP Truth Serum, a concept record that details her "most intense" failed relationship. It contains six tracks co-written by the singer alongside The Struts and Alx Reuterskiöld, among others. In September of that year, the artist released her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds, a concept album divided into three sections that describes the pattern of her relationships: The Sex, The Love and The Pain. The majority of the tracks were co-written by Lo alongside The Struts. "Habits" was re-released as "Habits (Stay High)" as both the second single from Truth Serum and the lead single from Queen of the Clouds, and became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also awarded the Song of the Year accolade at the 2015 Grammis Awards in Sweden.
In October 2016, Lo released her second studio album, Lady Wood, which talks about "different kinds of rushes in life" and is divided into two chapters, "Fairy Dust" and "Fire Fade". It featured ten songs co-written by the artist alongside The Struts, Ilya Salmanzadeh and Oscar Holter, among others. In November 2017, the singer released her third studio album, Blue Lips, which is a sequel to Lady Wood and is also split into two chapters: "Light Beams" and "Pitch Black". For the record, she worked mostly with The Struts and Ali Payami. Lo has also written and recorded tracks for the soundtracks of three films. She solely wrote and produced "Scream My Name" for the soundtrack to the 2014 film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. She wrote "Scars" alongside The Struts, which became the lead single of the soundtrack to the 2016 film The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Lo also co-wrote "Lies in the Dark", which is part of the soundtrack to Fifty Shades Darker (2017).
Songs
+Key Indicates single releaseIndicates promotional single releaseIndicates a song written solely by Lo
Title Artist(s) Songwriter(s) Album(s) Year Ref. "2 Die 4" Tove LoTove LoOscar GörresGershon KingsleyDirt Femme2022 "9th of October"Tove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Jakob JerlströmBlue Lips2017 "Anywhere U Go"Tove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Svante HalldinJakob HazellSunshine Kitty2019 "Are U Gonna Tell Her?" featuring MC ZaacTove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Jakob Jerlström Isaac DanielUmberto TavaresJefferson JuniorSunshine Kitty2019"Attention Whore"Tove Lo featuring Channel TresTove LoLudvig SöderbergJerome CastilleSheldon YoungDirt Femme2022 "Bad as the Boys" featuring AlmaTove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Jakob JerlströmSunshine Kitty2019 "Bad Days"Tove Lo Gustav Weber VernetBlue Lips2017 "Better Days" Liam GallagherLiam GallagherAndrew WyattGustav Weber VernetMichael TigheTove LoC'mon You Know2022 "Bikini Porn" Tove Lo Finneas O'ConnellJakob HazellSvante HalldinLudvig SöderbergSunshine Kitty (Paw Prints Edition)2020 "Bitches"Tove LoAli PayamiBlue Lips2017"Blow That Smoke" Major Lazer featuring Tove LoMaxime PicardPhillip MeckseperTove LoClement PicardJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergSibel RedžepThomas Wesley PentzMajor Lazer Essentials2018"Borderline" Tove LoTove LoDua LipaJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergDirt Femme2023"Bumble Bee"Tove LoMike Riley "Busy Girl"SG Lewis and Tove LoTove LoSamuel George LewisOrlando HigginbottomHeat2024 "Call Me Tonight" Ava Max Amanda Ava KociTove LoJohan SchusterHenry Walter Heaven & Hell2020"Call on Me" Tove Lo and SG LewisTove LoSamuel George LewisOrlando HigginbottomDirt Femme and AudioLust & HigherLove2022 "Cave" Dom Dolla and Tove LoDominic MathesonTove Lo2024 "Close" featuring Tove Lo Mattias Larsson Robin FredrikssonJulia MichaelsJustin TranterTove Lo Last Year Was Complicated2016 "Colorblind" Karma Fields featuring Tove LoTimothy NelsonTove LoBody Rush2018 "Come Back to Me" Urban Cone featuring Tove Lo Rasmus FlycktTim FormgrenEmil GustafssonJacob Sjöberg Magnus FolköTove Lo Polaroid Memories2015 "Come Undone"Tove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Svante HalldinJakob HazellSunshine Kitty2019 "Cool"Dua Lipa Dua LipaTove LoCamille PurcellShakka PhilipBenjamin KohnThomas BarnesPeter KelleherFuture Nostalgia2020 "Cool Girl" Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergLady Wood2016 "Crave"Tove Lo Ryan Rabin Ryan McMahon Ben BergerQueen of the Clouds2014"Cute & Cruel"Tove Lo featuringFirst Aid KitTove LoElvira AnderfjärdDirt Femme2022 "Cycles"Tove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Jakob Jerlström Joe JaniakBlue Lips2017 "Desire" Years & Years featuring Tove LoOlly AlexanderMichael GoldsworthyEmre TurkmenKid HarpoonTove LoCommunion (deluxe edition)2016"Desire"SG