Whatever you thought of So Sad So Sexy (let’s be honest, “Sex Money Feelings Die” is essential), there’s no denying it was divisive among fans. So, several years later, it’s comforting that Lykke Li seems to be returning to just what it is she does best: emotive ballads and a more organic approach to pop.
She’s just announced what’s said to be her most intimate project to date, EYEYE, which will be out in May 20. It sees her linking back up with longtime collaborator Björn Yttling and it’s no minor affair either, with Li opting for an ambitious, “immersive” audiovisual album. Recorded entirely in her bedroom in L.A., the album promises to be her most paired back production in some time.
The album comes complete with seven visual loops, meant to accompany and expand on the music itself, painting a more expansive, vivid picture. As for the music itself, Li was attempting to conquer what’s proven to be the focus of her career, completely confronting romantic obsession and despair, or, as a press release puts it, to “breakup with the breakup album.”
To forge the most intimate experience she’s offered to date, she imposed a strict code for the album’s recording: “There were no clicktracks, no headphones, and no digital instruments. The vocals were recorded on a handheld $70 drum mic, often in the moment of composition, giving the lyrics the still-beating sound of fresh heartbreak being whispered into your ear.”
Speaking on the goal herself, Li shares, “I wanted the record to have the intimacy of listening to a voice memo on a macro dose of LSD.“
To begin opening the door properly, she’s shared the album’s first single, “No Hotel”. Check it out below or on streaming platforms.
