Tove Lo Releases Moving Music Video for “Grapefruit” Before Dropping Her New Album, Dirt Femme
*Trigger Warning: This article contains eating disorder topics that may provoke unwanted feelings and/or associations.
Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo has just released her heart-wrenching official music video for her song, “Grapefruit,” stemming from her newly-released album, Dirt Femme. Premiering on Oct. 12, just two days before the release of her album, the “Grapefruit” music video delicately embodies the throes of eating disorders through interpretive dance.
Tove is seen sitting alone on a dark kitchen floor, holding a fork with hostility, and wearing nothing but a bralette and shorts in the opening scene. As she begins singing, it’s clear that the lyrics of her song and the physical, mental, and emotional torment of the eating disorder synchronize with her dance movements. Clenching her stomach in agony, being thrown around, and hitting herself are some of the many movements that capture the emotional theme behind “Grapefruit.”
In a statement released with the music video, Tove explains her experience with body image and the process of writing “Grapefruit” by stating,
“I’ve tried to write this song for over 10 years. I know I haven’t talked about it a lot in interviews, or even in my music, which is my most honest place. I guess I had to find the right way to share the feelings and the vicious circle of behavior I was stuck in. I’ve been free from my eating disorder and my body issues for a very long time but they did take up too many of my teenage years. I’m not sure why I wrote this song now. Maybe the 2 years of stillness brought back memories, maybe I needed all this time I’ve been free from it to be able to look back without feeling pain. One of the many feelings I remember is needing to crawl out of my own skin. I felt so trapped in a body I hated. It was honestly really hard putting myself back in that headspace, but it was necessary for me. I’m going to let the song speak for itself now.”
Tove Lo eloquently illustrates this honesty through her interpretive dance in the video, displaying the tormenting cycle of eating disorders by separating the video into two alternating scenes. One scene is in the “comfort” of her own home, while the other is in the padded cell of a psychiatric hospital room–seemingly signifying the prison of her own mind. The entirety of the music video focuses on how she consistently beats herself up, both mentally and physically. Tove throws herself around a room, and notably so in the psychiatric room, where physical marks and scratch marks appear on the padded walls.
While the “Grapefruit” music video has yet to describe all the symbolism behind each scene, there are subtle details throughout the video that elicit a deeper meaning to it’s parts. Some details include a scorpion on the padded wall, the bruising of the skin-toned padded walls, and Tove Lo’s attire in the music video. The significance and time spent on “Grapefruit” is evident, giving the song the attention it deserves in spotlighting the arduous struggle of eating disorders. If you, or someone you know battle an eating disorder, know you are not alone and that there are resources to help.
To listen to more of Tove Lo’s full album, Dirt Femme, click here or listen below!
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