These photos will make you feel ‘happy, horny and inspired to kiss’

It’s no news that the pandemic had sweeping effects on nightlife globally – shutters came down on venues, strobes switched off, and dancefloors fell silent. As the pandemic hit, physical closeness suddenly felt unfamiliar. As the world began to open up again, people had to relearn how to connect. That moment of returning to touch is at the heart of The Kiss Book, the debut collaboration between musician Tove Lo and photographer Kenny Laubbacher.

At one time, kissing in a crowd was just part of the night. Then it wasn’t. After so long without the rush of a crowd, coming back to that connection felt almost otherworldly. The photo series documents people navigating that vulnerability. Born from the desire to reclaim human connection after a time of intense distance and isolation, the project invited concertgoers to lean in and share a kiss for the camera, whether in a packed-out venue, a shadowy venue stairwell, or leaning up against the merch stand. The result is a series of photos capturing couples, throuples, friends and strangers mid-kiss, tangled in various stages of embrace.

Captured across 15 countries and 18 cities, the book documents over 600 moments of people sharing kisses in sweaty, lively crowds during Tove Lo’s Dirt Femme tour. “These photos were taken right as the world reopened – when the idea of kissing and dancing so closely still felt surreal, almost forbidden,” explains Lo. “I still remember how surreal it felt to be back. I wanted to capture and keep that energy forever.”

Laubbacher recalls some of his favourite shots: “I love the one of the guys who seems to share a beard, this absolute queen kissing her reflection in a mirror lit by some red, psychedelic lights, the staircase make out, all of the kisses where the tongues come out to say hello.” But for the photographer, the real impact comes not from any single image, but from the power of the collection as a whole. “To witness hundreds of people sharing in these really intimate moments of pure joy is extremely moving,” he says. “I cried the first time I put all the photos together because I was overwhelmed with how wonderful people can be. Sitting with so many people’s joy is an absolute delight.”

He continues: “People were so excited. They’d come find me to get their photo taken, and there were lines of people waiting. My favourite kisses were the ones where people got so caught up in the moment they kept kissing even after I’d snapped the photo. It didn’t matter that I was there anymore – they were lost in that carnal moment.”

Connection is something Lo has always explored through her music. The Swedish singer-songwriter’s discography dives headfirst into the messiest, sweatiest parts of intimacy, with tracks like “Disco Tits” and “Pineapple Slice” capturing that desire. The Kiss Book brings those themes into the physical world. “It was fucking hot!” Lo says, recalling the many kisses that make up the project. “It felt like we were finally back to wanting physical touch and sweating on strangers again.”

After a stretch when connection was mostly digital, the physical book is a welcome medium. Lo hopes The Kiss Book leaves people feeling “happy, horny, and inspired to kiss” and Laubbacher wants it to be “an excuse to make out with your crush”. Designed by Charlie Twaddle and Samuel Burgess Johnson, it’s styled to resemble a relic from a bygone prohibition era – a time “when kissing was illegal”. More than anything, it’s a reminder that we can all rebuild connection, one kiss at a time. 

The Kiss Book is available to pre-order now on Baron books