Lykke Li on new materials and the way “we’re on the after-party of the world”
Lykke Li has shared the nature-featuring ‘TЯAƎH ЯUOY OT YAWHӘIH’ – in addition to telling NME about new music which she described as “coping with the sense that we’re on the after-party of the world.”
- READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life – Lykke Li
The Swedish art-pop icon launched ‘TЯAƎH ЯUOY OT YAWHӘIH’ at this time (Thursday October 24) on streaming platforms – a reimagined model of her observe ‘Freeway to Your Coronary heart’ from 2022 album ‘EYEYE’.
Nonetheless, this contemporary interpretation options NATURE as a credited artist. Again in April 2024, NATURE formally launched as an artist on streaming platforms as a part of Sounds Proper, a venture co-created by Brian Eno’s local weather change and music basis Earth/%.
The initiative was designed as a approach for artists who collaborate with the sounds of our surrounding world to acknowledge the contribution nature has in creativity, and for NATURE to obtain a share of the royalty for her contribution, which fits again into her personal conservation. The scheme has already distributed funds to conservation initiatives within the Tropical Andes, Colombia.
“It was very pure, it makes loads of sense,” Li informed NME of the chance to affix the venture. “It’s Mom Nature. It’s like principally giving again to the mom – the creator of every little thing.”
NATURE – as an artist – has already had greater than 65million streams on digital platforms and collaborated with artists together with David Bowie, Ellie Goulding, AURORA, Tom Walker, V from BTS and London Grammar.
Li defined that she needed to discover a approach of crediting the sounds of crickets, birdsong and rain she used within the creation of ‘TЯAƎH ЯUOY OT YAWHӘIH’. The songwriter additionally mirrored that nature has had an enormous affect on her work – from psychedelic mushrooms to “spending all my royalties on the crops in my backyard”.
“At house I’ve an enormous window – simply glass into my yard,” she mentioned. “Similar to beautiful crops. There was a time in my life the place I used to be deeply burned out. I actually couldn’t transfer – it got here after a decade of touring, having a son, my mum handed away, a divorce… and it was cathartic, having to put in my mattress wanting into this loopy backyard. It was essentially the most restful therapeutic.”
‘TЯAƎH ЯUOY OT YAWHӘIH’ is a observe lifted from a broader piece of labor by which Li reimagined the music and movies from her album for a visible artwork set up titled Ü & EYEYE displayed at Los Angeles’ prestigious up to date museum The Broad in late 2022.
“The complete model is sitting on my laptop computer,” she mentioned. “I have to launch it to the few people who find themselves in want of a mega journey. Folks can take a mushroom and revel in it and the privateness of their very own house.”
After sharing her fifth studio album ‘EYEYE’ in 2022, and welcoming her second little one final yr, the Swedish indie-pop artist has spent this yr collaborating on contemporary materials with long-term producer Björn Yttling [Peter, Björn and John].
“Every time I write I at all times attempt to enter a brand new world – a brand new period,” she mentioned. “I do know precisely what it’s now. I’m fairly far. It’s deep, but in addition extra enjoyable than the final one.
Requested when followers may hear the songs, Li steered “in all probability on the finish of subsequent yr”.
The songwriter hasn’t been dormant in 2024 – in April she launched a canopy of Johnny Money’s ‘Ring of Fireplace’ for Netflix’s Damsel movie soundtrack, appeared on Summary Crimewave’s observe ‘The Gambler’ and in September shared ‘Midnight Shining’ – a Greg Kurstin-produced observe which didn’t make it onto her 2014 LP ‘I By no means Study’.
Now, she’s now getting ready the follow-up to her fifth album, which NME described in a 4 star assessment as “far more of an art-pop temper piece than a house for singles.”
“‘EYEYE’ was a really introspective, introverted journey. This new work is extra extroverted, a bit impulsive and chaotic,” mentioned Li. “We’re [the world] in a extremely darkish place, and I don’t know if there’s any turning again? However that’s additionally very a lot the circle of life – to destruct, to die, to be reborn. I don’t know precisely the place we’re at in that cycle, nevertheless it looks as if we’re heading someplace fairly darkish.”
She added: “This album is type of like me attempting to be rock ‘n’ roll, but in addition you may hear that it’s from a really Swedish viewpoint.”
Lykke Li additionally took a second to salute Charli XCX’s extraordinary yr, saying the British musician’s ascent and dominance in 2024 with sixth studio album ‘Brat’ has been “mega inspiring”.
“To see a girl that’s been grinding for a very long time – it’s superb to see,” mentioned Li I really feel like there are loads of ladies on this planet who’re lastly having their moments.
“It’s one thing we discuss in Sweden. To be an artist is to by no means hand over. That’s what it’s – persevering with the grind. It could possibly be in 5 years, 10 years or 100 years that you just’ll have your massive second.”
After attending a current North American stop-off for Charli and Troye Sivan’s The Sweat Tour, Li added: “It was such an excellent present. So refreshing. Particularly strolling there in direction of the present seeing all of the folks of their Brat outfits. I’m like, ‘that is superb’.”
Since releasing her debut album ‘Youth Novels’ in 2008, Lykke has gone on to launch acclaimed albums together with ‘I By no means Study‘ and ‘So Unhappy, So Attractive‘,. In 2019 she collaborated with Mark Ronson on ‘Late Evening Emotions’.