Lykke Li

Biography

Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), professionally known as Lykke Li (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈlʏ̂kːɛ ˈliː] LICK-ee-LEE), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, model and actress. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and electronic. Her debut studio album, Youth Novels×Youth Novels30 January 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Melodies & Desires3:522Dance, Dance, Dance3:413I’m Good, I’m Gone3:094Let It Fall2:425My Love4:366Tonight4:137Little Bit4:338Hanging High4:079This Trumpet in My Head1:4210Complaint Department4:3211Breaking It Up3:4112Everybody but Me3:1813Time Flies3:2114Window Blues3:59, was released in 2008, and has been followed by Wounded Rhymes×Wounded Rhymes11 February 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Youth Knows No Pain3:012I Follow Rivers3:433Love Out of Lust4:454Unrequited Love3:125Get Some3:236Rich Kids Blues3:047Sadness Is a Blessing4:018I Know Places6:039Jerome4:2110Silent My Song5:2711I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix)4:39 (2011), I Never Learn (2014), So Sad So Sexy (2018), Eyeye (2022), and The Afterparty (2026). She is best known for her biggest hit single to date, "I Follow Rivers×I Follow Rivers14 February 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1I Follow Rivers (radio edit)2I Follow Rivers (album version)3I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek remix)4I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix)5I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix - instrumental)6I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix - radio edit)7I Follow Rivers (Tyler the Creator remix)8I Follow Rivers (Van & The Subliminal Kid remix)".

Early life

Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson was born in Ystad, Skåne; her mother, Kärsti Stiege, was a photographer, and her father, Johan Zachrisson (stage name Zilverzurfarn), is a member of the Swedish punk-reggae band Dag Vag. Her younger brother, Zacharias Zachrisson (a.k.a. Vacation Forever), is also a musician. The family moved to Stockholm when Zachrisson was a toddler and when she was six moved to a mountaintop in Portugal where they lived for five years. The family also spent time in Lisbon and Morocco, and winters in Nepal and India. She moved to Brooklyn, New York City, for three months when she was 19. She returned when she was 21 to record her album.

2007–2010: Career beginnings and Youth Novels

Lykke Li released her first EP, Little Bit×Little Bit27 September 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Little Bit (Loving Hand remix)2Little Bit (CSS remix)3Little Bit (Staygold's Skansen remix), in 2007. Stereogum named her an artist to watch in October 2007 and described her music as a mix of soul, electro and "powdered-sugar pop".
Lykke Li's debut album, Youth Novels×Youth Novels30 January 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Melodies & Desires3:522Dance, Dance, Dance3:413I’m Good, I’m Gone3:094Let It Fall2:425My Love4:366Tonight4:137Little Bit4:338Hanging High4:079This Trumpet in My Head1:4210Complaint Department4:3211Breaking It Up3:4112Everybody but Me3:1813Time Flies3:2114Window Blues3:59, was released on LL Recordings in the Nordic region on 30 January 2008 and received a wider European release in June 2008. The album was produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John and Lasse Mårtén and was reportedly inspired by a previous relationship of three years. It was released in the United States on 19 August 2008. The album was released in the United Kingdom in June 2008, promoted by a performance of "Little Bit" on Later... with Jools Holland on 25 May 2008.

Lykke Li performed live with a pared-down drum kit, a necklace made out of percussive instruments, a guitar, a bass and a microphone. Youth Novels was placed on many of the year's Best Of lists and saw Lykke Li sell out tours, including sets at festivals Glastonbury, Coachella and Lollapalooza. She appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
She appeared on Swedish musician Kleerup's self-titled album, contributing vocals to the track "Until We Bleed". She also worked with Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp on their 2009 album Junior, contributing vocals to "Miss It So Much" and "Were You Ever Wanted×Were You Ever Wanted27 December 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Were You Ever Wanted5:37". Lykke Li appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly on 18 February 2009. She covered "Knocked Up", originally recorded by Kings of Leon who had approached Lykke to cover a song of her choice, and "Gifted" in which she performs with Kanye West. Lykke Li performed at the 2009 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 19 April and the 2009 Lollapalooza festival on 8 August as part of the promotional tour for Youth Novels.
Her song "I'm Good, I'm Gone" featured in the game FIFA 09, whilst a remixed version was featured in the 2009 horror film Sorority Row. The song "Possibility×Possibility2 December 2022 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Possibility5:062Possibility (slowed down)6:23" was written for the 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Lykke Li had been asked to write a song to the film soundtrack but was reluctant to commit to the project. It was after she had seen an early screening of the film that she decided she wanted to contribute to the soundtrack. The soundtrack was released on 16 October 2009.

