Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Lauv Releases 'Sad Forever' - Proceeds to Benefit Mental Health Organizations
Lauv has released “Sad Forever,” the latest track off his upcoming debut album ~how i'm feeling~. The song was written in the midst of the pop visionary’s own struggle with mental health of which he detailed here.
Lauv will be donating all proceeds from the track to various mental health organizations across the world that work to de-stigmatize mental health issues.
Lauv said about the track, "I wrote sad forever at a time when I was extremely low. I was dealing with depression and OCD but hadn’t really recognized or gotten the help I needed. While I was hesitant at first, asking for help was an important first step. Mental illness is something that is often times not apparent to the outside world. It’s an ongoing journey with ups and downs and finding stability is a process that I’m still heavily working on. This song was written in a dark place but by donating all proceeds to mental health organizations I can only hope it helps others take their first step to ask for help too.”
From Cannes to Colorado: 'Sauvage/Wild' Plays This Week Only at The Mayan
The feature film Sauvage/Wild, by writer/director Camille Vidal-Naquet is a breakthrough drama telling the story of street-level male sex-workers in France. The story covers expected territory — clubbing, drugs, victimization (on both sides) — but avoids pushy messages and morality decrees that have plagued similar narratives. This story feels personal, not general.
Léo (Félix Maritaud) is an impishly handsome 22-y/o — small frame, wiry build, cute turned-up nose, elfin eyebrows and ears. The actor’s naturalistic delivery is a major driver of this film and doesn’t feel rehearsed or coached. There’s no hesitation, and the action falls forward in ways that don’t feel intentional or planned. Underscoring Léo’s adorable quality is the tendency of other characters to refer to him as “draga,” which translates as “dear.”
Félix Maritaud’s performance garnered him the Rising Star Award at Cannes 2018. The young actor also had prominent roles in BPM (2018) and Knife+Heart (2017).
There’s a heart-tugging stray-puppy quality to Léo that begs to be rescued and nurtured. That dynamic carries throughout the film. Despite any debasement he endures, Léo has a tender quality that persists. A great deal of what motivates him is the pursuit of affection and love, even though he doesn’t know what to do when it appears.
Sauvage/Wild isn’t shy about the abuses and degradation of Léo’s occupation. He seems to accept it as part of a job well-done, but he’s crushed when a client stiffs him. It’s as if nothing that is said or done to him is as degrading as being cheated.
The film is subtle about portraying Léo’s desire for his fellow hustler Ahd (Éric Bernard), a swarthy, brawny lad, who is the closest to a friend that Léo has. Ahd is sometimes protective of Léo and often impatient.
Ahd asks why Léo kisses clients. Léo is naïve and doesn’t quite understand the problem. Ahd points out that if Léo likes it, he’ll never want to stop. Ahd says softly, “You’re made to be loved.”
Ahd is an intriguing and unpredictable character. Gay-for-pay, he doesn’t miss an opportunity to reaffirm his heterosexuality. His connection with Léo feels brotherly in many ways: bonded and easily annoyed.
Writer/director Camille Vidal-Naquet doesn’t define geography of where this film takes place. He also doesn’t create origin stories to tell us how Léo, Ahd and others ended up doing what they do to scrape an existence.
The fates of Vidal-Naquet’s ensemble are as hazy as their backstories. This film is an observational visit, during which Vidal-Naquet achieves an amazing feat: he makes palpable the phenomenal boredom that weighs on street hustlers, but it’s never monotonous for the audience.
Sauvage/Wild plays through Thursday, June 6 at Landmark’s Mayan Theater beginning. Visit LandmarkTheaters.com/Denver to confirm dates and showtimes.
Monday, June 3, 2019
One Colorado Releases 'Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health'
I am so pleased to share Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health with you. This report sheds light on the progress and setbacks we've seen as a state to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Coloradans and their families can be their healthiest.
Despite the policy advancements to improve we've made to improve LGBTQ equality since One Colorado published it's inaugural health assessment in 2011, Invisible: The State of LGBT Health, health outcomes have stayed the same or worsened. LGBTQ Coloradans are covered by health insurance at unprecedented rates, yet access to affirming care is harder to come by than in 2011. Mental and behavioral health outcomes have worsened, compared to both 2011 and the non-LGBTQ Coloradans. Transgender Coloradans have access to health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, but have exorbitant out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary, gender-affirming care.
