Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), known as Lykke Li (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, model and actress. Her music often blends elements of

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...

and electronic. Her debut studio album, '' Youth Novels'', was released in 2008, and has been followed by '' Wounded Rhymes'' (2011), '' I Never Learn'' (2014), '' So Sad So Sexy'' (2018), and ''

Eyeye ''Eyeye'' (pronounced "Eye") is the fifth studio album by Swedish singer Lykke Li, and her first since '' So Sad So Sexy'' (2018). Released on 20 May 2022, the album reunites Li with her longtime collaborator Björn Yttling, producer of her firs ...

'' (2022). She is best known for her biggest hit single to date, " I Follow Rivers".

Early life

Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson was born in

Ystad Ystad () is a town and the seat of Ystad Municipality, in Scania County, Sweden. Ystad had 18,350 inhabitants in 2010. The settlement dates from the 11th century and has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre, and tourist attracti ...

Skåne Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

; her mother, , was a photographer, and her father, (stage name Zilverzurfarn), is a member of the Swedish punk-reggae band Dag Vag. Her younger brother, Zacharias Zachrisson ( Vacation Forever), is also a musician. The family moved to

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

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 Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

and Morocco, and winters in Nepal and India. She moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York City, for three months when she was 19. She returned when she was 21 to record her album.

Career

2007–2010: Career beginnings and ''Youth Novels''

Lykke Li released her first EP, ''Little Bit'', in 2007.

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

named her an artist to watch in October 2007 and described her music as a mix of

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, electro and "powdered-sugar pop". Lykke Li's debut album, '' Youth Novels'', was released on LL Recordings in the Nordic region on 30January 2008 and received a wider European release in June 2008. The album was produced by Björn Yttling of

Peter Bjorn and John Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie pop/ rock band formed in Stockholm in 1999, named after the first names of the band's members: Peter Morén (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass, keyboards, vocals) and John Eriksson, known ...

and Lasse Mårtén and was reportedly inspired by a previous relationship of three years. It was released in the United States on 19August 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 25May 2008. Lykke Li 2

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 Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...

and

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...

. She appeared on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

''. 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 Röyksopp () a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different Electronic Mu ...

on their 2009 album '' Junior'', contributing vocals to "Miss It So Much" and "Were You Ever Wanted". Lykke Li appeared on ''

Last Call with Carson Daly ''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with '' ...

'' on 18February 2009. She covered "Knocked Up", originally recorded by

Kings of Leon Kings of Leon is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern roc ...

who had approached Lykke to cover a song of her choice, and "Gifted" in which she performs with

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

. Lykke Li performed at the 2009 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 19April and the 2009 Lollapalooza festival on 8August 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 Possibility is the condition or fact of being possible. Latin origins of the word hint at ability. Possibility may refer to: * Probability, the measure of the likelihood that an event will occur * Epistemic possibility, a topic in philosophy ...

" 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 16October 2009.

2011–2013: ''Wounded Rhymes''

The song " Get Some" was featured in the 15th episode of the first season of '' Hawaii Five-0'' titled "Kai e'e" which aired 23January 2011. The song was also used in

ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...

's drama ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...

'' in the 18th episode of the second season which was titled "A Kiss Before Lying" which aired 30January 2012. The song was also used in the 19th episode of the second season of

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

's ''

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (screenwriter), Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the The Vampire Diaries (novel series), book series ...

'', titled "Klaus" and originally aired 21April 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 ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is changed when he discover ...

'', titled "Heart Monitor" and originally aired 4July 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 ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...

''. 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 Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...

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'' was released in 2011. The album was featured on several lists of 2011's best albums, including '' Q'', '' Mojo'', ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'' and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''. The 19April 2011 episode of ''Glee'' (titled "A Night of Neglect") featured student Tina singing a version of Lykke Li's " I Follow Rivers". On 30April 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 Latitude Festival is an annual music and arts festival set within the grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. The first edition of the festival took place in 2006 and has continued annually (apart from 2020 when it was cancel ...

, held between 14 and 18July 2011 at Henham Park in Suffolk, England. She appeared with her band on US late night talk show ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...

'' in August 2011 and on the ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'' in November 2011. Belgian DJ/producer The Magician's remix of "I Follow Rivers" is featured in

Jacques Audiard Jacques Audiard (; born 30 April 1952) is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. One of the most awarded French filmmakers in history, his international accolades include an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and three ...

's 2012 film '' Rust and Bone'' and the 2013

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

-winning ''

Blue Is the Warmest Colour ''Blue Is the Warmest Colour'' (; ) is a 2013 romantic drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and starring Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. The film follows Adèle (Exarchopoulos), a French teenager, who d ...

''. 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 Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

tribute album, which included renditions from Best Coast,

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...

, and

MGMT MGMT () is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by singers and multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser, Ben Goldwasser. Originally signed to Cantora Records by the nascent ...