2011–2013: Wounded Rhymes

The song "Get Some×Get Some25 October 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get Some3:222Get Some (Mike D remix)3:503Get Some (Beck remix)4:464Paris Blue3:45" was featured in the 15th episode of the first season of Hawaii Five-0 titled "Kai e'e" which aired 23 January 2011. The song was also used in ABC Family's drama Pretty Little Liars in the 18th episode of the second season which was titled "A Kiss Before Lying" which aired 30 January 2012. The song was also used in the 19th episode of the second season of The CW's The Vampire Diaries, titled "Klaus" and originally aired 21 April 2011, and in the show Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23 as well as the sixth episode of the first season of Teen Wolf, titled "Heart Monitor" and originally aired 4 July 2011. The song was also used in the film Premium Rush as one of its soundtracks. The song "Unrequited Love" was used in episode 19 ("The Wheels of Justice"), season four of The Good Wife.

Lykke Li's song "Melodies and Desires" was featured in the 2010 Australian film Griff the Invisible and an edited version of "Get Some" was featured in the Catwoman trailer for the video game, Batman: Arkham City. She collaborated with singer Kleerup on the song "Until We Bleed", which was featured on an episode of UK TV series Misfits and an episode of the television series Ringer.
Her second album Wounded Rhymes×Wounded Rhymes11 February 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Youth Knows No Pain3:012I Follow Rivers3:433Love Out of Lust4:454Unrequited Love3:125Get Some3:236Rich Kids Blues3:047Sadness Is a Blessing4:018I Know Places6:039Jerome4:2110Silent My Song5:2711I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix)4:39 was released in 2011. The album was featured on several lists of 2011's best albums, including Q, Mojo, The Observer, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and Rolling Stone. The 19 April 2011 episode of Glee (titled "A Night of Neglect") featured student Tina singing a version of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers×I Follow Rivers14 February 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1I Follow Rivers (radio edit)2I Follow Rivers (album version)3I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek remix)4I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix)5I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix - instrumental)6I Follow Rivers (The Magician remix - radio edit)7I Follow Rivers (Tyler the Creator remix)8I Follow Rivers (Van & The Subliminal Kid remix)". On 30 April 2011, she performed on Later... with Jools Holland in the UK, playing "Get Some", "Sadness Is a Blessing" and "I Follow Rivers". Lykke Li played at the 2011 Latitude Festival, held between 14 and 18 July 2011 at Henham Park in Suffolk, England. She appeared with her band on US late night talk show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in August 2011 and on the Late Show with David Letterman in November 2011.
Belgian DJ/producer The Magician's remix of "I Follow Rivers" is featured in Jacques Audiard's 2012 film Rust and Bone and the 2013 Palme d'Or-winning Blue Is the Warmest Colour. Lykke contributed to the 2012 compilation "Volym 1" with the track "Come Near" released by the Swedish artist collective and record label INGRID where she is a founding member. She also contributed a cover of "Silver Springs" to a 2012 Fleetwood Mac tribute album, which included renditions from Best Coast, Marianne Faithfull, and MGMT.
In 2013, she was featured as a guest musician on David Lynch's third studio album, The Big Dream, performing vocals on the lead single, "I'm Waiting Here×I'm Waiting Here3 June 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I'm Waiting Here5:02".

