Wikipedia

Eyeye

Eyeye (pronounced "Eye") is the fifth studio album by Swedish singer Lykke Li, and her first since So Sad So Sexy (2018). Released on 20 May 2022,[2] the album reunites Li with her longtime collaborator Björn Yttling, producer of her first three albums. It was preceded by the release of the singles "No Hotel" and "Highway to Your Heart".

Eyeye
Studio album by
Lykke Li
Released20 May 2022 (2022-05-20)
Recorded2020–2021
StudioLykke Li's home studio
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length33:33
LabelPIAS
Producer
Lykke Li chronology
So Sad So Sexy
(2018) 		Eyeye
(2022)
Singles from Eyeye
  1. "No Hotel"
    Released: 23 March 2022
  2. "Highway to Your Heart"
    Released: 20 April 2022

Described as "an immersive audiovisual album", Theo Lindquist directed the visual component of the record, starring Li opposite Jeff Wilbusch. The seven minute-long visual loops were shot by cinematographer Eduard Grau on 16-millimeter film.[3][4]

Background and recording

edit

In a July 2019 interview with NME, Li stated: "I think, maybe to everyone's disappointment, I'm going to really scale it down and back and slow it down. [...] It'll be more like soul music. It'll still be sad, and still be sexy."[5] In a March 2022 interview for Vogue, Li described the making of the album as "cathartic", with it "charting the emotional fallout from the end of a relationship" and approaching "love and heartbreak on a more conceptual level".[6]

The album was entirely recorded in Li's bedroom in Los Angeles. The vocals were recorded on a handheld $70 drum mic, with the album mixed to tape by Shawn Everett.

Release and promotion

edit

"No Hotel" was released as the first single from the record on 23 March 2022. The album was announced a day later, alongside a trailer featuring a snippet of "Carousel".[7] On 20 April, Li released the single "Highway to Your Heart".[8]

Li embarked on an international tour in support of the album, which started on 26 September 2022 in San Diego.[9]

Critical reception

edit
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY     [11]
The Irish Times     [12]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[13]
musicOMH     [14]
NME     [1]
Pitchfork7.4/10[15]
The Telegraph     [16]
The Skinny     [17]
Slant     [18]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76 based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Track listing

edit
Eyeye track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."No Hotel"
2:26
2."You Don't Go Away"
  • Zachrisson
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:13
3."Highway to Your Heart"
  • Zachrisson
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:59
4."Happy Hurts"
  • Li
  • Yttling
  • McDonald
  • Lang
4:56
5."Carousel"
  • Zachrisson
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
4:14
6."5D"
  • Zachrisson
  • Aarons
  • Weisfield
  • McDonald
  • Lang
  • Li
  • Yttling
  • McDonald
  • Lang
3:45
7."Over"
  • Zachrisson
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:44
8."Ü&I"
  • Zachrisson
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
7:16
Total length:33:33

Charts

edit
Chart performance for Eyeye
Chart (2022) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[19] 63
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20] 44

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (20 May 2022). "Lykke Li – 'EYEYE' review: intimate, lo-fi bedroom pop for lovers of sad sounds". NME. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Eyeye by Lykke Li". Apple Music. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  3. ^ Samways, Gemma (19 May 2022). "Lykke Li on Taking Ayahuasca and Her "Dark and Dirty" New Album". Another Magazine. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  4. ^ Renshaw, David (24 March 2022). "Lykke Li confirms new album details, hear new song "NO HOTEL"". The Fader. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  5. ^ Trendell, Andrew (11 July 2019). "Lykke Li tells us about working with Mark Ronson and Courtney Love, and "going out in style" with new material". NME. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  6. ^ Hess, Liam (25 March 2022). "With Her New Album Eyeye, Lykke Li Is Closing the Chapter on Heartbreak". Vogue. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  7. ^ Strauss, Matthew (24 March 2022). "Lykke Li Announces New Album Eyeye". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  8. ^ Breihan, Tom (20 April 2022). "Lykke Li Shares New Single "Highway To Your Heart": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  9. ^ Rowley, Glenn (24 March 2022). "Lykke Li Announces New Audiovisual Album EYEYE, Shares 2022 Tour Dates". Consequence. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  10. ^ a b "EYEYE by Lykke Li Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  11. ^ Hamilton-Peach, Chris (20 May 2022). "Lykke Li – EYEYE | Album Review". DIY Magazine. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  12. ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (20 May 2022). "Lykke Li: Eyeye – Brilliant pop stripped back to the bare bones". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  13. ^ Boote Bond, Tallulah (20 May 2022). "EYEYE is Lykke Li's violently emotional fever dream". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  14. ^ Murphy, John (20 May 2022). "Lykke Li – EYEYE | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  15. ^ Farrell, Margaret (23 May 2022). "Lykke Li: Eyeye Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  16. ^ French-Morris, Kate (20 May 2022). "Dave Stewart doffs his cap to the greats, Lykke Li is done with heartbreak – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  17. ^ Bhadani, Anita (16 May 2022). "Lykke Li album review: EYEYE". The Skinny. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  18. ^ Lyons-Burt, Charles (24 May 2022). "Lykke Li Eyeye Review: A Cinematic Dive into the Depths of Heartbreak". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Eyeye&oldid=1244714368"