Estrus (album)

Estrus was created between Los Angeles, Stockholm, and a small village on the Swedish west coast that Tove Lo associates with her early years as an artist. Toward the end of 2024, she and her producer spent a month writing in Los Angeles, though she later admitted they struggled to find "the thing" that would define the record. During the process, Lo described herself as going through a "personal metamorphosis" and feeling uncertain about how to express herself creatively. In March 2025, she relocated to the Swedish village, where work on the album continued and eventually began to "make sense".^[1]

The record was written from what Lo described as "a place of inner conflict", reflecting tensions in her personal life alongside a gradual rediscovery of self-confidence. During the album's creation, she said she came to terms with not fitting the idea of a woman in her late 30s who is expected to have everything figured out, instead admitting that she still often feels uncertain about her direction and identity.^[1]

She first teased new solo material in October 2025 by sharing photographs of herself in a recording studio through her Instagram.^[2] On 11 May 2026, the singer announced the album's title, artwork, track listing, and release date through her social media accounts.^[3] In a statement, she explained the meaning of "estrus" as a state of being in heat in animals, describing it as something "primal" and marked by emotional contradiction and chaos. She added that there is "no good advice" on the album, only "a lot of feelings, no solutions".^[4] The album is set to feature a guest appearance from Belgian artist Stromae.^[5]

The lead single "I'm Your Girl Right?" is set to be released on 13 May 2026, a track she hopes will be "worth the wait". An accompanying music video, featuring 70 dancers, was filmed in a former convent outside São Paulo.^[6]