2014–2017: I Never Learn, acting debut and Liv

On 27 February 2014, Lykke Li released the video for the title track of her third studio album, I Never Learn×I Never Learn2 May 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1I Never Learn3:042No Rest for the Wicked3:403Just Like a Dream4:094Silver Line3:535Gunshot3:246Love Me Like I’m Not Made of Stone3:467Never Gonna Love Again4:018Heart of Steel3:559Sleeping Alone2:59. Following the release, Lykke Li released the video for the single "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" on 4 March 2014. On 10 April 2014, she released a video for the lead single, "No Rest for the Wicked". On 15 July 2014, she also released a video for the single "Gunshot".
Lykke Li officially released I Never Learn on 2 May 2014. Once again her album was featured on several lists of 2014's best albums, including Billboard, Complex, and Pitchfork, among others. In United States, I Never Learn debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200, making it Lykke Li's highest-peaking album on the chart. Prior to the release, Lykke Li released a remix of "No Rest for the Wicked", featuring ASAP Rocky, on 21 April 2014. On 30 May 2014, Lykke Li released a remix EP of "No Rest for the Wicked". German electronic DJ Robin Schulz remixed "No Rest for the Wicked" and the edit was featured in Schulz's debut album Prayer.
Lykke Li made her acting debut in the 2014 Swedish crime film Tommy, directed by Tarik Saleh, and recorded a song for the film, "Du är den ende×Du är den ende12 March 2014 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Du är den ende2:44". She wrote "No One Ever Loved×No One Ever Loved13 May 2014 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1No One Ever Loved4:05" for the soundtrack to The Fault in Our Stars, which was released on 19 May 2014. Lykke Li was also featured as a guest musician on U2's album Songs of Innocence, performing vocals on the last track "The Troubles".
On 14 November 2014, Lykke Li gained considerable attention from Internet music publications regarding her cover of Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home", performed the night prior at London's Eventim Apollo. On 5 January 2015, Lykke Li posted a picture on her Instagram account, in which she announced her temporary retirement.
In 2015, Lykke Li was featured on Emile Haynie's debut album We Fall on the track "Come Find Me×Come Find Me10 February 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Come Find Me2:51", which also features Romy Madley Croft from the xx. She also teamed up with Woodkid to create a song for the Divergent Series: Insurgent – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The song, "Never Let You Down", was released as a single on 9 March 2015.
On 6 April 2015, she released a video for "Never Gonna Love Again×Never Gonna Love Again4 May 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Never Gonna Love Again (re edit)4:092Hold On, We’re Going Home (live)5:04", directed by Philippe Tempelman. In September 2016, supergroup Liv, featuring Lykke Li, released their first single "Wings of Love". The music video was directed by Lykke Li.

2018–2019: So Sad So Sexy

Lykke Li released her fourth studio album, So Sad So Sexy×so sad so sexy8 June 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Hard Rain3:302Deep End3:083Two Nights3:244Last Piece3:055Jaguars in the Air3:376Sex Money Feelings Die2:207So Sad So Sexy3:328Better Alone4:329Bad Woman3:1510Utopia3:43, on 8 June 2018 through RCA. Along with the announcement, Lykke Li released the first two singles, "Deep End×deep end20 April 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1deep end3:05" and "Hard Rain×hard rain20 April 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1hard rain3:31".
In April 2019, she sang lead vocals and appeared in the video for Mark Ronson's "Late Night Feelings", the title track from the album of the same name.
In July 2019, Lykke Li released the EP Still Sad Still Sexy×still sad still sexy26 July 2019 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1sex money feelings die (remix)2:422two nights part ii3:303baby doves2:554neon3:255so sad so sexy (alt version)4:016deep end (alt version)5:33, featuring four remixes from So Sad So Sexy and two new songs.

