Timebomb (Tove Lo song)
{{good article}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Timebomb
| cover = Tove Lo Timebomb.png
| alt = Artwork for "Timebomb". A woman is wearing a crop top and pants with her head covered by fog. The name of the singer appears above the picture, while the name of the song is placed below, both are written in white font.
| type = single
| artist = Tove Lo
| album = Queen of the Clouds
| released = {{Start date|2015|08|12|df=yes}}
| recorded = 2014 Apmamman (Stockholm)
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Electropop|EDM}}
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=34}}
| label = Universal
| writer = {{hlist|Tove Lo|Klas Åhlund|Alexander Kronlund}}
| producer = Klas Åhlund
| prev_title = Come Back to Me
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title = Moments
| next_year = 2015
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|BLEVRNV4CVQ|"Timebomb"}}|header=}}
}}
"Timebomb" is a song by Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo from her debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds (2014). It was written by Lo, Alexander Kronlund and Klas Åhlund, and produced by Åhlund. Initially a promotional single, the track was later released as the third single from the album on 12 August 2015. It is an electropop and EDM track with piano instrumentation; the lyrics talk about a passionate and fleeting romance that is not meant to last.
"Timebomb" received positive reviews from music critics, with many of them deeming it as one of the best tracks from Queen of the Clouds. However, the track was not commercially successful, only peaking at number four on the Swedish Heatseeker Top 20 chart.
A music video for the track was released on 22 June 2015. It depicts Lo performing the track on a beach alongside couples of varied races, ages, and sexual orientations who are fighting and reconciling with each other. The visual received positive reviews and was praised for its LGBTQ themes. The singer performed the track on her Queen of the Clouds Tour in 2015, as well in festivals such as Boston Calling Music Festival and Way Out West.
Background and release
"Timebomb" was written by Tove Lo, Alexander Kronlund and Klas Åhlund. It was recorded at Apmamman Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, where Åhlund also handled the production and programming of it, and played all the instruments. Michael Ilbert mixed the track at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany, while Björn Engelmann helped master it at Cutting Room, Stockholm, and David Nyström contributed to the piano.{{cite AV media notes |title=Queen of the Clouds |title-link=Queen of the Clouds |others=Tove Lo |year=2014 |type=liner notes |publisher=Universal Music Group |id=B0021921-02 |location=United States}}
The song is included on "The Sex" section of the singer's debut studio album, Queen of the Clouds.
"Timebomb" was initially released on 9 September 2014 as the first promotional single from the record while pre-ordering the album on iTunes. Following the release of its music video in June 2015, Republic Records announced that the track would be the third single from the album,{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6605634/tove-lo-timebomb-video |title=Watch Tove Lo Strip Down in her 'Timebomb' Video |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=22 June 2015 |magazine=Billboard|access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611142804/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6605634/tove-lo-timebomb-video |archive-date=11 June 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://headlineplanet.com/home/2015/06/29/andy-grammers-honey-im-good-stays-1-at-hot-ac-tove-lo-goes-top-10/ |title=Andy Grammer's 'Honey, I'm Good' Retains #1 at Hot AC, Tove Lo Goes Top 10 |last=Cantor |first=Brian |date=29 June 2015 |publisher=Headline Planet |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526080447/https://headlineplanet.com/home/2015/06/29/andy-grammers-honey-im-good-stays-1-at-hot-ac-tove-lo-goes-top-10/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }} scheduling its release on the US contemporary hit radio stations the next month.{{cite web |url=https://headlineplanet.com/home/2015/06/30/little-mixs-black-magic-picked-up-by-chicagos-b96-tove-lo-selena-gomez-also-added/ |title=Little Mix's 'Black Magic' Picked Up By Chicago's B96; Tove Lo, Selena Gomez Also Added |last=Cantor |first=Brian |date=30 June 2015 |publisher=Headline Planet |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526080638/https://headlineplanet.com/home/2015/06/30/little-mixs-black-magic-picked-up-by-chicagos-b96-tove-lo-selena-gomez-also-added/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live}} However, this was later cancelled by the label, who opted to promote "Moments" instead.{{cite web|url=http://headlineplanet.com/home/2015/08/05/tove-los-timebomb-wont-be-next-single-moments-apparently-will-be/|title=Tove Lo's "Timebomb" Won't Be Next Single; "Moments" Apparently Will Be|first=Brian|last=Cantor|publisher=Headline Planet|date=5 August 2015|access-date=5 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150806112612/http://headlineplanet.com/home/2015/08/05/tove-los-timebomb-wont-be-next-single-moments-apparently-will-be/|archive-date=6 August 2015|url-status=live}} Nonetheless, a remixed single of "Timebomb" was digitally released in Europe on 12 August 2015, while on 16 September in North America.
