Swedish pop singer Tove Lo started gaining steam early last year with the release of “Habits,” a sparkler of a debut single that plumbed the depths of post-relationship blues. Drinks, drugs, piles of Twinkies, illicit playground hookups: no coping mechanism was beyond her reach. Her debut EP, Truth Serum, is on the horizon — it’s out next week, on March 4 — and just before its release, Tove’s back with another stunner, one that flips the substance abuse script of “Habits.” With “Not on Drugs,” she’s basking in love’s mind-melting glow rather than using to escape its aftermath.
There’s a crushing weight to the song’s chorus that roughly approximates the overwhelming, brain-altering infatuation Tove’s singing about: if love hit you with this much force, you’d probably seem high too. It’s probably better for your health to keep this one on replay, and after hearing it once you won’t complain.