Tove Lo & Stromae, des fleurs | Song Review

Tove Lo and Stromae make a formidable duo on “des fleurs,” the second single and fourth track from her sixth studio album, ESTRUS.

Oh, snap! Tove Lo (Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, she/her) collaborates with Belgian musician Stromae (Paul Van Haver) on “des fleurs” (“Flowers”). “Des fleurs” is the second single and fourth track from Tove Lo’s sixth studio album, ESTRUS.  Merriam-Webster defines estrus as ‘a regularly recurrent state of sexual receptivity during which the female of most mammals will accept the male and is capable of conceiving: heat.’  Well, we know what Nilsson is aiming for on the album… “Des fleurs” was written by Tove Lo and Stromae. Stromae, A Strut (Ludvig Söderberg), and OZGO (Oscar Görres) produced it.

Tove Lo takes the reins on “des fleurs” early on: verse one, pre-chorus, chorus (excerpted earlier), and the post-chorus.  The first verse is steamy as she compliments his flirtation and adds, “Ah, make it hurt / Like nothing’s better than your strong arms.” Ooh-la-la. The pre-chorus is gimmicky with its simple, repetitive lyrics.  It’s the perfect lead-in to the floral-driven chorus and the “ah” driven post-chorus.  Stromae takes over lead duties in the second verse, singing in French. “Du coup, ben, tu le sais que j’aime tes formes, évidemment [So, well, you know I love your curves, obviously],” he sings, and concludes, “Mais oui, ce que j’aime, c’est qu’elles sont hors-normes, tout bonnement [But yeah, what I love is that they’re simply extraordinary] / Ça vole pas très haut, mais je n’suis qu’un homme, évidemment [It’s not exactly high-minded, but I’m only human, obviously].” Tove Lo leads the charge again on the chorus and post-chorus.  The bridge (“Yeah, you’re man enough, yeah, you’re man enough”) precedes the final chorus and the outro.  Stromae primarily handles the French outro, with “ah(s)” contributed by Tove Lo.  Ultimately,  both musicians deliver enticing vocal performances on “des fleurs”. This is an enjoyable, melodious, well-rounded, and sleekly produced pop record.  The percussion, groove, rhythmic piano, and warm strings shine. Magnifique!

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Tove Lo » ESTRUS » Pretty Swede Records » 9.18.26 [📷: Pretty Swede Records]

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