Composition
{{listen
| filename =Tove Lo - Timebomb.ogg
| title ="Timebomb"
| description = A sample of "Timebomb", an electropop and EDM track with piano instrumentation, "wordy" verses and an "anthemic" and "shouty" chorus.
| pos =left
}}
"Timebomb" has been described as an electropop and EDM track with piano instrumentation.{{cite web |url=https://directlyrics.com/tove-lo-gets-topless-in-timebomb-music-video-watch-the-loving-clip-now-news.html |title=Tove Lo Gets Topless In 'Timebomb' Music Video: Watch The Loving Clip Now! |last=Apaza |first=Kevin |date=22 June 2015 |publisher=Direct Lyrics |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526062346/https://directlyrics.com/tove-lo-gets-topless-in-timebomb-music-video-watch-the-loving-clip-now-news.html |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/tove-lo-premieres-two-new-tracks-timebomb-and-moments |title=Tove Lo premieres two new tracks, 'Timebomb' and 'Moments' |last=Day |first=Laurence |date=16 September 2014 |website=The Line of Best Fit|access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526062144/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/tove-lo-premieres-two-new-tracks-timebomb-and-moments |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }} It has "wordy" verses{{cite web |url=https://www.popjustice.com/thenews/theres-a-new-tove-lo-song-called-timebomb-on-the-internet-and-its-amazing/ |title=There's a new Tove Lo song called 'Timebomb' on the internet and it's amazing |last=O'Mance |first=Brad |date=9 September 2014 |publisher=Popjustice |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526070452/https://www.popjustice.com/thenews/theres-a-new-tove-lo-song-called-timebomb-on-the-internet-and-its-amazing/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.kanw.com/post/tove-lo-chronicles-three-stages-love-affair |title=Tove Lo Chronicles Three Stages Of A Love Affair |last=Tucker |first=Ken |date=15 October 2014 |publisher=KANW |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526072333/https://www.kanw.com/post/tove-lo-chronicles-three-stages-love-affair |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }} and an "anthemic", "shouty" chorus that repeats: "We're not forever, you're not the one / You and I, we're a ti-i-ime bomb! bomb! bomb!".{{cite web |url=https://www.scandipop.co.uk/tove-lo-timebomb/ |title=Tove Lo: 'Timebomb' |date=9 September 2014 |publisher=Scandipop |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526070449/https://www.scandipop.co.uk/tove-lo-timebomb/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }} Idolator's Bradley Stern and Sam Lansky from Time compared the song to Robyn's "Be Mine!" (2005), which was also co-written by Ahlund.{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/3341444/tove-lo-queen-of-the-clouds-album/ |title=Tove Lo, Queen of the Clouds Album |last=Lansky |first=Sam |date=12 September 2014 |magazine=Time |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108010339/http://time.com/3341444/tove-lo-queen-of-the-clouds-album/ |archive-date=8 November 2016 |url-status=live }}
With the lyrics, Lo talks about a passionate and fleeting romance that is not meant to last,{{cite web |url=https://www.idolator.com/7563273/tove-lo-timebomb-idolator-premiere?chrome=1 |title=Tove Lo's 'Timebomb': Idolator Premiere |last=Stern |first=Bradley |date=18 September 2014 |publisher=Idolator |access-date=26 May 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.islandrecords.com/news/idolator-premieres-tove-lo-timebomb/ |title=Idolator Premieres Tove Lo 'Timebomb' |publisher=Island Records |access-date=11 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707202949/http://www.islandrecords.com/news/idolator-premieres-tove-lo-timebomb/ |archive-date=7 July 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6259186/tove-lo-interview-habits-queen-of-the-clouds-katy-perry |title=Tove Lo Falls Into Fame: On 'Habits,' Opening for Katy Perry & Using Music as Therapy |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=22 September 2014 