The trio releases via DANSA, with the single, co-produced by Max Martin and Oscar Holter.
Swedish House Mafia’s latest single comes courtesy of what Sebastian Ingrosso calls a “Swedish Avengers crew” comprising the legendary trio, Lykke Li, and co-producers Max Martin and Oscar Holter. Though “Happiness Is So Sad” marks Li’s first true foray into the dance world, by her own admission – in a June interview with Vogue Scandinavia alongside Axwell, Ingrosso, and Steve Angello, she said she’s never done “real dance music before” – it’s fluid, precise, and polished in a way that reflects the expertise behind it.
The pensive reflection on happiness and its inverse lands with a lightness that you wouldn’t expect (or get) from its lyrics alone.
“When we found the riff, we were all screaming with our hands in the air,” Li recalled. “Those melodies that pierce your soul, that make you want to cry and dance at the same time. We Swedes understand darkness, but we love the light more than anyone else.”
But since Swedish House Mafia premiered the ID during their Ushuaïa Ibiza residency on June 28, the emphasis has been on the dancing. The track quickly gained momentum that hit a new high at Tomorrowland, where Angello joined Ingrosso on the festival’s Mainstage to play it out.
Now, “Happiness Is So Sad” lands via DANSA, a new label from Swedish House Mafia – and the Swedish word for “Dance.” While not much else is currently known about the imprint beyond its existence, DANSA is the supergroup’s second label, following SUPERHUMAN, which launched last April.