so sad so sexy
by Lykke Li
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Jun 8, 2018
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
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  1. PopMatters
    Aug 15, 2018
    60
    There's a distance in these songs. Keeping the audience at arm's length ensures that the album won't get bogged down in pain, even as it willingly swims in that pain. While that distance also results in a slightly ephemeral experience, the result is mood music that works as well as a breakup album as it does a warm-up for the club.
  2. The 405
    Jul 5, 2018
    60
    So Sad So Sexy is by no means a bad record, but while the Li of previous records was refreshing and stark showing us her vulnerability, the slickly produced nature of this means that’s often lost and in its place is cliché as Li tries to hang onto the weighty romance of youth.
  3. DIY Magazine
    Jun 8, 2018
    60
    This is clearly an album of personal and musical growth for Lykke Li--it’ll be interesting to see where she goes next.
  5. The Line of Best Fit
    Jun 6, 2018
    60
    The album’s repeated motif of smoking and cigarettes as an addiction metaphor feels try-hard rather than smart. The best tracks are those that transpose the drama of Li’s best work to the album’s more explicitly pop context.
  6. Drowned In Sound
    Jun 5, 2018
    60
    If Li was a Pokémon collector So Sad So Sexy would have caught ‘em all, but alas--this is music; and the truth is Li should really leave the hip-hop influences too Janelle Monae and Lorde.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Jun 6, 2018
    50
    So Sad So Sexy is a sleek, homogenous pop-oriented album that feels both conceptually half-formed and technically fussed-over.
  8. Rolling Stone
    Jun 8, 2018
    40
    On her fourth LP, So Sad So Sexy, she embraces slickly produced pop with open arms, and she's lost some of her character.
  9. The Skinny
    Jun 5, 2018
    40
    It's actually not a terrible record, really, but it's frustratingly complacent after two outstanding albums.

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Most Discussed Album of 2018
21
#21 Most Shared Album of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 108 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 108
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 108
  3. Negative: 5 out of 108
  1. FerSoul
    Jun 8, 2018
    10
    Lykke Li is like a chameleon. Her voice. Her soul. Her heart and her sadness have evolved. She changed her own skin. Me as a fan I am not theLykke Li is like a chameleon. Her voice. Her soul. Her heart and her sadness have evolved. She changed her own skin. Me as a fan I am not the same that I was when she released I Never Learn. I've changed. She have changed. So Sad So Sexy is a bittersweet caress of Lykke Li's life.… Full Review »
  2. Brendonh93
    Jun 21, 2018
    6
    This isn't her best its too much pop and not enough uniqueness that makes me enjoy a good Lykke Li album. If anything I feel this has put herThis isn't her best its too much pop and not enough uniqueness that makes me enjoy a good Lykke Li album. If anything I feel this has put her back and I hope she finds her sounds again because it just seems like an album catching trends that doesn't suit her or her body of music.

    .    … Full Review »
  3. idontknowwhat
    Jun 8, 2018
    10
    Although this is definitely Lykke's most pop sounding album yet, it is undoubtedly a solid piece of dark and r&b pop. Throughout the course ofAlthough this is definitely Lykke's most pop sounding album yet, it is undoubtedly a solid piece of dark and r&b pop. Throughout the course of the album, the production, lyrics and vocals uphold a high standard and are overall the defining moments of this album. Short, simple, nostalgic and ecstatic. Top tracks: hard rain, deep end, sexy money feelings die, two nights… Full Review »
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