Lykke Li’s So Sad So Sexy was one of the best albums of 2018. The record, Li’s first since 2014, is the same off-kilter electro-pop that we love from the Swedish singer, but with some new and experimental instrumentation. Li borrows beats from hip-hop and trap as she explores themes of heartbreak and motherhood.
Today, Li has shared a gorgeous in-studio version of the So Sad So Sexy standout “Bad Woman.” The new version strips back the complex instrumentation of the song back to its barest, most emotional elements. In a candle-lit studio, Li plays the keyboard and shares her raw heartbreak, still hurting even though she has taken responsibility for causing it. Stripped to mostly organic instruments, Li sounds more pleading. Every lyric is punctuated with her resignation and disappointment in herself.
Despite the melancholy of the performance, Li shared it with cheery intentions — to celebrate the release of her project this year, and the fans who were there for it all. Li shared this message alongside the video:
As we say goodbye to this year I wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you who listened, came to my shows, opened your hearts to me as I laid my soul bare. And to prove my love further here it is even more stripped. Love hurts but it’s what we are made of. From one broken heart to another. Yours truly and always.
Listen to Lykke Li’s alternate version of “Bad Woman” above.