Lewis and Tove LoTove LoSamuel George LewisHeat2024 "Disco Tits" Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergBlue Lips2017"Diva" Aazar featuring Swae Lee and Tove LoAazarNicolas PetitfrèreSeySey CompositeurKhalif Malik Ibn Shaman BrownTove Lo2019 "Don't Ask Don't Tell"Tove Lo Ali PayamiBlue Lips2017 "Don't Say Goodbye" Alok and Ilkay Sencan featuring Tove LoHannah WilsonAlex CotoiAlokTove LoIllkay SencanOHYESRobert Uhlmann2020"Don't Talk About It"Tove LoIlya SalmanzadehRickard GöranssonLady Wood2016 "Don't Worry Bout Me" Tove LoZara Larsson Ludvig Söderberg Jakob Jerlström Rami Yacoub Linnea Södahl Whitney PhillipsPoster Girl2019 "Elevator Eyes" Tove LoTove LoJoel LittleDirt Femme2023"End of It All"Tove LoMat ShermanWes Jones "Equally Lost"Tove Lo featuring Doja CatTove LoMattias LarssonRobin FredrikssonAmalaratna DlaminiMax MartinSunshine Kitty2019 "Flashes"Tove LoOscar GörresLady Wood2016 "Forget It" Tove LoFredrik SamssonAmanda Fondell Because I Am2014 "Freak of Nature" Broods featuring Tove Lo Georgia NottCaleb NottTove Lo Conscious2016 "Give It All Up" Duran Duran featuring Tove LoSimon Le BonJohn TaylorRoger TaylorNick RhodesGraham CoxonErol AlkanTove LoFuture Past2021"Glad He's Gone" Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergKarl "Shellback" SchusterSunshine Kitty2019 "Gold" Tove LoJason WeissSam ShrieveBen CampJakob JerlströmLudvig Söderberg 2013 "Good Guys"Tove Lo Michael Abiola Orabiyi Elliot Wilkins "Got Love" Tove LoAlx ReuterskiöldJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergQueen of the Clouds2014"Grapefruit" Tove LoTove LoLudvig SöderbergTimothy NelsonDirt Femme2022"Gritty Pretty (Intro)"Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergSunshine Kitty2019 "Habits (Stay High)" Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergTruth SerumQueen of the Clouds2013"Heart Attack" Phoebe Ryan featuring Tove LoPhoebe Ryan Tove Lo Tommy English Imad RoyalNGX: Ten Years of Neon Gold2018 "Heat" SG Lewis and Tove LoTove LoSamuel George LewisOrlando HigginbottomHeat2024 "Heroes (We Could Be)" Alesso featuring Tove Lo Alessandro LindbladTove LoDavid BowieBrian Eno Forever2014 "Hey You Got Drugs?"Tove Lo Alex HopeBlue Lips2017"Homemade Dynamite"LordeTove Lo Ella Yelich-O'ConnorLudvig Söderberg Jakob JerlströmMelodrama2017 "How Long" Tove LoTove LoLudvig SöderbergSibel RedžepTim NelsonEuphoria Season 2 (An HBO Original Series Soundtrack) and Dirt Femme2022"How'd You Do It"Tove Lo Jarl Aanestad "I Like U" Tove LoTove LoTimothy NelsonDirt Femme2023 "I'm Coming" Tove LoVeronica MaggioChristian WalzStefan OlssonTove LoSunshine Kitty (Paw Prints Edition)2020"I'm to Blame" Tove LoTove LoAli PayamiDirt Femme2022 "Imaginary Friend"Tove LoLudvig SöderbergJakob JerlströmJoel LittleLady Wood2016 "In My Head"Tove Lo Alx ReuterskiöldKim Andreas Wennerstrom "Influence" featuring Wiz KhalifaTove LoLudvig Söderberg Jakob JerlströmCameron Jibril ThomazLady Wood2016 "Jacques" Jax Jones and Tove LoTove Lo Timucin Aluo Mark RalphSunshine Kitty Snacks (Supersize)2019 "Jealousy" Tal Mattias LarssonRobin FredrikssonTove Lo Jason Gill 2013 "Keep It Simple"Tove LoAli PayamiLady Wood2016"Kick in the Head"Tove LoTove LoTimothy NelsonDirt Femme2022 "Killin' It" Tove LoShellbackLudvig SöderbergJakob JerlströmSavan KotechaCher Lloyd Sorry I'm Late2014 "Lady Wood"Tove LoOscar HolterLudvig SöderbergLady Wood2016"Let me go OH OH"SG Lewis and Tove LoTove LoSamuel George LewisOrlando HigginbottomHeat2024 "Lies in the Dark"Tove Lo Mike Riley Daniel TraynorFifty Shades Darker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack2017 "Light Beams"Tove Lo Ludvig Söderberg Jakob JerlströmBlue Lips2017 "Light Me Up" Icona Pop Fransisca HallCaroline HjeltAino JawoTove LoElof LoelvNick ScapaRead Fasse This Is... Icona Pop2013 "Like Em Young" Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergQueen of the Clouds2014"Like You"Tove Lo Mike Riley Jason Gill Alexander Kronlund ""Tove Lo Queen of the Clouds2014 "Love Ballad" Tove LoJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergTruth SerumQueen of the Clouds2012 "Love Bites" Nelly Furtado, Tove Lo, and SG LewisNelly FurtadoTove LoSamuel George Lewis 72024 "Love Me like You Do" Max MartinTove LoSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehAli Payami Fifty Shades of Grey and Delirium2015 "Mateo"Tove LoMax MartinJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergSunshine Kitty2019 "Mistaken"Tove LoJoel LittleSunshine Kitty2019 "Moments" Tove Lo Queen of the Clouds2014 "My Gun"Tove LoDaniel LedinskyJakob JerlströmLudvig SöderbergQueen of the Clouds2014 "New Woman" Lisa featuring RosalíaLalisa ManobalRosalía Vila TobellaIlya SalmanzadehMax MartinTove Burman