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611025535/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6259186/tove-lo-interview-habits-queen-of-the-clouds-katy-perry |archive-date=11 June 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/music/news/a14791/tove-lo-timebomb/ |title=Tove Lo Tells Us the Secret Behind Her Brand-New Single 'Timebomb' |last=Ortiz |first=Jen |date=22 June 2015 |magazine=Marie Claire |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526055702/https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/music/news/a14791/tove-lo-timebomb/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live}} as stated in the lines "We're not happy ever after, we don't got what it takes / And we don't make plans, cause we're never gonna last".{{cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/top-5-best-tove-lo-songs |title=Top 5 Best Tove Lo songs |last=Chang |first=Richard S. |date=9 November 2014 |publisher=Redbull.com |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526222655/https://www.redbull.com/us-en/top-5-best-tove-lo-songs |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }} Lo explained that, for her, the early stages of a relationship are the best since they are the most intense and romantic,{{cite web |url=http://untitled-magazine.com/tove-lo-talks-love-sex-drugs-double-standards-exclusive-interview/ |title=Tove Lo talks love, sex, drugs and double standars |last=Cesarine |first=Indira |date=20 November 2014 |magazine=Untitled Magazine |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920015250/http://untitled-magazine.com/tove-lo-talks-love-sex-drugs-double-standards-exclusive-interview/ |archive-date=20 September 2015 |url-status=live }} adding that, "When you're with someone, usually what you think back to when you've been together a long time. You remember the first time you met someone or the first time you saw them... an instant attraction. [...] The passion is going to be the best part, the start of it and that first moment."{{cite web |url=http://showbiss.net/the-passion-of-tove-lo-sexy-and-smart/ |title=The Passion of Tove Lo: Sexy and Smart |publisher=Showbiss |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526055702/http://showbiss.net/the-passion-of-tove-lo-sexy-and-smart/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }} The staff of Spanish website Jenesaispop compared the lyrical content with the saying "Good things, when short, are twice as good".{{cite web |url=https://jenesaispop.com/2015/07/03/231099/tove-lo-defiende-lo-de-lo-bueno-si-breve-dos-veces-bueno/ |language=es |title=Tove Lo defiende lo de 'lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno' |date=3 July 2015 |publisher=Jensaispop |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526074517/https://jenesaispop.com/2015/07/03/231099/tove-lo-defiende-lo-de-lo-bueno-si-breve-dos-veces-bueno/ |archive-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live }}
Reception
"Timebomb" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Bradley Stern of Idolator described it as a "massive smash" with a "truly massive production" and added that "This song truly is the best thing ever." Similarly, Scandipop wrote that "Timebomb" was the best thing that Tove Lo has "ever done" and praised its composition. Both Ilana Kaplan from Refinery29 and the staff of Capital FM described it as an "anthemic" recording,{{cite web |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2014/09/75098/tove-lo-queen-of-the-clouds-album |title=Tove Lo's Breaking Her Habits |last=Kaplan |first=Ilana |date=26 September 2014 |publisher=Refinery29 |access-date=26 May 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/music/timebomb/ |title=Tove Lo, Timebomb |date=23 June 2015 |publisher= Capital FM|access-date=26 May 2019}} while Sam Lansky from Time called the song a "madcap stampede" while pointing out "talky lyrics and a chorus that explodes like a confetti cannon". Heather Phares of AllMusic compared it to the music of American singer Pink and deemed the song as one of the record's best tracks.