Album Review: Lykke Li – "so sad so sexy
Release Date: June 8, 2018
Label: RCA Records / LL Recordings
Genre: Alternative Pop / Synthpop / R&B
Length: 33:11
Standout Tracks: “deep end,” “sex money feelings die,” “utopia,” “hard rain”
Sadness in High Definition
Lykke Li has always been something of a contradiction—a Scandinavian chanteuse whose ethereal voice cloaks raw emotion, heartbreak, and longing. With so sad so sexy, her fourth studio album, she dives even deeper into the paradox of emotional devastation cloaked in shimmering, radio-ready production.
Gone are the lo-fi indie pop textures of Youth Novels or the gothic folk tones of I Never Learn. In their place: trap hi-hats, pitch-shifted vocals, and sleek R&B synths. It’s a bold reinvention—but one that works surprisingly well.
Production & Sound: Where Sad Girl Meets Trap Pop
The production on so sad so sexy is lush, modern, and minimalist. Co-produced by Jeff Bhasker, Malay, Rostam Batmanglij, and others, the album flirts with the stylistic elements of artists like Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, yet retains a distinct Lykke Li flavor—melancholic, dramatic, and coolly distant.
The opening track, “hard rain”, sets the tone with glitchy beats and poetic repetition (“If you like the feeling of a hard rain / Nothing’s gonna ever be the same”). It’s dreamy and hypnotic, building a world of heartbreak that's both emotionally sincere and stylistically refined.
“deep end”, co-produced by T-Minus and Malay, is perhaps the most immediate, accessible track on the album. It rides a woozy trap beat and aquatic synths while Lykke sings about drowning in romantic confusion. It’s sexy, moody, and destined for late-night drives.
Lyrics: Minimalism with Maximum Weight
Lykke Li’s lyrics have always had a confessional edge, but here they’re pared down to emotional fragments—text messages turned into poetry. Her heartbreak is less narrative, more atmospheric. She’s not telling stories so much as painting feelings.
Take “sex money feelings die”: a cold, processed vocal intones “Sex, money, feelings die / Baby don’t you cry,” as if she’s numbed herself completely. It’s alienated, robotic—yet strangely affecting.
By contrast, “utopia” (the album’s closer) is nakedly vulnerable. Over piano and ambient washes, she sings about the loss of her mother and the desire for eternal connection: “You don’t even know / Heaven could be here now.” It’s perhaps the most traditional ballad on the album, and its emotional punch is all the more powerful for being surrounded by sonic detachment.
Themes: Love, Loss, and Reinvention
The album's title isn't a gimmick—it’s the mission statement. Lykke Li is interested in the intersection of romantic pain and sensual allure. That contrast runs through every track: she's grieving, but dressed for the club. It's heartbreak filtered through Instagram stories and neon-tinted regret.
There’s also a palpable sense of personal reinvention. At the time of this album's release, Lykke had become a mother and lost her own mother. That duality—new life and profound grief—feeds the emotional complexity beneath the album’s polished surface.
Highlights & Deep Cuts
“two nights” (feat. Aminé): An icy duet that plays like a toxic relationship text thread, with Aminé providing a well-placed dose of realism.
“last piece”: A more experimental, ambient ballad that breaks into falsetto vocal loops—fragile and spectral.
“so sad so sexy”: The title track lives up to its name. Sleek synths, whispered vocals, and confessional lyrics make it the aesthetic centerpiece.
Final Verdict
Lykke Li’s so sad so sexy is an elegant reinvention, balancing vulnerability with cool precision. At just over 30 minutes, it’s concise and cohesive, offering a tightly curated emotional journey.
While some fans of her earlier folk-inflected work may find this sonic shift too sleek or too modern, others will see it for what it is: a mature, deeply felt, and stylistically bold exploration of heartbreak in the digital age.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
An artful evolution. Lykke Li turns sadness into style and heartbreak into high fashion.
