ION Issue#55

On our cover this month is Lykke Li. When her debut, Youth Novels, dropped last year, it was met with critical praise, peppered with the predictable comparisons all talented female musicians who are a little bit weird get. Bjork-ish, Feist-y, M.I.A.-esque. However you want to describe her, at the young age of 22, this Swedish singer is a woman who knows herself and knows what she wants. When we met up with Lykke before her sold-out show, this quickly became apparent. We arrived with an amazing wardrobe that would make any girl weep. She then told us that she “usually styles herself.” A compromise was reached and it was time to shoot. Not only did she not require any direction, she was involved in the shoot and was always keeping a watchful eye on the test shots that kept popping up on the nearby laptop. The pretty charm on the end of her necklace is actually a kazoo, or as she refers to it, “her instrument.” Later that night, before a massive gathering of cute girls at The Commodore, she showed that it’s not only fashionable, but a functional crowd pleaser. Then, just when we thought we had Lykke Li figured out, she got down to Lil Wayne and then launched into a mean cover of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” Quirky indeed.

View the full issue here. or right click to download.

Youth Novels is out now on Warner and you can also hear her on Royksopp’s latest album Junior. Check her out in our fashion editorial this month.
www.lykkeli.com

Check out this issue after the jump.