Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), known as Lykke Li (), is a Swedish singer. 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 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 as ...

and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

. 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'' (2022).

Early life

Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson was born in

Ystad Ystad (; older da, Ysted) 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, a ...

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

; her mother, , was a photographer, and her father, (stage name Zilverzurfarn), is a member of the Swedish punk-reggae band

Dag Vag Dag Vag is a Swedish band formed in 1978. The lead singer was Per Odeltorp (1948–2012), popularly known as Stig Vig. Their early punk sound became, after a while, increasingly more reggae-like. The band referred to it as "transcontinental rock ...

. Her younger brother, Zacharias Zachrisson ( Vacation Forever), is also a musician. The family moved to

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

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 (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

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

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 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 In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

, electro and "powdered-sugar pop". 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 Björn Daniel Arne Yttling (born 16 October 1974 in Umeå, Sweden) is a Swedish music producer, songwriter, and musician. His production and songwriting credits include Lykke Li, Chrissie Hynde, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Sahara Hotnights, A ...

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 and harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and John Erik ...

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, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

, Coachella and

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

. She appeared on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

''. She appeared on Swedish musician

Kleerup Andreas Kleerup (born 1979), professionally known as Kleerup, is a Swedish electropop musician. Career Kleerup's career as a producer, composer, songwriter and artist began in music as a songwriter, going on to tour with Teddybears and Robyn ...

'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 Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland. Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway. They enjoy ...

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 ''T ...

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

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

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, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

. 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''. A remixed version of her song "I'm Good, I'm Gone" 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 an ...

" 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 The American cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and six different name changes) during its h ...

's drama ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...

'' 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'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

's ''

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW on September 10, ...

'', titled "Klaus" and originally aired 21April 2011, and in the show ''

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 ''Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'' is an American television sitcom created by Nahnatchka Khan and starring Krysten Ritter that aired on ABC for two seasons from April 11, 2012 to January 15, 2013 and July 19 to September 6, 2014. Origi ...

'' as well as the sixth episode of

the first season ''The First Season'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 1989. The film stars Kate Trotter as Alex Cauldwell, a woman in British Columbia who, following the death of her fisherman husband Frank (Dwight Koss), tries to support herself and her dau ...

of ''

Teen Wolf ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy 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 chang ...

'', 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 and 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 l ...

''.

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 fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...

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 Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'', ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' 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. It was first known for its ...

''. The 19April 2011 episode of ''Glee'' (titled "A Night of Neglect") featured student Tina singing a version of Li's "

I Follow Rivers "I Follow Rivers" is a song by Swedish recording artist Lykke Li from her second studio album, '' Wounded Rhymes'' (2011). Produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, it was released on 21January 2011 as the album's second single. The tr ...

". 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 The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006 and has been held every year since, apart from 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-1 ...

, 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 late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

'' in August 2011 and on the ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''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 ...

'' 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 ''Rust and Bone'' (french: link=no, De rouille et d'os) is a 2012 romantic drama film directed by Jacques Audiard, starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts, based on Craig Davidson's short story collection '' Rust and Bone''. It tell ...

'' and the 2013

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

-winning ''

Blue Is the Warmest Colour ''Blue Is the Warmest Colour'' (french: link=yes, La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2; ) is a 2013 romance film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and starring Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. The film follo ...

''. Lykke contributed to the 2012 compilation "Volym 1" with the track "Come Near" released by the Swedish artist collective and record label

INGRID Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name) * Ingrid (record label), and artist collective * Ingrid Burley, rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cyclones * 1026 Ingrid, an asteroid * InGrid, the grid computing p ...

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 band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...

tribute album, which included renditions from

Best Coast Best Coast is an American rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The band consists of songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Cosentino, a former child actress, began ...

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

, and

MGMT MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists o ...

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

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

's second 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 (also known as a debut 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. Release s ...

, " 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 adverti ...

'', ''

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 (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

, among others. In United States, ''I Never Learn'' debuted at number 29 on the ''Billboard'' 200, making it 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, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...

, 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" by Dutch hip hop artist Mr. Probz. This remix later received ...

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

Prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...

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

Tarik Saleh Tarik Saleh ( ar, طارق صالح; born 28 January 1972) is a Swedish television producer, animator, publisher, journalist and film director. He was born in Högalids församling, Stockholm to a Swedish mother and an Egyptian father. In the ...

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

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

to '' The Fault in Our Stars'', 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 the R&B duo Majid Jordan. The song was produced by Noah "40" Shebib, OVO Sound's Majid Jordan and Nineteen85, and it is the second single from his third studio album, ' ...

", performed the night prior at London's

Eventim Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...

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

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

account, in which she announced her temporary retirement. In 2015, Lykke Li was featured on Emile Haynie's debut album ''

We Fall ''We Fall'' is the debut studio album by American music producer Emile Haynie, released on February 24, 2015, by Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Andrew Wyatt, Brian Wilson, Rufus Wainwright, Lana Del Rey, Charlo ...