We have so much work to do to close the gap between lived and legal equality. Read Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health to learn how. We review the data, talk about how policy has changed, and provide a plan of action to improve LGBTQ health in Colorado. It's on all of us - policy makers, health systems, health providers, advocacy and service organizations, and community members.
We can’t do it without you, and it's time to get to get to work. Are you with us?
P.S. Want to join us tonight at the launch? Click here for details.
The June Issue of GoNaked Magazine is Ready to Download
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OUT in Theaters: The Lavender Scare
With the United States gripped in the panic of the 1950s Cold War, President Dwight D. Eisenhower deemed homosexuals to be “security risks” and vowed to rid the federal government of all employees discovered to be gay or lesbian.
Over the next four decades,the longest witch-hunt in American history, tens of thousands of government workers would lose their jobs for no reason other than their sexual orientation.
But the mass firings have an unintended effect: they stirred outrage in the gay community, helped ignite the gay rights movement, and thrust an unlikely hero into the forefront of the LGBTQ fight for equality.Partly based on the award-winning book by historian David K. Johnson, The Lavender Scare illuminates a little-known chapter of American history, and serves as a timely reminder of the value of vigilance and social action.
Go For Gold in Colorado This Autumn with Unforgettable Adventures and Can't Miss Events
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| Photo by@HotSpringsPool |
COLORADO LEAF PEEPING ADVENTURES:
Four-Wheel Among the Aspens on the Alpine Loop Scenic & Historic Byway: Travelers equipped with four-wheel drive can head to the Alpine Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, connecting the mountain towns of Ouray, Silverton and Lake City. This rugged route has hiking and mountain biking trails galore, a rich mining history and unfettered views of shimmering aspen leaves and 14,000-foot peaks.
Search for Gold on Breckenridge’s Singletrack: The trails of French Gulch pass through Breckenridge’s “Golden Horseshoe,” one of Colorado’s most fertile mining regions. The initial gold strikes here in 1859 gave birth to the town and, for most of the next century, Breckenridge’s fortunes were largely driven by the Golden Horseshoe’s output. Today, the French Gulch Road area offers a number of singletrack options, several that pass by old mining remains and groves of changing aspens, that make for a beautiful autumn ride or hike.
Soak in the Colors at Glenwood Hot Springs: With high country colors at their showy peak, fall is one of the best seasons to visit Glenwood Hot Springs, the world’s largest hot springs pool. The 130-year-old resort is unveiling a major renovation this year that includes an Adventure River, with fast-moving waters with cascading tiers and boulders, and a new children's play area that’s equipped with mini water slides and a fun splash pad.
Take A Colorful Road Trip Along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway: The 63-mile Grand Mesa Scenic Byway leads travelers to the top of Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world, and into the fall-color-saturated Grand Mesa National Forest. From there, drivers can explore Cedaredge, replete with apple orchards and groves of white ash.
Round Up the Herd at Latigo Ranch: The ultimate dude and guest ranch experience, Latigo Ranch near Kremmling invites visitors to participate in its annual fall cattle roundup. Held the third week in September, participants will help local cattle ranchers gather their herds, bring them home and move them from place to place on their home ranches, all while experiencing the area’s outstanding fall colors.
Hop Aboard the Fall Color Train in Leadville: Train enthusiasts can ride up into the San Isabel National Forest aboard the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad where the mountains are ablaze with yellow, orange and red. The train departs daily at 1 p.m. on weekdays in the fall and offers photo weekend specials. These three-hour rides allow visitors to experience untouched wilderness in its autumn beauty, the headwaters of the Arkansas River Valley and sweeping vistas of Colorado’s two highest peaks, Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive.
Climb to Colorful Heights at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park: The Royal Gorge Bridge in Cañon City, the highest suspension bridge in America, marks its 90th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the park opened a brand new Via Ferrata climbing experience. All climbs are led by a trained mountain guide who will show participants the breathtaking beauty of the park from new heights.
Take A Wild Hike in State Forest State Park: Located near Walden, State Forest State Park is considered the moose-viewing capital of Colorado with some 600 of Bullwinkle’s buddies roaming free. Fall is prime moose viewing season, and wilderness access is easy for visitors who start at the Moose Visitor Center.
