so sad so sexy

by Lykke Li

Overview

Four years after the release of I Never Learn, Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li returned with another, more effective set of heartbreakers on so sad so sexy. Her first effort without longtime collaborator Bjoern Yttling, so sad so sexy dips a toe into dark, atmospheric synth-forward pop, like a blend between the most morose of Lorde and Tove Lo's output. Executive produced by Li and Malay, the album also features work by Rostam Batmanglij, Jeff Bhasker, Emile Haynie, and T-Minus, whose combined work for Kanye West, the Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Lana Del Rey can be felt throughout the ten-song collection. So sad so sexy is mostly the former, a mournful and bittersweet examination of a relationship on its last legs that features atmospherics as cavernous and cold as a dead heart. Despite the overwhelming sadness cocooning the album, Li's voice sparkles in this fresh, hip-hop/pop-leaning arena. Of the comparatively upbeat selections, "jaguars in the air" and the sleek Amine/Skrillex-assisted "two nights" are highlights, while "sex money feelings die" finds Li attempting a vaguely trap-meets-R&B delivery that marks the album's biggest stylistic departure from her previous work. The remaining tracks focus on the tear-jerking, detailing the infidelity, strife, bargaining, and desperation that accompany the disintegration of love. "So sad so sexy" takes its time slowly tearing a heart to pieces, while "better alone" disposes of the remnants with lines like "Better alone than lonely here with you" and "What are we gonna do when making love don't make it right?" Li's defeat and grief are palpable, yet she delivers with such grace and control, which offers a glimmer of hope for the fellow romantically downtrodden. With production to match, so sad so sexy succeeds in providing a relatable therapy session for love's final gasps. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	08/03/2018
Label:	Ll Recordings / Rca
UPC:	0190758527017

Tracks

1. hard rain
2. deep end
3. two nights
4. last piece
5. jaguars in the air
6. sex money feelings die
7. so sad so sexy
8. better alone
9. bad woman
10. utopia

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lykke Li   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jeff Bhasker   Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Moog Synthesizer
Rostam Batmanglij   Piano,Sampling,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Ilsey Juber   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Ali Payami   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,Brass Band,Synthesizer
Dave Eggar   Cello,Viola
Matt Chamberlin   Drums
Amine   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Rick Nowels   Composer
Jeff Bhasker   Composer,Producer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
Rostam Batmanglij   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Pitch Adjustment
Malay   Executive Producer
Lykke Li   Composer,Executive Producer
Ilsey Juber   Composer
Chris Galland   Mixing Engineer
James Ho   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Ali Payami   Composer,Producer
Andrew Wyatt   Composer
Jean-Baptiste   Creative Director
David Kutch   Mastering
Emile Haynie   Composer,Producer
Dave Eggar   Orchestration,String Arrangements
Skrillex   Producer,Additional Production
Stephen Kozmeniuk   Composer
DJ Dahi   Producer
Tyler Williams   Composer,Producer
Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Jonny Coffer   Composer,Producer
Dacoury Natche   Composer
Ryan Nasci   Engineer
Thomas Hull   Composer,Vocal Producer
Robin Florent   Assistant
Francis Got Heat   Drum Programming
Sarah Aarons   Composer
Adam Daniel   Composer
Gabe Sackier   Remixing
Scott Desmarais   Assistant
Brandon Wallace   Orchestration,String Arrangements
Chloele Drezen   Photography
Talbourdet Napoleone   Creative Director