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/queen-of-the-clouds-mw0002734439 |title=Queen of the Clouds by Tove Lo |last=Phares |first=Heather |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=26 May 2019}} In his review of Queen of the Clouds, Jenesaispop's Raúl Guillén called "Timebomb" "wonderful and epic" and "one of the key elements from the album".{{cite web |url=https://jenesaispop.com/2014/11/04/207640/tove-lo-queen-clouds/ |title=Tove Lo / Queen Of The Clouds |last=Guillén |first=Raúl |date=4 November 2014 |publisher=Jenesaispop|language=es |access-date=26 May 2019}} However, the staff from the website later described the song as "addictive and annoying" and stated that "you either love it or hate it" on further publications.{{cite web |url=https://jenesaispop.com/2015/01/28/216036/los-14-mejores-no-singles-de-2014/ |title=Los 14 mejores 'no singles' de 2014 |date=28 January 2015|language=es |publisher=Jenesaispop |access-date=26 May 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://jenesaispop.com/2015/06/22/230123/del-amor-al-odio-con-tove-lo/ |title=Del amor al odio con Tove Lo |date=22 June 2015 |publisher=Jenesaispop|language=es |access-date=26 May 2019}}
James Rettig of Stereogum called "Timebomb" one of the best songs from the record,{{cite web |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1810614/tove-lo-timebomb-video/video/ |title=Tove Lo – 'Timebomb' Video |last=Rettig |first=James |date=22 June 2015 |website=Stereogum |access-date=26 May 2019}} while Kitty Empire of The Guardian said that the song was the "magnificent crowning moment" of Queen of the Clouds.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/10/tove-lo-queen-of-the-clouds-review-kitty-empire |title=Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds review – brash, busy and badly behaved |author=Kitty Empire |author-link=Kitty Empire |date=10 May 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=26 May 2019}} Richard S. Chang from Redbull.com ranked it at number five on his list of the best songs by Lo. Will Hermes of Rolling Stone wrote: "The beat-trampling word rush of 'Timebomb' sounds like The Hold Steady reimagined by The Kick Inside-era Kate Bush".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/queen-of-the-clouds-93833/ |title=Queen of the Clouds |last=Hermes |first=Will |date=21 October 2014 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=26 May 2019}} Loren Diblasi of MTV News said that the track detailed "the multi-layered complexities of love".{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2193425/tove-lo-timebomb-video/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625212350/http://www.mtv.com/news/2193425/tove-lo-timebomb-video/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 25, 2015 |title=Tove Lo Gets Naked On The Beach In 'Timebomb' Video: Watch |last=Diblasi |first=Loren |date=22 June 2015 |publisher=MTV News |access-date=9 July 2019}} In a more negative review, Maxie Molotov-Smith from Fortitude Magazine criticized the song's composition, saying that the "melodic structure falls into a rather clumsy area as a seemingly endless army of syllables battle their way into the track for a space".{{cite web |url=http://www.fortitudemagazine.co.uk/music/pop/album-review-tove-lo-queen-clouds/21830/ |title=Review: Tove Lo, Queen of the Clouds |last=Molotov-Smith |first=Maxie |magazine=Fortitude Magazine |date=25 October 2014 |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-date=21 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221053440/http://www.fortitudemagazine.co.uk/music/pop/album-review-tove-lo-queen-clouds/21830/ |url-status=dead }}
"Timebomb" had a minor commercial reception. It entered the Swedish Heatseeker Top 20 chart at the eighth position on 2 July 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2015&dspp=27 |title=Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 27, 2015|language=sv |publisher=Sverigetopplistan |access-date=26 May 2019}} The song spent eight weeks on the chart,{{cite web |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2015&dspp=34 |title=Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 34, 2015 |publisher=Sverigetopplistan|language=sv |access-date=26 May 2019}} peaking at number four.