Soar Above the Trees in Steamboat: For travelers who have a hot-air balloon ride on their bucket list, Steamboat is the place and fall is the time of year to do it. Wild West Balloon Adventures will have guests gliding above Steamboat Springs’ color-soaked fall scenery with views of the Flat Top Mountains and Hanh’s Peak, an inactive volcano.
COLORADO’S NOT-TO-MISS FALL EVENTS:
Fall Tarantula Migration on the Comanche National Grassland, La Junta, Sept.-Oct.: Each fall, Colorado’s Arkansas Valley becomes an arachnophobe’s nightmare. During this time, thousands of tarantulas migrate through the area during their mating season. Generally, this peaks sometime in mid-October. The best place to spot this natural phenomenon is on Highway 71, just north of Ordway, as well as on Highway 109, between La Junta and the town of Kim.
ArtoCade, Trinidad, Sept. 13-14: Trinidad’s delightfully quirky ArtoCade will roll through historic downtown in a parade of “artfully enhanced” cars, motorcycles, bikes, trikes, scooters, tractors and golf carts. There’s a lot packed into the two-day festivalincluding an ArtoKids booth for hands-on kiddie fun, a circus-like dance party called Cardango and meet-and-greets with the event’s “cartists.”
Pedal the Plains, Sept. 13-15: Pedal the Plains is more than a bicycle tour; it’s a traveling party packed with boot-stomp’n live music, beer gardens, delicious locally sourced food, interactive educational exhibits and a touch of country fun. The 2019 ride host communities include Holly, Springfield and Lamar.
Snowmass Wine Festival, Snowmass, Sept. 14: A long-standing fall tradition, the Snowmass Wine Festival features a weekend of wine tasting and pairing dinners hosted by the Rotary Club of Snowmass Village. Friday evening features a wine pairing dinner, while the Saturday highlight is a three-hour grand tasting event with wines from all over the world.
Historic OHV Tour, Buena Vista, Sept. 17-21: Riders will can experience four days of self-guided tours through the awe-inspiring backcountry of the Collegiate Peaks range with 12 14,000-foot mountains during Buena Vista’s OHV Fall Color Tour, Sept. 17-21, 2019. Participants will immerse themselves in the fall foliage during these self-guided tours and will also explore old mining camps and ghost towns via high mountain passes where gold and silver ore were carried by mule wagons to the railroads.
FORToberfest, Fort Collins, Sept. 21: Fortoberfest, Downtown Fort Collins' last music festival of the summer, features a full day of live music on the Choice Organics stage, seasonal microbrews from Odell and High Country Beverage, wine from Wilbur’s Total Beverage and regional German-themed cuisine.
Mountain Harvest Festival, Paonia, Sept. 26-29: Head to Paonia to celebrate this everything-local harvest. From agricultural producers to artists, writers and crafters, this is a true local event. Live music will be playing throughout the four-day event, and there is a Friday night pub crawl. Plus, enjoy all the fall colors along the way to the Western Slope.
Elk Fest, Estes Park, Sept. 29–30: The beautifully haunting bugle of a bull elk is unmistakable, and spectators head to Estes Park every autumn to experience the phenomenon. The elk gather there, at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, to show off for their ladies during the start of the rutting (breeding) season. At Elk Fest, visitors can learn about these beasts’ behavior, observe them in their natural habitat, participate in a bugling contest and see performances by American Indians.
La Veta Oktoberfest, La Veta, Oct. 5: Beer, music and fall foliage all converge during La Veta’s Oktoberfest. This downtown street fair also features a car show, dancing and more than 60 arts and crafts vendors.
Old West Fest, Ridgway, Oct. 11-13: 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of True Grit, the movie that earned John Wayne his only Academy Award and was filmed in Ridgway and Ouray County in 1968. The first annual Ridgway Old West Fest will celebrate Ridgway's brief transformation into Fort Smith, Arkansas half a century ago. Festivities will highlight Ridgway’s film, ranching and railroad heritage and celebrate Western arts and culture.
Dairy Block Fall Flannel Festival, Denver, Oct. 20: Dairy Block and Denver Milk Market will again celebrate the changing of the seasons with the second annual Fall Flannel Festival on Sunday, Oct. 20. This free community event, held in the Alley at Dairy Block, will feature a festive line-up of events for all ages, including face painting and balloon art, live music, games, an urban pumpkin patch, a live pumpkin carving artist and more.