'' on the track "Come Find Me", which also features

Romy Madley Croft 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), and ...

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), an ...

. She also teamed up with

Woodkid Yoann Lemoine (; born 16 March 1983), known professionally as Woodkid, is a French music video director, graphic designer and singer-songwriter. His most notable works include his music video direction for Katy Perry's " Teenage Dream", Taylor ...

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 ''Wings of Love'' is a 1976 album by The Temptations for the Gordy ( Motown) label. Background Producer Jeffrey Bowen preferred Dennis Edwards to the rest of the group, and wanted to produce an Edwards solo album instead of a group album. As a ...

". 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 The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

. 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, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

's "

Late Night Feelings ''Late Night Feelings'' is the fifth studio album by British producer Mark Ronson. It was released on 21 June 2019. It is his first album in four years, following Uptown Special (2015). Its lead single, " Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" featuring M ...

", 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'': "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, '' Eyeye'', on 23 March 2022. The album was released on 20 May 2022. In July 2022, it was announced that 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 ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

' 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 Li and her band in the Broad's lobby and third floor galleries.

Other ventures

In September 2010, Lykke Li was announced as the official face of the

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, t ...

Curve ID Collection, alongside Pixie Geldof and Miss Nine. In January 2012 she signed with the

VIVA Model Management VIVA Model Management is a model agency based in Paris, London and Barcelona. The agency was founded in Paris in 1988 by director Cyril Brule and focuses on high-fashion editorial and catwalk work. VIVA's board features notable models, includ ...

agency. 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; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...

in March 2014. Lykke Li also stars in

Terrence Malick Terrence Frederick Malick (born November 30, 1943) is an American filmmaker. His films include ''Days of Heaven'' (1978), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), for which he received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay ...

's film ''

Song to Song ''Song to Song'' is a 2017 American experimental romantic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring an ensemble cast including Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, and Cate Blanchett. After a leng ...

'' released in 2017. She plays BV's (

Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. Prominent in independent film, he has also worked in blockbuster films of varying genres, and has accrued a worldwide box office gross of over 1.9 billion USD. He has receive ...

) girlfriend. 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 The floorpan is a large sheet metal stamping that o ...

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

Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...

's Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which features the song "Just Like a Dream" and debuted on 2March 2015.

Artistry

Lykke Li has cited

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

, 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 rotati ...

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

, and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

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

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

, and

Beach House Beach House is an American musical duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2004. The band consists of Victoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals). Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006 t ...

. Lykke Li possesses the vocal range of a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female 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 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

Personal life

Of her practice of

transcendental meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...

, 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 Jeff Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and nominated in 2013. An accomplished producer, he ...

, on Facebook. Her 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.

Discography

* '' Youth Novels'' (2008) * '' Wounded Rhymes'' (2011) * '' I Never Learn'' (2014) * '' So Sad So Sexy'' (2018) * '' Eyeye'' (2022)

Filmography

* '' Tommy'' (2014) * ''

'' (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" , 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",

Camerimage The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cinematography and recognition of its creators, cinematographers. The first seven events (1993–1999) were held in Toruń, ...

, 2018 , "Hard Rain" , Best Music Video , , , - !scope="row", ECHO Awards , 2012 , "

" , Hit of the Year , , , - !scope="row",

European Border Breakers Awards The European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) was an annual prize awarded to recognise the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. ...

, 2009 , '' Youth Novels'' , Album of the Year , , , - !scope="row", European Festivals Awards , 2012 , "

" , 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 are music awards presented annually to musicians and songwriters in Sweden. The oldest Swedish music awards, they were instituted as a local equivalent of the Grammy Awards given in the United States. The awards ceremony is generall ...

, 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 MTVU (formerly stylized as MtvU and mtvU) is an American digital cable TV channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group, a unit of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel was first known as VH1 Uno from 2000 to ...

, 2008 , Herself , The Breaking Woodie , , , - !scope="row",

Meteor Music Awards A Meteor Ireland Music Award was an accolade bestowed upon professionals in the music industry in Ireland and further afield. They had been bestowed each year since 2001, replacing the IRMA Ireland Music Awards held in the 1990s. Promoted by ...

, 2009 , Herself , Best International Female , , , - !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 ...

, 2009 , Herself , Hottest Female , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2,

Nordic Music Prize The Nordic Music Prize is an annual award for the Best Nordic Album Of The Year, inspired by the Mercury Prize and introduced in 2010. The prize was initiated by the by:Larm conference in Norway. The first Nordic Music Prize was presented by the ...

, 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", Studio8 Media International Music Awards , 2009 , Herself , Female Voice of February 2009 , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2,

UK Music Video Awards The UK Music Video Awards is an annual celebration of creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music video and moving image for music. The awards began in 2008. There is a wide range of opportunities for UK individuals and companies to ...

, 2019 , "

" , Best Styling in a Video , , , - ,

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

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

World Music Awards The World Music Awards is 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 is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world' ...

, 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 , , , - , "

" , World's Best Song , ,

References

External links

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