. In 2013, she was featured as a guest musician on

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

's third studio album, '' The Big Dream'', performing vocals on the lead single, " I'm Waiting Here".

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

On 27February 2014, Lykke Li released the video for the title track of her third studio album, '' I Never Learn''. Following the release, Lykke Li released the video for the single "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" on 4March 2014. On 10April 2014, she released a video for the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

, " 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 2May 2014. Once again her album was featured on several lists of 2014's best albums, including ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'', and

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

, 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 Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...

, 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 Robin Alexander Schulz (; born 28 April 1987) is a German musician, DJ, and record producer. On 4 February 2014, he released the first single from his debut album, a remix of "Waves (Mr. Probz song), Waves" by Dutch hip hop artist Mr. Probz. T ...

remixed "No Rest for the Wicked" and the edit was featured in Schulz's debut album ''

Prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

''. Lykke Li made her acting debut in the 2014 Swedish crime film '' Tommy'', directed by

Tarik Saleh Tarik Saleh (; born 28 January 1972) is a Swedish television producer, animator, publisher, journalist, and film director. He was born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and an Egyptian father. He is most known for his Cairo-trilogy starring Fa ...

, and recorded a song for the film, "Du är den ende". She wrote "No One Ever Loved" for the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to ''

The Fault in Our Stars ''The Fault in Our Stars'' is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play ''Julius Caesar (play), Julius Caesar ...

'', which was released on 19May 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 14November 2014, Lykke Li gained considerable attention from Internet music publications regarding her cover of Drake's "

Hold On, We're Going Home "Hold On, We're Going Home" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, featuring R&B duo Majid Jordan, released by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records and OVO Sound on August 7, 2013 as the third single from Drake's thi ...

", performed the night prior at London's

Eventim Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...

. On 5January 2015, Lykke Li posted a picture on her

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

account, in which she announced her temporary retirement. In 2015, Lykke Li was featured on

Emile Haynie Emile Haynie (born July 13, 1980), often credited simply as Emile, is an American record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, his range of production includes alternative rock, hip hop, indie and pop music. Haynie has worked with seve ...

's debut album '' We Fall'' on the track "Come Find Me", which also features Romy Madley Croft from

the xx The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), ...

. 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 9March 2015. On 6April 2015, she released a video for "Never Gonna Love Again", 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'', on 8 June 2018 through

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

. Along with the announcement, Lykke Li released the first two singles, "Deep End" and "Hard Rain". In April 2019, she sang lead vocals and appeared in the video for

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...

'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'', featuring four remixes from ''So Sad So Sexy'' and two new songs.

2020–present: ''Eyeye''

In a 2019 interview speaking about her fifth studio album, Lykke Li told ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'': "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", the lead single from her fifth studio album, ''

'', 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 Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of 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. In March 2024, Lykke Li performed June Carter Cash song "Ring of Fire" during final credits of Netflix movie "Damsel".

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 Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

in March 2014. Lykke Li also appeared in Terrence Malick's 2017 film '' Song to Song'', playing BV's (

Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling ( ; born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. His work includes both independent films and major studio features, and his accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a ...

) girlfriend. She is a member of SAG/AFTRA. The song "Gunshot" was used in the television commercial for the

Peugeot 108 The Peugeot 108 is a city car launched by French manufacturer Peugeot in March 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show. The 108 is related to the Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo, and shares their floorpan, engines, transmission and electrics. Sales commenced ...

, which stars Li. She also stars in a short film for

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

's Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which features the song "Just Like a Dream" and debuted on 2March 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 Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Megan initially gained recognition when videos of her freestyling began to circulate widely on social me ...

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, Love has had a career spanning four decades. She rose to promi ...

, and others.

Artistry

Lykke Li has cited

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

, the Shangri-Las,

This Mortal Coil This Mortal Coil were a British music collective led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotat ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

as influences, stating, "They aren't pop anymore by today's standards, but they were." Other influences include

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

, and

Beach House Beach House is an American indie music, indie band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore in 2004 by current members Victoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals, drum programming). Their work is char ...

. Lykke Li possesses the vocal range of a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

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 30October 2015, Lykke Li posted a photo on Instagram announcing her pregnancy. On 12 February 2016, she announced the birth of her son Dion, whose father is musician Jeff Bhasker, on Facebook. Lykke Li's mother died three weeks after Dion was born; she says that her album ''So Sad So Sexy'' was born out of this difficult time in her life. Lykke Li revealed she was pregnant with her second child on 12 April 2023, via Instagram.

