Tove Lo

We may have been mispronouncing Tove Lo’s name since she burst on the North American scene last year with “Habits (Stay High),” but the Swedish dance-pop diva’s dark but catchy music translates in any language. It’s TOO-vah LOO, by the way.

The Stockholm native seems destined for stardom, having attended a musical magnet school and graduating to pursue songwriting. She quickly made a name for herself and landed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappel in 2011.

But as with so many others, the draw of the stage was irresistible. The Windish Agency’s Doug Croy signed her for representation and introduced her to the U.S. at South By Southwest in March 2014 to coincide with an EP release.

Photo: Alivephotography for Rock In Rio

By fall, Lo had her full-length debut, Queen of the Clouds, and a No. 3 single on the charts. A U.S. club tour sold out dates including the 1,150-capacity Metro/Smart Bar in Chicago.

“When I first heard ‘Habits’ I knew she had a huge song, but after hearing more tracks, and learning she wrote them all herself, it was obvious she was special,” Croy told Pollstar.

As for her live show, “The reaction was immediate, and she came to do underplays in New York that blew out. The idea was always to tour strategically and continue to build the demand.”

Photo: Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP

“Tove’s ability to have massive success on radio but also command huge crowds at very cool festivals shows the breadth of her fan base,” Croy said. “Tove’s lyrics can be very real and very gritty, which translates to her live show.  She’s a rockstar up there, putting on a rock show, with a rock band.  It’s real, captivating, and raw, in the best way possible.”

By year-end, nobody should be mispronouncing Tove Lo’s name. She’ll wrap her festival plays and embark on a headlining U.S. tour in September, hitting theatres and large clubs including The Wiltern in L.A., Fox Theatre in Oakland, Calif., 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and wrapping at New York’s Terminal 5 on October 21.