Lykke Li puts on a sultry performance at the Fillmore

In a sold-out concert at the Fillmore on October 17th, Swedish pop icon Lykke Li headlined an eclectic 16-song set featuring songs from her newest album, so sad so sexy (2018).

Opening the stage for Lykke Li were Los Angeles-based R&B duo TiRon & Ayomari alongside three other instrumentalists. Their music, self-described as ‘a fusion of hip-hop with everything from R&B, folk, jazz, rock, etc.’ had a run-down, tangibly rugged feel to it. In a cover of Jay-Z’s ‘Politics as Usual’, the duo voiced their musings in a stream-of-consciousness manner that served as a timely reminder for the audience to engage in the upcoming elections. Upbeat, groovy, yet surprisingly introspective, the duo were a refreshing act to welcome Li on stage.

Strutting out onto the stage against an avant-garde backdrop, Li launched her set with a soulful rendition of “so sad so sexy.” Lykke Li’s dynamic range as a singer-songwriter was evident throughout the night – her synth-laced hits such as “jaguars in the air” and “sex money feelings die” were obvious calls to the dance floor, with Li pausing halfway through the chorus of the latter to engage the audience in a spontaneous dance lesson. While her voice sounded albeit drab and impersonal in the studio versions of both songs, Li was able to take the live performance up a notch with her commanding stage presence and sultry moves. “Do you feel sexy?” she asks, shrugging off her jacket before going down low on stage, much to the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Li contrasted this playfulness with other intimate songs on the set. Paying homage to her roots, Li sang a soulful rendition of the titular song from her 2014 album, I Never Learn, with her bare voice rising starkly over the acoustic guitar and supporting vocals. In “better alone”, from her newest album, Li unveiled a surprising sliver of emotional vulnerability as she cradled herself onstage and sang, “so when you hold me tightly, all night/ oh baby I feel like something’s not right.” Hollow percussions, reedy synths, and whispery harmonies underpinned Li’s voice as she crooned about a relationship on the brink of falling apart. Li is skillful in romanticizing heartbreak – this, after all, is the very précis of her newest album. Altogether, however, Li put together a show that was quite sad as much as it was sexy.