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I Never Learn
I Never Learn
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I Never Learn
Studio album by
Released2 May 2014 (2014-05-02)
Recorded2013
Studio
Genre
Length32:50
Label
Producer
Lykke Li chronology
Wounded Rhymes
(2011)
I Never Learn
(2014)
So Sad So Sexy
(2018)
Singles from I Never Learn
  1. "No Rest for the Wicked"
    Released: 20 March 2014
  2. "Gunshot"
    Released: 1 August 2014
  3. "Never Gonna Love Again"
    Released: 8 April 2015

I Never Learn is the third studio album by Swedish singer Lykke Li, released on 2 May 2014 by LL Recordings and Atlantic Records. The album was produced by Li, Björn Yttling and Greg Kurstin. It spawned the singles "No Rest for the Wicked", "Gunshot" and "Never Gonna Love Again".

Background and recording

[edit]

In an interview with NME in January 2014, Li announced plans to release her third studio album in May.[3] According to Li, the album is the final installment in a trilogy chronicling "a woman in her twenties and her search for love and herself",[4] which began with her first two albums, Youth Novels (2008) and Wounded Rhymes (2011).[3] After experiencing "the biggest breakup of her life", Li moved from Sweden to Los Angeles, where she spent two and a half years writing I Never Learn. "I made no such plans to make an album. My first instinct was just to try to heal myself and to come back to some sort of life. And then I was so emotionally broken that I just started to write... I love writing, and it was so amazing to get lost in the process. I didn't think that someone would ever hear it", she told Billboard.[5]

During much of her time in California, Li listened to Van Morrison's 1968 album Astral Weeks, Harry Nilsson demos, The Band and Dennis Wilson.[6] Greg Kurstin produced two tracks on I Never Learn, while Li and longtime collaborator Björn Yttling helmed the rest of the album,[5][7] marking her first album as co-producer.[8] She described I Never Learn as a collection of "power ballads for the broken",[9] adding that the album is "about me and the guilt and the shame and the hurt and the pride and the confusion of being a woman."[3] Li also felt that her third album would establish her place in the music industry, stating: "I always feel like I've been slightly misunderstood. As a woman you get judged for appearances or things like that I don't really care about. If anything I want to be seen as a singer-songwriter rather than a pop artist. I really feel like I've found my voice."[3]

Release and promotion

[edit]

The album's title and release date were officially announced on 27 February 2014, along with a Tarik Saleh-directed teaser video containing the title track, which features actor Fares Fares and was filmed in Los Angeles in February 2014.[10][11] Li stated that the title reflects how she felt "so lost as an artist, as a woman",[5] and that it "just came to me. I want to be lost. And then those words were there—'I don't know and I never fucking learn.'"[12] On 4 March 2014, Li released a video for the song "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone", also directed by Saleh.[13]

On 27 April 2014, I Never Learn was made available to stream in full on the NPR for a limited time.[14] To promote the album, Li embarked on an 11-date tour across Europe and the US, which began in Stockholm on 24 April 2014 and ended in Los Angeles on 19 May.[15] After performing at several European and North American music festivals from 14 June to 10 August, Li performed 14 US dates throughout autumn, beginning in Seattle on 17 September and concluding in Miami on 12 October. She also returned to Europe in November 2014, performing two shows in Germany and three in the United Kingdom.[16][17] Li stars in a short film for Gucci's Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which features the song "Just Like a Dream" and debuted on 2 March 2015.[18]

On 14 November 2024, Li released the song 'Midnight Shining' as part of the 10th anniversary of I Never Learn.

Singles

[edit]

"No Rest for the Wicked" was released on 20 March 2014 as the album's lead single,[19] while a remix of the song featuring ASAP Rocky was released digitally on 21 April.[20][21] The video for "No Rest for the Wicked", directed by Saleh, premiered on 10 April 2014.[22] The album's second single, "Gunshot", was released digitally on 1 August 2014,[23] and was later serviced to US alternative radio on 16 September 2014.[24] The video for "Gunshot", directed by Fleur & Manu, was filmed in Paris and debuted on 15 July 2014.[25] The song is also used in the television commercial for the Peugeot 108, which stars Li.[26] On 6 April 2015, Li released a music video for "Never Gonna Love Again", which was directed by Philippe Tempelman.[27] The track was released on 8 April as the album's third and final single.[28]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.2/10[29]
Metacritic77/100[30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[7]
The GuardianStarStarStar[31]
The IndependentStarStar[32]
The Irish TimesStarStarStarStar[33]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStarHalf star[34]
MojoStarStarStarStar[35]
NME6/10[36]
Pitchfork8.4/10[37]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarHalf star[38]
Spin6/10[39]

I Never Learn received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on 32 reviews.[30] Pitchfork's Ian Cohen referred to I Never Learn as Li's "most ambitious and shortest album" and stated, "We're used to breakup albums that assume you just want to crawl into a hole and die, but I Never Learn is for the times when heartbreak is so life-affirming that you want to share the feeling with the world."[37] John Murphy of musicOMH praised the songwriting as "wonderful" and characterised the production as "a typically Scandinavian brand of delicious melancholy with an added injection of wistful hopefulness", while dubbing the album "a heart-wrenching, utterly compelling listen".[40] Timothy Monger of AllMusic noted that Li "manages a tunefulness that aspires to great pop heights, yet retains the wintry austerity of her Nordic roots. On ... I Never Learn, she manages to meld both of those assets into a beautifully crafted set of lonesome break-up ballads."[7] Simon Harper of Clash described the album as "tender and compelling" and wrote, "Though her personal tragedy has been transformed into an affecting record of real beauty, one truly hopes Li's next chapter isn't quite so agonising."[41] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the album "suggests an artist just hitting her stride".[34]

