Exclusive: Lykke Li Talks New Album

Eagerly-awaited Wounded Rhymes released this week.

By Fred Mills / Interview by A.D. Amorosi

BLURT hasn't exactly been coy about our excitement over the second album by Swedish chanteuse Lykke Li; the followup to 2008's Youth Novels was recorded in Sweden and Los Angeles and features Björn Yttling, of Peter Björn and John, producing, and as early tracks began rolling out last fall along with provocative videos, it was clear that the young lady was building up to something unusual.

Wounded Rhymes is finally out this week (it's also still streaming online) and in addition to a review coming soon at Blurt-online, we also have an extensive feature on Lykke Li in the new issue of BLURT (our 10^th) that will hit newsstands in two weeks. Contributing Editor A.D. Amorosi sat down to talk with the singer, and among the tidbits he obtained:

On finally getting started on a new record after two years of touring and promotion: "I guess I'm happier in the beginning of a project than the end. It's only then that you have all these possibilities in front of you. When you can dream and everything is ahead of you, that's really something. I like being done as well. There's mystery that lies ahead in that next step. It's just that middle time, when things are the most painful, where I go over the edge."

On swapping the frigid cold of Sweden for the sunny clime of California for a portion of the recording: "The desert and nature is so overwhelming-in a good way. It was just so fucking hot it was great and radically different than my usual experience. It wasn't so much sensual than it was magical."

On the album's singular rhythmic-psychedelic vibe: "The type of sound where five minutes has passed and you don't even know what's hit you or how long you've been hit by it: I like that. I also think a lot of blues inspired me. The repetitive thing where you don't need to change a melodic or rhythmic line."

On why first single "Get Some" isn't about sex (despite containing lines such as "I'm your prostitute" "It's about empowerment and motivation over someone - to avoid more problems."

On her uncanny ability to look positively smashing in all her photos, no matter the setting or occasion: "I got the ability of being photogenic from my photographer mother as she took a lot of photos of me. That's not about the vanity of looking good. I don't think that I am. It's just that I don't want to die when I see the photos snapped of me."

No problem in that regard, we suspect. Read the full interview with Lykke Li in our new issue....