Discography

* '' Youth Novels'' (2008) * '' Wounded Rhymes'' (2011) * '' I Never Learn'' (2014) * '' So Sad So Sexy'' (2018) * ''

'' (2022)

Filmography

* '' Tommy'' (2014) * '' Song to Song'' (2017)

Awards and nominations

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" , - ! scope="col" , Award ! scope="col" , Year ! scope="col" , Nominee(s) ! scope="col" , Category ! scope="col" , Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable", , - ! scope="row" rowspan=5, Antville Music Video Awards , rowspan=3, 2008 , rowspan=3, "

I'm Good, I'm Gone "I'm Good, I'm Gone" is a song by Swedish singer Lykke Li from her debut studio album, ''Youth Novels'' (2008). Produced by Björn Yttling and co-produced by Lasse Mårtén, it was released on 14 January 2008 as the album's second single. It was f ...

" , Best Performance Video , , rowspan=3, , - , Best Choreography , , - , Best Art Direction , , - , rowspan=2, 2011 , rowspan=2, "Sadness Is a Blessing" , Best Narrative , , rowspan=2, , - , Best Cinematography , , - !scope="row", BT Digital Music Awards , 2011 , ''Wounded Rhymes'' Google Earth Moon gig , Best Artist Promotion , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2, Camerimage , 2018 , "Hard Rain" , rowspan=2, Best Music Video , , , - , 2022 , "5D" , , , - !scope="row", ECHO Awards , 2012 , " I Follow Rivers" , Hit of the Year , , , - !scope="row", European Border Breakers Awards , 2009 , '' Youth Novels'' , Album of the Year , , , - !scope="row", European Festivals Awards , 2012 , " I Follow Rivers" , Festival Anthem of the Year , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2, GAFFA Awards (Denmark) , rowspan=2, 2019 , Herself , Best International Artist , , - , '' So Sad So Sexy'' , Best International Album , , - !scope="row" rowspan=3, GAFFA Awards (Sweden) , rowspan=3, 2019 , rowspan=1, Herself , Best Solo Artist , , - , "Deep End" , Best Hit , , - , '' So Sad So Sexy'' , Best Album , , - !scope="row" rowspan=10,

Grammis The Grammis (sometimes referred to as the Swedish Grammy Awards) are music awards presented annually to musicians and songwriters in Sweden. The oldest Swedish music awards were instituted as a local equivalent of the Grammy Awards given in t ...

, 2009 , rowspan=5, Herself , Best Newcomer , , , - , rowspan=5, 2012 , Best Pop , , rowspan=5, , - , Best Composer , , - , Best International Success , , - , Best Artist , , - , '' Wounded Rhymes'' , Best Album , , - , 2015 , rowspan=3, Herself , Best Pop , , , - , rowspan=3, 2019 , Best Alternative Pop , , rowspan=3, , - , Best Composer , , - , '' So Sad So Sexy'' , Best Album , , - !scope="row", mtvU Woodie Awards , 2008 , Herself , The Breaking Woodie , , , - !scope="row", Meteor Music Awards , 2009 , Herself , Best International Female , , , - !scope="row", m-v-f- Awards , 2023 , ''

'' , Innovation in a Video , , , - !scope="row",

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...

, 2009 , Herself , Hottest Female , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2, Nordic Music Prize , 2011 , '' Wounded Rhymes'' , rowspan=2, Album of the Year , , , - , 2014 , '' I Never Learn'' , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=3, P3 Guld Music Awards , rowspan=2, 2009 , rowspan=3, Herself , rowspan=1, Best New Artist , , rowspan=2, , - , rowspan=2, Best Pop , , - , 2015 , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=6, Rober Awards Music Prize , rowspan=2, 2008 , rowspan=5, Herself , Best European Artist , , , - , rowspan=3, Best Female Artist , , , - , 2011 , , , - , rowspan=3, 2014 , , rowspan=3, , - , Best Pop Artist , , - , "Du är den ende" , Best Cover Version , , - !scope="row", STIM , 2011 , rowspan=2, Herself , Platinagitarren , , , - !scope="row", Studio8 Media International Music Awards , 2009 , Female Voice of February 2009 , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2, UK Music Video Awards , 2019 , " Late Night Feelings" , Best Styling in a Video , , , - ,

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, ''

'' , Best Special Video Project , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=4,

World Music Awards The World Music Awards was an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event was based in Monte Carlo. Awards were presented to the worl ...

, rowspan=4, 2014 , rowspan=3, Herself , World's Best Female Artist , , rowspan=1, , - , World's Best Live Act , , , - , World's Best Entertainer of the Year , , , - , " I Follow Rivers" , World's Best Song , ,

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Lykke 1986 births 21st-century Swedish women singers Art pop musicians Atlantic Records artists Dance-pop musicians Electropop musicians English-language singers from Sweden Living people Musicians from Stockholm People from Ystad Musicians from Skåne County RCA Records artists Swedish expatriates in Portugal Swedish expatriate actresses in the United States Swedish female models Swedish film actresses Swedish indie pop musicians Swedish people of Baltic German descent Swedish people of Scottish descent Swedish pop singers Swedish women pop singers Swedish sopranos Swedish women in electronic music Swedish women singer-songwriters Swedish singer-songwriters