Emma Crawford Coffin Races, Manitou Springs, Oct. 26: The Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Parade is an annual event held just days before Halloween. The rules are very simple: form a team with one “Emma” in a coffin and four “runners” dressed in the most creative costumes and have them race toward the finish line. It’s an uncanny and crazy spectacle for everybody’s amusement.
GQ: The 7 Funny People Reshaping Their Genre Right Now
The group is diverse—several cultural backgrounds and sexualities amongst them—and have made the decision to be accepting and supportive rather than competitive: There are more audiences,” says Kim Booster who writes for Big Mouth, and co-hosts Comedy Centrals’ Unsend with Harrison. Adds Jouhari, who has an Adult Swim pilot in the works: “There’s room for more than one of us because we collectively decided that there would be room for more than one of us.”
The group, most of whom got their start by sending concise jokes out on Twitter, have a love/hate relationship with comedy in the social media age. “I have a weird relationship to it, because I’ve gotten thousands of followers from that action but I’ve gotten no money from that action. But also, the social capital from that allowed me to get where I am right now,” says Young-White, who is a correspondent on The Daily Show. They lament jokes going too viral, the hustle needed to make money in comedy, and feeling the need to make jokes about their personal struggles or communities. Still, they know they’re making major strides and up next in the comedy world. As Young-White put it: “Damn, this really is an iconic group.”
Travel: VISIT PHILADELPHIA Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall Riots
The float will carry its message of equality, unity and welcome in the NYC Pride March (June 30) and the Salute to America Independence Day Parade (July 4, Philadelphia) as well. The hand-painted, 34-foot float features more than a million golden—as in golden anniversary—“eyelashes,” 1,700 feet of rainbow ribbon and almost 42,000 square inches of Styrofoam.
“We are proud to join the worldwide celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots through a unique collaboration with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund,” said Jeff Guaracino, president and CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “This is the first time that the history of the LGBTQ community will be told comprehensively and authoritatively to the world through mass media. Our city has played an essential role in this civil rights movement, and we’ve worked hard to let people know they are always welcome in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.”
LGBTQ pioneers and Annual Reminder participants will ride on the float alongside younger members of the LGBTQ community, symbolizing unity, equality and the impact that all generations continue to have on the movement. A seven-foot replica of the Liberty Bell—one of the world’s most recognizable symbols of freedom—sits at the front of the float, and its back wall is designed to replicate the façade of the Stonewall Inn. People will have a chance to see the float being built at Cherry Street Pier (June 4-7). Then, on June 8 from noon – 3 p.m., the public is invited to send words of encouragement to the community by writing on rainbow ribbons that will be affixed to the float’s base.
Award Winners Revealed at the 2019 Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival
The Audience Award winners included Samantha Lee’s BILLIE AND EMMA for Best Narrative Feature, Linda Goldstein Knowlton’s WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS for Best Documentary Feature and Jamie Dispirito’s THRIVE for Best Short Film.
The festival, which launched the first ever annual LGBTQ Finance Forum, has become an international home and incubator for LGBT filmmakers, both emerging and established. The 2019 Inside Out LGBT Film Festival ran from May 23 to June 2 in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and screened 153 films from 30 countries. The feature film program included 6 world premieres, 6 international premieres and 14 Canadian premieres.
The festival was proud to announce the winner of its annual “Pitch, Please” contest to director Rain Valdez for RE-LIVE: A TALE OF A 30-YEAR-OLD CHEERLEADER. The prize involves a cash production grant of $5,000 sponsored by Netflix, as well as a $10,000 in-kind package sponsored by Sim International, EP Canada, Bedtracks, Final Draft, Lewis Brinberg Hanet and Behind The Scenes Services.
The full winners and awards are after the jump:
Nice To See StevieB: Hiking
I went on my first hike of the summer last weekend. It was a "date hike" so that was pretty awesome. A strange sense came into my mind in the middle of the hike. The person I was hiking with, spent the whole hike matching my stride and speed. This made me aware that sometimes I hike at a slower than "standard" speed for the trail, mostly due to my desire to soke up the atmosphere. However; our hike, around Dillon Resivour was perfectly matched in speed and gate.
