Cycles (song)


"Cycles" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo, from her third studio album, Blue Lips. It was released on the 17th of November, 2017 as a promotional single, through Republic Records. It was written by Lo herself, alongside Joe Janiak, Ludvig Söderberg and produced by The Struts.
Lyrically, the synth-pop record talks about being trapped in a never-ending relationship loop. Upon the release of Blue Lips, the song was received positively by music critics. Commercially, the song peaked at number 7 on the Veckolista Heatseeker chart in Sweden. A music video directed by Malia James was released on 4 December 2018.

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." 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."

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.". Alex Clarke of The Observer described "Cycles" and "Stranger" as "honest depictions of love that are nothing in the way of cliché."

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.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.