"I’ve been making noise my whole life,” jokes Tove Styrke, 22, her laughter echoing through a studio in downtown Manhattan. After winning third place on Idol (the Swedish version of American Idol) at age 16, the spirited Umeå native generated buzz in her country. “It wasn’t until receiving a record contract that I realized making music was something I could actually do for a living,” she says. Soon after, Tove released her self-titled debut album and subsequently began her musical journey in Europe.
At 19, however, the artist took a three-year hiatus from the industry. “I was very young, so I decided to really get to know myself,” she explains. Tove has since shaken off the inexperience of youth and recently finished up her sophomore effort, ironically titled Kiddo. “I have a love-hate relationship with that word,” she reveals. “Older people often use it as a demeaning term for a juvenile person. It’s my way of taking the word away from them so they lose that control over me. I can use it as a sort of superhero name.”
The powerhouse performer owned the stage at Webster Hall for the first time in May, hypnotizing fans with her breathy pop-rock vocals and contagious dance anthems. Judging by the mixed crowd of New Yorkers bobbing their heads and rocking out in unison, there’s no doubt she’s being heard loud and clear.
In this story: stylist, Sasha Kelly; hair, Nicolas Eldin using Oribe; makeup, Emi Kaneko using Maybelline New York. Tove is wearing: First image - Marques'Almeida dress, $432. One Titel turtleneck, $295. Second image - Alyx sweater, $550. Jill Stuart skirt, $595. Scosha cuff, $225. Third image - Christopher Kane top. Her own earrings worn throughout.
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