"Cycles" (stylized as "cycles" on the tracklist) is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo, from her third studio album, Blue Lips. It was released on 17 November 2017 as a promotional single. It was written by Tove Lo, Joe Janiak, Ludvig Söderberg and produced by The Struts. Lyrically, it talks about being trapped in a never-ending relationship loop. A music video directed by Malia James was released on 4 December 2018.
| "Cycles" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single by Tove Lo | |
| from the album Blue Lips | |
| Released | 17 November 2017 |
| Genre | Synth-pop |
| Length | 3:28 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | The Struts |
Composition
"Cycles" is a three-minute, twenty-eight-second synth-pop song, written by Tove Lo, Joe Janiak, Ludvig Söderberg and produced by The Sturts. Written in the key of G major, "Cycles" has a tempo of 105 beats per minute and features "baby-cry production, is dripping with self-deprecation."[1][2] Lyrically, the song is about being trapped in a never-ending relationship loop, indicated by the lines: "How can I change it when I don't know when I'm in it?/ I'm in a cycle/ Swear this is different/ Don't wanna end it/ If you leave then I keep spinnin'". According to Xavier Piedra from Billboard she "sings in the chorus while she holds her head in frustration."[3]
Critical reception
Danny Madion of The Michigan Daily wrote that the song "walks listeners through a narrative of falling in love with an ex-lover. It's sad and earnest but doesn't lead to a notable chorus you’d sing in the car.".[4] Alex Clarke of The Observer described "Cycles" and "Stranger" as "honest depictions of love that are nothing in the way of cliché."[5]
Music video
The music video for "Cycles" was directed by Malia James and it was released on 4 December 2018 on her Vevo channel. It was filmed as a one-shot and it was initially previewed in her short film Blue Lips in the post-credits scene where she spins around in a chair while the camera circles around her in blurry motion while lights are flashing all over her body.[3][6]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[7]
- Tove Lo − vocals, songwriter
- Ludvig Söderberg − songwriter
- Joe Janiak − songwriter
- Jakob Jerlström − songwriter, backing vocalist
- The Struts − producer, programmer
- Chris Gehringer − mastering engineer
- John Hanes − assistant mixer
- Serban Ghenea − mixer
Charts
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden (Veckolista Heatseeker)[8] | 7 |