Sadness Is A Blessing: Lykke Li On Female Power And Turning Weakness Into Strength

Stockholm musician Elliot can never be accused of not getting the most out of his shtick. Having dubbed himself a ‘fast food fanatic’, and named a previous single Trade Burgers 4 Love, his new single is called Am I In Love Or Just Hungry. Am I In Love Or Just Hungry takes the form of a classic Elliot single, which sounds a little like a debased version of an 80s synth ballad, his voice hanging half-disembodied and warped over cavernous, chillwave synths. There’s a charm and warmth to it, and a heart-wrecked crooner deep within distortion and haze. Elliot says: ‘In retrospect, the ’fast food’ subject matter was a guarded metaphor for toxic aspects of my personality, my vices and generally it’s some self-loathing stuff. It’s tough to deal with these subjects upfront when your head is swarming with self-harming thoughts and anxieties, so it was a necessary story telling device for me’. Am I In Love Or Just Hungry is out now, and debut album Fast Food Music arrives on November 30 on ICEA.