Swedish House Mafia Share Lykke Li Collaboration "Happiness Is So Sad"

Swedish House Mafia’s latest single comes courtesy of what Sebastian Ingrosso calls a “Swedish Avengers crew” comprising the legendary trio, Lykke Li, and co-writers Max Martin and Oscar Holter. Though “Happiness Is So Sad” marks Li’s first true foray into the dance world, by her own admission – in a June interview with Vogue Scandinavia alongside Axwell, Ingrosso, and Steve Angello, she said she’s never done “real dance music before” – it’s fluid, precise, and polished in a way that reflects the expertise behind it. 

Listen below. 

The pensive reflection on happiness and its inverse lands with a lightness that you wouldn’t expect (or get) from its lyrics alone. 

“When we found the riff, we were all screaming with our hands in the air,” Li recalled. “Those melodies that pierce your soul, that make you want to cry and dance at the same time. We Swedes understand darkness, but we love the light more than anyone else.”

But since Swedish House Mafia premiered the ID during their Ushuaïa Ibiza residency on June 28, the emphasis has been on the dancing. The track quickly gained momentum that hit a new high at Tomorrowland, where Angello joined Ingrosso on the festival’s Mainstage to play it out. 

"Hapiness Is So Sad" is out now via DANSA.

Get it on Beatport.