Tove Lo, “Dirt Femme.” On Dirt Femme, her fifth album, Swedish pop songstress Tove Lo delivers another strong collection of synth-infused pop anthems. This time out, she digs deeper into femininity more broadly, writing songs of vulnerability. Now married, she’s said that she feels she can be rough around…

The Chemical Brothers perform at Portola Festival in San Francisco on Sep. 25, 2022. Chloe Catajan/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — The sunshine and chaos of Portola Festival’s drama-filled Saturday were smoothed down for Sunday, which brought mellower vibes, less crowd pandemonium and the chill of evening fog. That meant attendees…

ZHU, “DREAMLAND 2021.” The video for “Sky Is Crying” by ZHU, which features Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna, depicts many depressing and familiar scenes from the pandemic, giving a hint at his stress levels during quarantine. A man watches a screen with news headlines flashing before him: “Pandemic effect takes hold.”…

Robyn performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Feb. 25, 2019. Photos: Roman Gokhman. OAKLAND — The influence of Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn on thoughtful modern pop is everywhere, from the dramatic delivery and slick dancing of Christine and the Queens to the empowered writing of Billie Eilish. There’s…