Music video
= Background and release =
According to Lo, she initially received many treatments for the music video from other people, with most of them being about a one-night stand storyline. Wanting the video to have a deeper meaning, she wrote herself the plot, inspired about the "kind of love that can't last forever because it isn't allowed to or it's not socially accepted"; to achieve this, she hired couples of different races, ages, and sexual orientations, who she claimed, "have to fight to stay together" and "should be accepted the way they are and should be able to love whoever they want to love".{{cite web |url=https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/tidbits/tove-lo-timebomb-music-video |title=Tove Lo – 'Timebomb' music video |last=Graves |first=Shahlin |date=24 June 2015 |magazine=Coup de Main Magazine |access-date=9 July 2019}} In March 2015, photos of the singer naked with her nipples censored while filming the clip on a beach located in California were published by several websites.{{cite web |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/swedish-pop-star-tove-lo-5319001 |title=Swedish pop star Tove Lo frolicks on a beach completely NAKED in sexy new music video |last=Forrester |first=Katy |date=12 March 2015 |website=Irish Mirror |access-date=9 July 2019}} In an interview with Noise11, Lo expressed her disapproval towards the censorship, saying that she could show her nipples if she wanted to and wondered why women's bodies were always sexualized.{{cite web |url=http://www.noise11.com/news/tove-lo-will-show-nipples-if-she-wants-to-20150907 |title=Tove Lo Will Show Nipples If She Wants To |date=7 September 2015 |publisher=Noise11 |access-date=9 July 2019}}
On 17 June 2015, the official lyric video was uploaded to the singer's Vevo account. It shows a naked couple hugging and touching each other's bodies, while the lyrics are displayed on their skin.{{cite web |url=https://www.idolator.com/7597168/tove-lo-hazy-timebomb-lyric-video-watch?chrome=1 |title=Tove Lo Releases Her Hazy 'Timebomb' Lyric Video: Watch |last=EnRogue |first=Bianca |date=17 June 2015 |publisher=Idolator |access-date=3 June 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The visual was directed by Swedish company Bror Bror, who previously directed the lyrical visual for "Talking Body" and the clip for "Over".{{cite web |url=http://www.mazeblog.com.br/tove-lo-lanca-lyric-video-para-timebomb-novo-single-do-seu-album-de-estreia/ |title=Tove Lo lança lyric-video para 'Timebomb', novo single do seu álbum de estreia |last=Mata |first=Gustavo |date=17 June 2015 |publisher=Maze Blog |language=pt |access-date=3 June 2019 |archive-date=3 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603233237/http://www.mazeblog.com.br/tove-lo-lanca-lyric-video-para-timebomb-novo-single-do-seu-album-de-estreia/ |url-status=dead }} Two days later, the singer shared a 28-second preview of the official music video, and announced its release date.{{cite web |url=http://www.idolator.com/7597524/tove-lo-same-love-affection-timebomb-video-teaser-watch?view-all&chrome=1&Exc_D_LessThanPoint002_p1=1 |title=Tove Lo Displays Same-Love Affection In "Timebomb" Video Teaser: Watch |last=EnRogue |first=Bianca |date=19 June 2015 |publisher=Idolator |access-date=4 June 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The video finally premiered on 22 June and was directed by Emil Nava.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2015/06/tove-lo-unleashes-new-video-timebomb |title=Watch Tove Lo's new 'Timebomb' music video |last=Morris |first=Jessie |date=22 June 2015 |magazine=Complex |access-date=4 June 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/swedish-pop-star-tove-lo-5318905/|title=Swedish pop star Tove Lo frolicks on a beach completely NAKED in sexy new music video|first=Katy|last=Forrester|work=The Mirror|date=12 March 2015|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-date=24 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624212136/http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/swedish-pop-star-tove-lo-5318905|url-status=dead}}
With the release of the music video, Lo launched the website weareatimebomb.com, where people could stream the clip with other fans and the singer herself via webcam. It was compared by critics to the online chat site Chatroulette.{{cite web|url=https://www.weareatimebomb.com/|title=Tove Lo – We are a Timebomb|publisher=WE ARE A TIMEBOMB|date=22 June 2015|access-date=23 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630111917/http://www.weareatimebomb.com/|archive-date=30 June 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=https://nylon.com/articles/tove-lo-timebomb |title=Tove Lo releases 'Timebomb' music video |last=Cunningham |first=Leah |date=22 June 2015 |website=Nylon |access-date=4 June 2019}}
=Synopsis and reception=
File:TIMEBOMB MV.jpgs, age, and sexual orientation that, in the singer's opinion, "should be accepted the way they are".]]