2020–2022: Eyeye

In a 2019 interview speaking about her fifth studio album, Lykke Li told NME: "I think, maybe to everyone's disappointment, I'm going to really scale it down and back and slow it down. [...] It'll be more like soul music. It'll still be sad, and still be sexy."
Lykke Li made her return to music releasing "BRON", a song sung entirely in Swedish, in October 2020.
Lykke Li released "No Hotel×NO HOTEL23 March 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1NO HOTEL2:27", the lead single from her fifth studio album, Eyeye×EYEYE20 May 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1NO HOTEL2:272YOU DON’T GO AWAY3:133HIGHWAY TO YOUR HEART4:004HAPPY HURTS4:575CAROUSEL4:1465D3:467OVER3:458ü&i7:12, on 23 March 2022. The album was released on 20 May 2022.
In July 2022, it was announced that Lykke Li would partner with creative director Theo Lindquist and artist Nick Verstandpresent to present an immersive installation, entitled Ü & EYEYE, at Los Angeles' The Broad Museum. The project intends "to transform the Broad’s Oculus Hall into a hyper-sensory cathedral of female romantic fantasy", says a statement released about the installation. The opening night will feature a special performance by Lykke Li and her band in the Broad's lobby and third floor galleries.

2023–present: The Afterparty

In March 2024, Lykke Li performed the June Carter Cash song "Ring of Fire×Ring of Fire1 March 2024 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Ring of Fire3:14" during the end credits of the Netflix film Damsel.
Lykke Li began work on her next album, The Afterparty×The Afterparty8 May 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Not Gon Cry2:582Happy Now2:443Lucky Again3:044Famous Last Words2:495Future Fear1:256So Happy I Could Die2:517Sick of Love3:398Knife in the Heart3:009Euphoria2:39, following the release of her 2022 album Eyeye×EYEYE20 May 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1NO HOTEL2:272YOU DON’T GO AWAY3:133HIGHWAY TO YOUR HEART4:004HAPPY HURTS4:575CAROUSEL4:1465D3:467OVER3:458ü&i7:12 and a 2025 covers×Covers13 June 2025 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Stand by Me3:242Into My Arms4:363Love Hurts2:07 EP. She released the album's lead single "Lucky Again×Lucky Again13 February 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Lucky Again3:02" in February 2026. The album was released on Neon Gold Records on May 8, 2026.

Other ventures

In September 2010, Lykke Li was announced as the official face of the Levi's Curve ID Collection, alongside Pixie Geldof and Miss Nine. In January 2012 she signed with the VIVA Model Management agency. She has Partnered with many major fashion brands, most recently including Levi's, H&M, Seven for All Mankind, and Nina Ricci.
Lykke Li made her acting debut in the 2014 Swedish crime film Tommy directed by Tarik Saleh. The film was released in cinemas in Scandinavia in March 2014. Lykke Li also appeared in Terrence Malick's 2017 film Song to Song, playing BV's (Ryan Gosling) girlfriend. She is a member of SAG/AFTRA.
The song "Gunshot" was used in the television commercial for the Peugeot 108, which stars Li. She also stars in a short film for Gucci's Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which features the song "Just Like a Dream" and debuted on 2 March 2015.
Lykke Li is a founding partner in Yola Mezcal, which hosted a festival in Los Angeles in 2019 featuring a lineup of all-female performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Courtney Love, and others.

Artistry

Lykke Li has cited Neil Young, the Shangri-Las, This Mortal Coil, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones as influences, stating, "They aren't pop anymore by today's standards, but they were." Other influences include the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, and Beach House.
Lykke Li possesses the vocal range of a soprano.

Personal life

Of her practice of transcendental meditation, Lykke Li said in 2014: "It's really interesting from a creative point of view. Before, I could only write a few sentences and I'd have to take a break for a few days before I could go back to it. All of a sudden, I could write and finish a song in one go – verse, verse, verse, chorus, the lot. And that would happen with song after song. Finally, I unlocked the gate."
On 30 October 2015, Lykke Li posted a photo on Instagram announcing her pregnancy. On 12 February 2016, on Facebook, she announced the birth of her son, Dion. His father is musician Jeff Bhasker. Lykke Li's mother died three weeks after Dion was born; she says that her album So Sad So Sexy×so sad so sexy8 June 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Hard Rain3:302Deep End3:083Two Nights3:244Last Piece3:055Jaguars in the Air3:376Sex Money Feelings Die2:207So Sad So Sexy3:328Better Alone4:329Bad Woman3:1510Utopia3:43 was born out of this difficult time in her life.
Her second child was born in August 2023.