The reason I was thinking about this was that in the last several years, my hiking partner had a faster speed, and quicker movement. I always had a feeling I was never keeping up with the movement on the hike. Never did I acknowledge this, but internally I began to avoid hiking due to this mid-match in hiking philosophy. Simply to stop an activity I enjoyed due to a partner radiating a sense of "ineptness" in my speed and style.
Yet, hiking with a person who matches in style, and also has consideration, rekindled my passions for hiking.
DNC on LGBTQ Pride Month and the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall
“As we begin LGBTQ Pride Month and prepare to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, when brave members of New York’s LGBTQ community said enough to brutal discrimination, Democrats across the country are celebrating our nation’s progress and rededicating ourselves to the fight for equality. No one should face violence, bullying, or discrimination because of who they are or who they love. And every American should enjoy the same rights and protections under our Constitution.
“But we cannot take anything for granted. The legal protections that so many LGBTQ Americans and their allies have fought for are under threat. For two and a half years, President Trump has used the power of his office to drag our nation backwards, emboldening bigots and breaking his promise to support the LGBTQ community. From banning transgender troops from serving in our nation’s armed forces to undermining workplace discrimination protections, his administration has rolled back our progress time and time again.
“Democrats will never back down. In the last election cycle, LGBTQ Democrats ran for office and won in record numbers, tearing down old barriers and transforming our democracy. As we head toward Election Day in 2019 and 2020, we’re going to continue to stand with the LGBTQ community and carry on this fight with the courage and pride of the countless activists and organizers who came before us.”
Friday, May 31, 2019
Gov. Polis Signs Landmark LGBTQ Legislation
Sponsored by the LGBT Caucus co-chairs Representative Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and Senator Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, Jude’s Law will allow transgender Coloradans to more easily update the gender on their birth certificate, enabling them to have the identification documents that match who they are. Coloradans will be able to update their gender on their birth certificate to M, F, or X — without a surgery, a doctor’s note, or court order. This bill removes both the surgery requirement and court order requirement, allowing transgender people the ability to self-identify on their ID document. The bill removes the publication requirement for a name change in order to reflect one’s gender identity. A new birth certificate will be issued instead of an amended birth certificate when updating gender. Colorado is the third state in the country (including California and Oregon) to have non-binary gender options for both driver’s licenses and birth certificates.
Sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, and Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and Senator Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, HB19-1129 will ban a state-licensed mental health care provider from engaging in the discredited, harmful practice of conversion therapy on a patient under 18 years of age. Conversion therapy is the discredited and dangerous practice of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. A physician or mental health care provider who violates this provision engages in unprofessional conduct under the applicable professional licensing board. Colorado will be the 18th state in the country to protect minors from conversion therapy.
“This was a historic session for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families. With legislation that impacts youth, transgender, and non-binary Coloradans, One Colorado championed bills for some of the most vulnerable in our community to improve the everyday lives of LGBTQ Coloradans. The strong bipartisan support of both of these bills further demonstrates that LGBTQ equality should be a nonpartisan issue, and we applaud the Republicans who stood with our community. Colorado will continue to make history as our country’s first openly gay Governor, Jared Polis, signs our pro-equality agenda into law to send a strong message that Colorado is a state that is open to all,” said Daniel Ramos, Executive Director of One Colorado.
"The Trevor Project is proud to stand with One Colorado and all of the amazing lawmakers and advocates in the Centennial State as they become the 18th state in the country to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of conversion therapy,” said Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project. “Watching the first openly LGBTQ governor in the nation sign this legislation is an especially humbling moment. Trevor will continue working across the nation until this horrible practice is relegated to the dustbin of history."
The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, is invested in ending conversion therapy in every state. A 2018 study found that the rate of attempted suicide by LGBTQ youth whose parents tried to change their sexual orientation was more than double the rate of LGBTQ youth who reported no such attempts. For LGBTQ young people who reported both home-based efforts to change their sexual orientation by parents and efforts by therapists or religious leaders, the rate was three times higher.
Conversion therapy is widely opposed by prominent professional medical associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The Trevor Project’s 50 Bills 50 States campaign has partnered with the Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Lesbian Rights, One Colorado, and GLAD, along with local advocates in support of these vital protections. People can sign up to join The Trevor Project’s effort to end conversion therapy by texting “TREVOR” to 40649.