The widescreen music video takes place on a beach, where Lo is sitting on a wood platform wearing a black swimsuit. The next scenes show different couples dressed in white clothes: one lesbian, one gay and three heterosexual, of which one is biracial and one of elders. As Lo is singing, the couples fight, kiss and make up. In the second verse, the singer appears with a black dress and incorporates the same interactions of the couples with a man. During the bridge, she appears naked on the sand while performing the track. The clip finishes with the couples hugging and kissing each other.{{cite web|url=http://www.idolator.com/7597733/tove-lo-timebomb-video/|title=Watch Tove Lo's Emotional "Timebomb" Video|first=Carl|last=Williott|publisher=Idolator|date=22 June 2015|access-date=23 June 2015|archive-date=27 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627015801/http://www.idolator.com/7597733/tove-lo-timebomb-video|url-status=dead}}
Loren Diblasi of MTV News called it an "explosive" clip that was a "fitting tribute to complicated love". Complex{{'}}s Jessie Morris wrote that the music video "leans into the singer's habits for passion and pain as it scopes across the explosive relationships between couples against the background of a desolate beach". Carl Williot of Idolator described it from an emotional standpoint as "simple and effective", while Jonathan Hamard and Yohann Ruelle from French website Pure Charts stated that the video had "a beautiful message for a romantic accomplishment".{{cite web |url=http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Tove-Lo/news-96284.html |title=Clip de "Timebomb" : Tove Lo célèbre les vertiges de l'amour universel (màj)|language=fr |last1=Hamard |first1=Jonathan |last2=Ruelle |first2=Yohann |date=23 June 2015 |publisher=Pure Charts |access-date=9 July 2019}} Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Laurence Day said that the visual was "emotionally explosive",{{cite web |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/tove-lo-unveils-emotionally-explosive-visuals-for-timebomb |title=Tove Lo unveils emotionally explosive visuals for 'Timebomb' |last=Day |first=Laurence |date=22 June 2015 |website=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=9 July 2019}} while the staff of Capital FM felt it was a "raw, emotion-filled video". Some critics also praised the clip for its support towards the LGBTQ community. Trish Bendix of AfterEllen.com included it on her list called "2015: The Year in Lesbian/Bi Music" as part of the positive and supportive songs, and videos from allies.{{cite web |url=https://www.afterellen.com/people/467823-2015-year-lesbianbi-music/3 |title=2015: The Year in Lesbian/Bi Music |last=Bendix |first=Trix |date=31 December 2015 |publisher=AfterEllen.com |access-date=9 July 2019}} Preston Max Allen of Pride.com ranked the clip at number five on the 20 Music Videos with Lesbian Imagery, from Sweetest to Most Exploitative, writing that, "We didn't expect to be so blown away by this video when it was released, yet here we are watching it over and over again."{{cite web |url=https://www.pride.com/music/2015/08/20/20-music-videos-lesbian-imagery-sweetest-most-exploitative |title=20 Music Videos with Girl/Girl Imagery from Sweetest to Most Exploitative |last=Allen |first=Preston Max |date=23 August 2015 |publisher=Pride.com |access-date=9 July 2019}} Spanish website Jenesaispop announced that the song was featured, due to its clip's themes, on the parade Orgullo Gay in Madrid, which took place on 4 July 2015.{{cite web |url=https://jenesaispop.com/2015/07/03/231146/canciones-que-si-sonaran-en-el-orgullo-2015/ |title=Canciones que sí sonarán en el Orgullo 2015 |date=3 July 2015|language=es |publisher=Jenesaispop |access-date=9 July 2019}}
Live performances
On 1 October 2014, Lo performed "Timebomb" and other songs at Webster Hall in Manhattan, New York City,{{cite web |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/tove-lo-webster-hall-10-1-6640075 |title=Tove Lo – Webster Hall 10/1 |last1=Rhoades |first1=Lindsey |date=2 October 2014 |work=The Village Voice |access-date=8 February 2016 |archive-date=25 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625174844/http://www.villagevoice.com/music/tove-lo-webster-hall-10-1-6640075 |url-status=dead }}
