Truth Serum | ||||
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Released | 3 March 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2012–13 | |||
Studio | Warner/Chappell Studios, Stockholm | |||
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Length | 20:48 | |||
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Producer |
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Tove Lo chronology | ||||
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Singles from Truth Serum | ||||
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Truth Serum is the debut extended play (EP) by Swedish recording artist Tove Lo. The singer signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music in 2011, which led her to write songs for artists like Girls Aloud and Icona Pop. Around that time, she was going through a hard situation in a relationship, so she eventually started composing tracks related to that matter. She then decided to keep those tracks for herself as she considered them too personal. Lo independently released two of the songs as singles, "Love Ballad" in October 2012, and "Habits" in March 2013. Their popularity gained the singer a record deal with Universal Records in 2013. The EP was eventually released through the label to digital retailers on 3 March 2014.
Truth Serum has been described as a pop, electropop and indie pop record. According to Lo, the tracks talk about her most intense love affair, from the happy beginning of the relationship to the part when she is trying to move on after the break up. The EP received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who commended the production and the lyrics of the songs. The record peaked at number 13 in Sweden, and became 2014's 49th best-selling album in the country. It also reached number eight on the Norwegian Albums Chart, spending 23 weeks.
To promote the record, Lo performed at numerous festivals in 2014, including by:Larm in Norway, South by Southwest in the United States and The Great Escape Festival in the United Kingdom. "Out of Mind" was released as the lead single on 16 October 2013 and peaked at number 39 on the Finnish Airplay Chart. On 6 December 2013, "Habits" was re-issued as "Habits (Stay High)" as the second single. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lo's first song to enter the chart. On 25 February 2014, "Stay High", a remix version of "Habits (Stay High)" by record production duo Hippie Sabotage, was released as the third single from the EP to commercial success in Europe and Oceania, peaking at number 13 in Sweden and reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.