Mika Announces Upcoming Fifth Album and New Single
Today, platinum-selling artist MIKA announces his fifth studio album, My Name Is Michael Holbrook, and kicks off summer perfectly with the release of his brand new single “Ice Cream” out now.
“Ice Cream was written on a day of extreme heat.” MIKA comments, “It was the last few weeks of writing for the album; a writing period that lasted two years. Through the writing I had confronted personal, serious and at times painful issues, now I felt lighter and freer.”
He continues, “It was August in Italy. I wanted to run away to the sea, or just about anywhere. I dreamt about summer flings with someone totally stunning and out of my reach, I dreamt about the other person I always wish I was during the summer. Instead I was left with all the discomforts of summer heat. Sweat, work deadlines, bee stings, and all this with no AC.”
“The song is a daydream fantasy.” MIKA adds, “It shimmers like a mirage, and makes me feel like anything is possible. Inspired by the irreverent attitude of the music of the 90s; George Michael among others. Dare to be the more proud version of yourself. Dare to be a sensual man, dare to express out loud the desires you always keep inside your head. That’s why and how I wrote it.”
Mika’s musical success began with the release of his hit single, “Grace Kelly.” The single was featured on his debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, which went straight to #1 in the UK and 11 other countries, going on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide. Since his debut he has released three other Platinum selling full length albums, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, The Origin of Love, and No Place In Heaven. In addition, MIKA has not only won a Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act, but he has been nominated for Grammys, MTV Europe Music Awards, Capital Radio Awards and World Music Awards. Additionally, his RA12 primetime variety show “Stasera Casa Mika” won the prestigious Rose D’or Award for Best Entertainment Series in 2017. He has been a judge on France’s The Voice for six years and hosts his own BBC2 Radio show “The Art of Song”.
Tove Lo - Glad He's Gone
Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist Tove Lo is back with a brand new single, “Glad He’s Gone” taken from her forthcoming album. The single, “Glad He’s Gone” is an intelligent and infectious pop track served with her usual sauciness and tongue-in-cheek lyricism and wit. Tove Lo reveals: “We've all been on both sides of the break up pep talk with our friends and we all know how good it feels to get your partner in crime back when they finally leave that idiot behind.”
The Stockholm-born artist also confirmed today that her fourth full-length album is on its way. Recorded between Los Angeles and Sweden, “Sunshine Kitty” represents a new chapter for Tove, marked by a reclamation of confidence, hard-earned wisdom, more time, and a budding romance. The title is “a play on pussy power, but it’s a happy, positive way of seeing it,” Tove Lo states. “It ties in with the lynx. This cartoon cat (featured on the artwork) is an extension of me and part of the new music. She’s super cute, but she does stupid shit like getting in fights and getting fucked up. It’s how I feel the album sounds.”
“When I did Lady Wood, I was in a place of being scared,” she admits. “I had vocal surgery only a year before. I’d been singing since I was 14-years-old. I went through this operation in the middle of everything, and I felt like I had to start over. I was constantly worrying if my voice was okay. It took a long time to feel at home with it again. I was getting through a heartbreak and acclimating to a new life in the spotlight with people changing around me. I‘ve finally landed in a place where there are some of the usual challenges, but I feel more at home in the weirdness of what it means to be a person who puts her heart on paper for everyone to listen to. I understand why I need to express what I need to a little more. I’m vulnerable, but I’m not angry. It’s the same emotional honesty—yet happy.”
“Glad He’s Gone” is the first taste of her newfound self-acceptance and happiness. Co-produced by Shellback and Struts, the track opens with a delicately plucked acoustic guitar entwined with her usual devilishly angelic delivery before she locks into an eyebrow-raising call-and-response with herself. Everything culminates on the high-pitched hook, “You’re better off, I’m glad that he’s gone.” “It’s about friendship and love,” she goes on. “It’s the obligatory pep-talk you give your girlfriend when she’s going through a breakup. You’re reminding her she’s your partner-in-crime and showing unconditional support. It makes fun of the demands of being a good girlfriend and the dirty stuff you do just to make him confident. There’s a message to it. I’m telling a real story that I think girls need to hear. You want to know your friends are there for you during a breakup. It’s about all the fun you can have after heartbreak.”
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