Tove Lo and Kill J play joint debut London shows at Notting Hill Arts Club

As part of the monthly New Shapes showcases at the iconic West London venue, fellow Scandinavians Tove Lo and KIll J played their first shows in the capital last night.

The latter – a somewhat enigmatic Copenhagen pair – kicked-off the evening with their crisp brand of electro-pop. Current single “Bullet“, which sits somewhere between MØ and M.I.A, provided a glistening highlight: its vocal sample refrain is infectious and brilliantly energetic alongside their focused and polished early performance.

The rest of the set, built around a wonderfully shrill vibrato and dark triggered synths, offered an exciting insight for what’s to come from the new duo.

From brooding electro-pop to radio-ready pop precision, Tove Lo headlined the evening. The Stockholm-based singer-songwriter made her mark through big-name writing collabs with the likes of Icona Pop and spending time with pop king Max Martin, but it’s her solo work that sets her apart: her knack for a catching chorus and wholly satisfying understanding of structure makes her songs, and indeed her performance, as fun as it is captivating. There’s an effortless charisma and professionalism to her approach that made it hard to believe last night was her first London show.

Hit single “Habits” and “Not On Drugs” stood out as favourites, while her featuring slot on Lucas Nord’s “Run On Love“, which closed the evening, has all the potential to comeback from last year as huge anthem this summer.

Two more artists to keep a very close eye on from the relentlessly impressive Scandinavian scene.

Tove Lo Setlist:

Love Ballad
Not On Drugs
Paradise
Over
Habits
Out of Mind
Run On Love

Kill J Setlist: