As the countdown to her sixth studio album, ‘The Afterparty’, enters its final month, Swedish alt-pop icon Lykke Li has gifted us another hauntingly beautiful preview. Her latest track, ‘Sick of Love’, arrived this week via Neon Gold and Futures Music Group, accompanied by a striking new visual that perfectly captures the record’s hazy, introspective atmosphere.
If the album’s lead single, ‘Lucky Again’, was the adrenaline-fuelled peak of the night, ‘Sick of Love’ represents the inevitable grey morning that follows. It is a song rooted in the emotional fallout of the festivities—the moment when the lights flicker on and the reality of a heartbreak settles in. Li describes a scene of lingering in a room as the cleaners begin their work, a visceral metaphor for emotional exhaustion. “It’s this moment of complete humiliation, and you’re trying to be strong,” she explains.
Despite the heavy themes of shame and existential dread that permeate the project, there is a surprising streak of dark humour throughout. Reflecting on the creative process in Los Angeles and Stockholm, the singer admits, “I had a lot of fun writing these lyrics. I laughed a lot.” This playfulness surfaces in the track’s final moments, where the distant sounds of children laughing serve as a poignant reminder of an inner spark that remains unbroken.
Clocking in at just 24 minutes, ‘The Afterparty’ is a concise but cinematic "dance record for the end of the world." Executive produced alongside her long-term creative partner Björn Yttling, the album boasts a lush palette of 17-piece string arrangements, delicate flutes, and what Li aptly describes as “apocalyptic bongos.”
Fans won't have to wait long to hear the new material in a live setting. Lykke Li is set to grace the stage at Coachella this Friday, April 10, returning for a second performance on April 17. The desert shows kick off a busy 2026 world tour, including a stop at The Fonda in LA and summer dates across South America and Europe—with highly anticipated shows in London and Ireland on the horizon.
Experience the comedown by streaming ‘Sick of Love’ now and be sure to pre-save ‘The Afterparty’ before its May 8 arrival. To keep up with Lykke Li, join her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
