'Everyone Is Happier If They Have Sex': Tove Lo Is The Pop Star 2014 Needed

'Everyone Is Happier If They Have Sex': Tove Lo Is The Pop Star 2014 Needed
It’s safe to say artists try to write the catchiest lyrics possible. They want their hooks filled with pretty, metaphorical and, purposely or not, sometimes meaningless lines that could eventually become a future tattoo or Twitter bio. And then there are artists like Tove Ebba Elsa Nilsson, better known as Tove Lo, who shears away all varnishes, resulting in lyrics like this: “If you love me right, we fuck for life, on and on and on.”

“Even though I know there is some value to keeping it hidden — there’s an art to that too – I’m just really into the raw bluntness of telling it how it is,” Nilsson told HuffPost Entertainment. “I think that pop music in general sometimes like to keep things a bit more hidden, and, you know, you censor and you polish to make it fit more people or to not be too vulgar or make sure of ‘Can this really play on the radio?’ And I like not doing that.”

Nilsson’s major label debut, “Queen of the Clouds,” is the latest to prove that Sweden is a pop hot-bed. Just in the past few years, an astounding number of Swedish female artists have topped charts and blogs in the United States: Icona Pop, Lykke Li, Little Dragon, First Aid Kit, NoNoNo, Say Lou Lou and Elliphant, to name a few. “I’ve been trying to figure it out myself,” Nilsson responded with a laugh when asked about the country’s musical success. “I think it’s the combination of liking something that’s simple and clear, minimalistic, and our limit in the English language have helped.”

While there are plenty of theories and too many answers for that, “Queen of the Clouds” makes it abundantly clear that Tove Lo stands beside Banks as one of the two best new faces in pop. It’s dark, it’s multidimensional, it’s fun and it’s honest. Growing up, Nilsson immersed herself in the grunge movement, taking lessons from groups like Nirvana and Silverchair, channeling the rawness that helped set those acts apart into her own work. “Your weak sides, your flaws, your bad sides, I think they should be part of it too,” Nilsson said.

The album is structured into three parts: The Sex, The Love and The Pain. While Nilsson would prefer for listeners to digest it all in one sitting, she does have a weekend listening plan: The Sex should be played on Friday night during the pre-party. The Love should be played on Saturday morning (read: the time you wake up) when you and your friends are talking about the drama, intrigue or fun from the previous evening. The Pain takes Sunday afternoon, when you are ruined by the weekend and feeling down and existential.

Labeling herself as “dirty pop,” Nilsson’s songwriting is exceptional. On top of the continually addictive “Habits (Stay High)” and “Not On Drugs,” both reappearing from her “Truth Serum” EP, “Timebomb” is as explosive as its title suggests, “Thousand Miles” is utterly emptying and the phrasing in “Got Love” is mesmerizing. But the album’s golden thread is its unabashed sexuality.

“Everything that has to do with sex is somehow … it’s the best thing in the world and it’s still the one thing people don’t want you to talk about,” Nilsson said. “Someone said to me, ‘Why do you have to promote sex and drugs and violence?’ I don’t promote drugs, I don’t promote violence, I definitely will promote sex because everyone is happier if they have sex.”

Nilsson explains how songs like Lykke Li’s “Get Some” helped fuel her sex-positive attitude, wielding the line “I’m your prostitute, you gon’ get some.” It’s about women being sexual “without being the victim,” where it’s okay for them to be in charge. While some will accuse Nilsson on instilling “crude” ideas into the minds of young women, she knows that they are already there and that attempting to suffocate them isn’t an acceptable reaction.

“Whatever we feel like we want to say we should just be able to say it,” Nilsson said. “It shouldn’t be keeping this wholesome kind of … like, the terms she’s a ‘good girl’ or she’s a ‘bad girl,’ why does a good girl mean that you’re a prude? Why does that make you better than a girl who’s a sexual free spirit? I think that’s being a ‘good girl.’ Have sex with whoever you want.”

“Queen of the Clouds” is now available for purchase.

before the beat drops

Before The Beat Drops is an artist introduction series dedicated to bringing you the rising acts before they make their break. Our unlimited access to music of all kinds is both amazing and overwhelming. Keeping your playlists fresh, we’ll be doing the leg work to help you discover your next favorite artist.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/tove-lo-queen-of-the-clouds_n_5961222.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Watch What Happens When Some Guy on an Airplane Jokes About Having Ebola: VIDEO

Watch What Happens When Some Guy on an Airplane Jokes About Having Ebola: VIDEO

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BY TIMOTHY MCGRATH / GlobalPost

Not funny.

Fear about Ebola — warranted or not — is definitely ramping up.

The overall death toll stands around 3,865. Nearly all of the deaths have taken place in West Africa, which is several months into the worst Ebola outbreak in history. Two recent deaths in the United States and Spain have raised concerns that — despite repeated assurances by public health authorities — the outbreak could spread overseas.

Much of the anxiety has come since the death of Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian man flew to Dallas on Sept. 20 while infected with Ebola. He had no symptoms but had been in direct contact with an infected woman back in Liberia. He died on Oct. 8.

Since Duncan’s case came to light, airports in the United States have announced new screening measures. But that’s not reassuring everyone. At LaGuardia International Airport, workers who clean airplane cabins have gone on strike, afraid that they could come into contact without bodily fluids carrying the disease.

And it’s in this climate of anxiety, misinformation, and human error that the above video appears. It was filmed on an Oct. 8 flight from Philadelphia, Penn. to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. While in flight, an American passenger apparently sneezed or coughed and then joked about having recently been in Africa.