as part of the You Oughta Know Presents: Tove Lo US Tour sponsored by VH1.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1957633/tove-lo-interview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013003519/http://www.mtv.com/news/1957633/tove-lo-interview/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 13, 2014 |title=Tove Lo's Motto Is 'Everything's F-cked -- Let's Go Party' (And Yes, We're Obsessed) |last=Ehrlich |first=Brenna |date=10 October 2014 |publisher=MTV News |access-date=10 July 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.vh1.com/news/o7md8c/5-things-you-oughta-know-tove-los-us-tour |title=5 Things You Oughta Know About YOK Album Tove Lo's US Tour|last=Read |first=Ali |date=2 October 2014 |publisher=VH1 |access-date=10 July 2019}} On 23 May, she sang it at the 2015 Boston Calling Music Festival.{{cite web |url=https://glidemagazine.com/136415/boston-calling-2015-city-hall-plaza-boston-ma-522-52415-festival-recap/ |title=Boston Calling 2015 - City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA 5/22-5/24/15 |last=Cullen |first=Albie |date=26 May 2015 |magazine=Glide Magazine |access-date=10 July 2019}}
"Timebomb" was included on the set list of the singer's Queen of the Clouds Tour (2015).{{cite web |url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/a-and-e/music/review-tove-lo-brings-queen-of-the-clouds-tour-to-the-paramount/article/447225 |title=Review: Tove Lo brings 'Queen of the Clouds' tour to The Paramount |access-date=6 May 2017 |last=Papadatos |first=Markos |date=21 October 2015 |website=Digital Journal}} Jordi Bardají of Jenesaispop, who reviewed her show in Barcelona, Spain, said that the track was the most effective song performed live from the repertoire.{{cite web |url=https://jenesaispop.com/2015/07/05/231210/tove-lo-en-concierto-mucha-cancion-no-tanta-presencia/ |title=Tove Lo en concierto: mucha canción, no tanta presencia |last=Bardají |first=Jordi |date=5 July 2015 |publisher=Jenesaispop |language=es |access-date=10 July 2019}} On 14 August 2015, Lo performed the song at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg, Sweden.{{cite web |url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/621416?programid=4564 |title=Tove Lo omfamnar Slottsskogen i Göteborg |date=23 September 2015 |publisher=Sveriges Radio P3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208023555/http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/621416?programid=4564 |archive-date=8 February 2016 |access-date=8 February 2016 |language=sv }} On 11 September 2015, she held a concert at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, Germany, and performed "Timebomb" among tracks from Truth Serum and Queen of the Clouds.{{cite web|url=http://www.ndr.de/ndr2/events/soundcheck/Tove-Lo-beim-Soundcheck-Festival-2015,konzert806.html |title=Tove Lo: Schwedisches Dynamit im Deutschen Theater |last1=Batlle |first1=Patricia |date=11 September 2015 |publisher=Norddeutscher Rundfunk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206032348/http://www.ndr.de/ndr2/events/soundcheck/Tove-Lo-beim-Soundcheck-Festival-2015%2Ckonzert806.html |archive-date=6 February 2016 |access-date=7 February 2016 |language=de |url-status=dead }}
Track listings
- "Timebomb" – 3:34
- "Timebomb" (Lucas Nord Remix) – 3:30
- "Timebomb" (Sonny Alven Remix) – 4:07
- "Timebomb" (Kateboy Remix) – 3:42
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! Chart (2015) ! Peak |
| scope="row"| Sweden (Heatseeker Top 20 chart){{cite web |url=http://www.sverigetopplistan.se/netdata/ghl002.mbr/lista?liid=215&dfom=20150029&newi=0&mode=list-publisher= |title=Veckolista Heatseeker – Vecka 29, 17 juli 2015 |language=sv |publisher=Sverigetopplistan|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304214739/http://www.sverigetopplistan.se/netdata/ghl002.mbr/lista?liid=215&dfom=20150029&newi=0&mode=list-publisher=|archive-date=4 March 2016}}
| 4 |
|---|
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| Various
| 9 September 2014 | Digital download {{small|(promotional single)}} | rowspan="6"| Universal |
| scope="row"| Ireland
| rowspan="4"| 12 August 2015 | rowspan="6"| Digital download {{small|(remixes)}} | align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/ie/album/timebomb-remixes-single/1038832591 |title=Timebomb (Remixes) – Single by Tove Lo |date=12 August 2015 |publisher=iTunes Store (IE) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227082342/https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/timebomb-remixes-single/id1038832591 |archive-date=27 December 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=26 December 2015}} |
| scope="row"| Spain |
| scope="row"| Sweden |
| scope="row"| United Kingdom |
| scope="row"| Canada
| rowspan="2"| 16 September 2015 |
| scope="row"| United States
| Island |