Sexy? Yes, yes, yes.
The last time we heard from our beloved Swedish sad girl Lykke Li – barring her work in super-group liv – she was reeling in the depths of despair with 2014’s brilliant I Never Learn.
It’s been four years, and while she might not have learned how to shake off the sadness much, she’s discovered new methods to cope – or distract herself a bit better, at least.
so sad so sexy pic.twitter.com/gBK3Re0tai
— Lykke Li (@LykkeLi) April 9, 2018
“hard rain” and “deep end” are the first offerings from her forthcoming record so sad, so sexy, which arrives on June 8.
She’s been working with some big names on the project, like Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Lana Del Rey), T-Minus (Drake) Malay (Frank Ocean) and Rostam (Carly Rae Jepsen‘s “Warm Blood”!)
Accordingly, some new sounds have been added to her repertoire: a hip-hop swagger, primarily – and even some rap, including a feature from Aminé.
The first song finds Lykke navigating turbulent waters with a steadily distancing flame, drifting across a barely-there pulse and a dull drone in the distance. Her voice gets chopped, layered and vocoded, 808s & Heartbreak style, as she seeks refuge from the emotional storm.
“I’m trying to get us back together / though we never been apart” she confesses.
“deep end,” similarly, finds Lykke drowning while yearning for some chlorinated affection – but here, she flings herself fully into a hip-hop fantasy. It’s a welcome jolt to Lykke’s depressed dream-pop as of late, going way, way harder than the cutesy days of “Little Bit.”
The trap hi-hats might raise an eyebrow among superfans at first, but give it a chance and an open mind: Lykke’s never sounded more present. She’s in it. She’s so fucking deep in it.
“hard rain” and “deep end” were released on April 19. (iTunes)
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Photo credit: @lykkeli