Of course, the guy hadn’t been in Africa and didn’t have Ebola. Here, in shaky smartphone video form, are the incredible repercussions of it all.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP


GlobalPost

www.towleroad.com/2014/10/ebola.html

These Are Some Of The Greatest Coming Out Stories Of 2014

These Are Some Of The Greatest Coming Out Stories Of 2014

Did you hear that? It’s the sound of closet doors being busted down all across America.

From NFLer Michael Sam to actress Ellen Page to the vegetable Kale, 2014 has offered up no shortage of great coming out moments. In anticipation for National Coming Out Day — which happens each year on October 11 — we’ve compiled a list of ten more great coming out stories from this year. And with three months left in 2014, we’re sure there will be many more to come.

Scroll down to see our picks.

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Federico Díaz

The Latin heartthrob came out in May by posting a note to his Twitter account. “The day has come!” wrote the Uruguayan actor/model. “Only God knows when and how. I only let myself be guided. I feel that God has awarded me with homosexuality.”

Yes, thank you, God!

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Lauren Morelli and Samira Wiley

The Orange is the New Black writer made headlines this year when she announced writing for the show had made her realize she’s a lesbian. But it gets even juicer because Morelli also announced that she was leaving left her husband of two years for actress Samira Wiley, who plays Poussey on the hit series.

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Kristian Nairn

The Game of Thrones actor/bear magnet came out in March during an interview with Game of Thrones fan site WinterIsComing. “It’s a very small part of who I am on the whole,” 38-year-old Nairn said, “but nonetheless, in this day and age, it’s important to stand up and be counted.”

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Derrick Gordon

Derrick Gordon made history in April when he became the first openly gay male NCAA Division 1 basketball player. Gordon told ESPN that he was inspired to come out to his family, coaches, and teammates after watching the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Jason Collins becoming the first openly gay man in the NBA.

And the crowd went wild.

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Vicky Beeching

The Christian rocker came out in August, telling an interviewer: “What Jesus taught was a radical message of welcome and inclusion and love. I feel certain God loves me just the way I am, and I have a huge sense of calling to communicate that to young people.”

Amen, sister!

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Sen. Jim Ferlo

Pennsylvania Senator Jim Ferlo formally announced that he is gay last month while speaking at a rally in support of updating the state’s hate crime law. Said he: “I never felt I had to wear a billboard on my forehead. But I’m gay. Get over it. I love it. It’s a great life.”

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Adam Joseph

The hunky Philadelphia meteorologist made national news in August when he told TV viewers he and his partner, Karl, had become fathers. Reporting live from the hospital where they first held their newborn baby boy, Joseph said the couple were “ready to spoil him with unconditional love.”

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Djuan Trent

Fueled by a federal judge’s decision to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages in Kentucky, former Miss Kentucky 2010 Djuan Trent took to her blog to publicly announce she identifies as queer. “I struggled with the decision of whether or not it was necessary to ‘come out,’ ” she wrote, but “over the past few years, we have seen many celebrities and public figures open up and take this step… I would love to one day live in a society where coming out is no longer necessary because we don’t make assumptions about one another’s sexuality and homophobia is laid to rest.”

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James Richardson

“I’m a senior GOP spokesman, and I’m gay,” said former spokesman and adviser for the Republican National Committee, James Richardson. “Let me get married.” The conservative Georgian decided to come out last month in hopes of moving the needle on Republican opposition to same-sex marriage, especially in light of Louisiana’s marriage ban having recently been deemed “constitutional” by a federal judge.

 

Hayden Smith and his mom

Last month, a hidden camera video uploaded by teenager Hayden Smith coming out to his mom went viral. The first five minutes are your typical awkward teen sexuality conversation (not bad, just awkward), but at around the 5:15 mark, his mom drops a bomb of her own: “I’ve had a girlfriend,” she says. “It goes both ways, you know? And I was always worried about what you would think.” Naturally, a tender mother-son hug ensured.

Related stories:

10 Great Coming Outs Of 2014 And It’s Only June

16 Of The Best And Worst Coming Out Stories From Anonymous Sharing App “Whisper”

12 Toothsome Cakes And Cards For Coming Out Of The Closet

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/OzPpbJLl2hE/these-are-some-of-the-greatest-coming-out-stories-of-2014-20141010

Court Date Set for Lawsuit Demanding Immediate Marriage for Gay Couples in Wyoming

Court Date Set for Lawsuit Demanding Immediate Marriage for Gay Couples in Wyoming

Yesterday we reported that a federal lawsuit had been filed in Wyoming demanding immediate compliance with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling establishing that a state’s refusal to allow same-sex couples to marry violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

WyomingThings are moving quickly. A court date has been set for Thursday, October 16, Wyoming Unites reports:

Coming on the heels of a new Wyoming marriage case filed in federal court on Tuesday, today, U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl of the District of Wyoming announced that he will hold a hearing on the case on Thursday, October 16th…

…Two of the cases that were before the case—Utah’s and Oklahoma’s-—had previously had pro-marriage rulings at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which also has jurisdiction over Wyoming. The plaintiffs in the case argue that since precedent has already been set by the 10th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review either ruling, Wyoming’s marriage ban is in clear violation of the 10th Circuit ruling.

The four couples who filed the case each want to marry in Wyoming or want their marriage recognized in the state they call home. Now that their case has been scheduled for a hearing next Thursday, it is expected that a ruling on Wyoming’s marriage ban could come on or shortly after next week’s hearing.

A rally is planned in Casper at 11 am the day before the hearing.


Andy Towle

www.towleroad.com/2014/10/court-date-set-for-lawsuit-demanding-immediate-marriage-for-gay-couples-in-wyoming.html

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