Binging on twinkies can be a dangerous habit. Tove Lo had no problem expressing this within her song, “Habits.” She portrays a series of bad habits in the lyrics, because her lover left her. From sex clubs to being high as a kite, Tove Lo will do anything to forget her past lover. Even reading through the lyrics as the song plays, I get the vibe that these bad habits aren’t helping. Now, how did such a depressing song become so fun to listen to?
“Habits” blends an upbeat electronic instrumental with Tove Lo’s original melody. Both consist of heavy drums, punching bass, essential backup vocals, and Tove Lo’s voice. This upbeat pattern makes it more enjoyable to listen to. Not every song in the world that is sad has to be in a super slow tempo. The melody of the vocals follows closely to the well-sampled drums. This is great, as it creates a map of how we need to follow the song. Put some headphones on, sing closely to the melody, and move your head right to left to the kick drum. You try it yet? If you did, then you will get what I’m saying.
A big feature of the song is its dynamic background vocals. The words “oh oh,” which are sung in the initial intro, are ones to listen for. The artist uses this behind almost every sentence in the song, besides the chorus. This is a great additional filler to add to the catchiness of the song. Also, if you listen very closely you to the chorus, you can hear a heavily-vocoded vocal singing along with the chorus. This fills in the mix and makes a comfortable sound that bounces from ear to ear. I find nothing but enjoyment listening to this song. I recommend this song to the ill-habited people out there. It is time to break out of habit.