5 Things You Oughta Know About YOK Alum Tove Lo's US Tour

Let's get it out of the way right now: it's pronounced Toe-v Low. The last two days have been HUGE for electropop singer Tove Lo. Not only did she release her debut studio album Queen Of The Clouds on Tuesday, but she also just launched her U.S. Tour last night at Webster Hall in NYC. In association with VH1's You Oughta Know series, we livestreamed her concert across multiple platforms, but there was no comparison to seeing her live.

In July, Tove Lo was our You Oughta Know artist of the month, and we got to learn all about her and her music. The Swedish pop-singer has been on the scene since last year, but it wasn't until this year that she really started getting attention for her debut EP Truth Serum. The singer sounds great on record, but this is one artist that we highly recommend seeing in concert over listening to her tracks in your car. And if you don't believe us, here are 5 things to expect from a Tove Lo concert experience that will hopefully change your mind.

Her shows aren't rated PG

Tove Lo's music is very raw and speaks to a generation fighting their way through a haze of recreational drug use, sex and heartache. Not only that, but she is not afraid to use her fair share of curse words. With Tove Lo, you're never quite sure what to expect. To give you an idea of this, instead of throwing out free t-shirts like most other artists, she threw out condoms to her adoring fans. At least we know she's a proponent of safe sex!

She's just as excited to see you as you are to see her.

There is nothing better for a freshman artist than seeing a venue full of screaming fans singing along. The energy that Tove Lo was giving us was just as high as the energy we were giving her. At her concert, it didn't matter if you knew the words or not, half the fun of it was watching her run around the stage jumping and dancing while we were jumping, dancing and trying to keep up with her. To quote her song "Out Of Mind", "You're outta your mind" if you think you can keep up with her singing. We're still trying to wrap our minds around her range. Flawlessly going from high notes to low notes right back to high notes, Tove Lo can hold her own with the big boys.

She is definitely not afraid to get a little dirty.

Yes, her lyrics aren't the cleanest and the subjects in her songs can get a little dicey, but that's not what we're talking about here. Tove Lo isn't afraid to LITERALLY get dirty. She spent the entire concert sans shoes! No socks either. The environment for the entire event was seriously chill. All you needed to feel like you belonged was a drink in one hand and comfortable shoes. Leave your black dresses and stilettos at home, ladies.

Bring a watch because Tove Lo is very punctual.

Maybe it's because she knows she's too new to be a diva, or maybe it's because she was so pumped to get out on stage and perform, but Tove Lo didn't keep us waiting. The opening act ended, and less than half an hour later Tove was jumping around barefoot on the stage singing about love, sex and drugs. She gave us time to breathe between acts, but didn't wait so long that the energy died.

She likes to tell stories.

One of the first things we learned about Tove Lo during her You Oughta Know campaign was that she writes the truth, or at least her truth. She tells the stories of her life and hopes that other people can relate. She isn't trying to please anyone or transform into a cookie cutter pop-star. And that's why we love her. She pushes the envelope and speaks to a generation about topics that are normally avoided: hard drugs, addiction, sex, lust, and more. And she embraces this unique style. For her, it's all about the story. Her concert was like a journey, beginning with a big screen TV outlining the beginning of a narrative. Her set list then expanded the story, bringing us to the climax and resolution. Tove Lo's concert was truly an experience. She took us through her story, and ours, of lusting after a stranger, falling in love with them, and then fighting to survive once that love is over.