Pop Star Tove Lo Bares Her Soul in Song and Style

Grammy-nominated Swedish songwriter-turned-popstar Tove Lo is riding high with the release of her latest album, Lady Wood. Its tracks, including the ironic single "Cool Girl," prove that rebuking fluffy pop conventions with self-reflective, soul-baring songs pays off. And Lo's free-spirited personal style only serves to heighten her lyrical commend of raw emotion: The self-proclaimed feminist proudly sports a Venus-symbol necklace and flashes concertgoers in support of #FreeTheNipple.

Counting Janis Joplin and Courtney Love among her icons—"My style has a hippie-grunge vibe"—Lo is in the midst of an evolution. "The fashion world used to scare me because I didn't know anything about it. But now I think it's fun to try new styles," says Lo, who's based in New York. While she regularly performs barefoot and scantily clad, Lo recently began incorporating custom-made, curve-enhancing outfits and gold sneakers into her concert wardrobe (the North American tour for Lady Wood kicks off in February). "I like being out of my comfort zone. Musically, I write very personally, and it's a challenge for me. It's the same with clothes. It's just a different expression of me as an artist."

Styled by Jessica de Ruiter.

Scroll through to see her fashion shoot from the January issue of InStyle, available on newsstands and for digital download Friday, Dec. 9.