Rolling Stone's Sophie Weiner opined that the album's "[Phil] Spector-ish arrangements, thick with multitracked vocals and densely layered instruments, don't always add as much as they should: The simplest songs here are the most affecting", while commenting, "If Lykke Li keeps refining her voice, she'll soon rank as an A-list pop heart-crusher."[38] Slant Magazine's Kevin Liedel stated, "Though she's largely eschewing Youth Novels's bubbly synth-pop and Wounded Rhymes's slick power ballads for simpler arrangements and derelict instrumentation, Li still manages to make the ramshackle music of I Never Learn sound grand and, perhaps more impressively, inject a kind of dark romanticism into her depictions of crippling separation."[42] Arnold Pan of PopMatters viewed it as "a more mature album in theme and sound when compared to the playfulness and whimsy that made Youth Novels and ... Wounded Rhymes stand out." Pan also wrote, "Despite the finality of what's supposed to be the third installment of a three-part series, I Never Learn promises more in the future as Lykke Li keeps moving along her own singular path, personally and artistically."[43] Michael Hann of The Guardian felt that the album "works best in the smallest doses, despite its brevity, because it's as one-paced as a fading lower-division central defender, and that pace is sluggish", adding that the tracks are "often lovely on their own, but a little tiresome across a whole album."[31] Katherine St. Asaph of Spin expressed that although songs like "No Rest for the Wicked", "Gunshot" and "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" are "worthwhile cuts", the rest of the album "is like the exhaustion after a sob session, too indistinct to even be indulgent", concluding, "As a rendition of post-breakup inertia, it's accurate enough. As an album—pop or otherwise—it's baffling."[39] Greg Cochrane of NME was mixed in his assessment of the album's consistently "intimate, introverted and tremendously sad" mood, calling it "an album about love, but not a record to love".[36] Despite calling the title track "a gorgeous opener", The Independent's Andy Gill found that the album "needs greater variety, some sort of joy against which to measure the pain."[32]

Accolades

[edit]
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 10 Best Albums of 2014 7 [44]
Complex The 50 Best Albums of 2014 36 [45]
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2014 15 [46]
Cosmopolitan The 20 Best Albums of 2014 9 [47]
Drowned in Sound 50 Favourite Albums of 2014 23 [48]
Gigwise 50 Albums of 2014 14 [49]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2014 24 [50]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2014 23 [51]
PopMatters The 80 Best Albums of 2014 37 [52]
Rolling Stone 20 Best Pop Albums of 2014 7 [53]
Under the Radar Top 140 Albums of 2014 19 [54]
Vulture The 32 Best Pop Albums of 2014 29 [55]

Commercial performance

[edit]

I Never Learn debuted at number 24 on the Swedish Albums Chart, jumping to number 14 the following week. In its third week on the chart, the album peaked at number two, becoming Li's second album to reach that peak position in her native Sweden, after Wounded Rhymes in 2011.[56] The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 119 on the basis of two days sales, climbing to number 33 the following week with 2,774 copies sold and earning Li her highest-peaking album in the United Kingdom to date.[57][58] In the United States, I Never Learn debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200,[59] making it Li's highest-peaking album on the chart.[60]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Lykke Li; all music is composed by Li and Björn Yttling, except where noted.

No.TitleMusicProducer(s)Length
1."I Never Learn" 
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:04
2."No Rest for the Wicked" 
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:42
3."Just Like a Dream" 
  • Li
  • Yttling
4:08
4."Silver Line"
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:52
5."Gunshot"
  • Li
  • Nowels
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Kurstin
3:24
6."Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone"
  • Li
  • Nowels
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:47
7."Never Gonna Love Again" 
  • Li
  • Yttling
4:00
8."Heart of Steel"
  • Li
  • Nowels
  • Yttling
  • Li
  • Yttling
3:54
9."Sleeping Alone" 
  • Li
  • Yttling
  • Kurstin
2:59
Total length:32:50
iTunes Store deluxe edition bonus tracks[61]
No.TitleLength
10."Gunshot" (acoustic)3:36
11."I Never Learn" (video)2:34
12."Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" (video)3:51
13."No Rest for the Wicked" (video)3:37
Total length:46:28

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of I Never Learn.[62]

Musicians

[edit]
  • Lykke Li – vocals, harmonies
  • Bjorn Yttling – acoustic guitar, Taurus, zither, piano, electric bass, Mellotron, sitar, percussion
  • Greg Kurstin – drums, keyboards, piano, Orchestron, guitar, bass, organ, Mellotron, percussion, electric guitar
  • Rick Nowels – acoustic guitar
  • Lars Skoglund – drums, percussion
  • Lasse Mårtén – percussion, drum programming
  • Anders Pettersson – steel guitar, electric guitar
  • Amanda Hollingby Matsson – additional vocals
  • Andreas Forsman – violin
  • Calle Olsson – synthesizer
  • Cecilia Linné – cello
  • Christopher Öhman – viola
  • Conny Lindgren – violin
  • Erik Arvinder – violin
  • Erik Holm – viola
  • John Eriksson – percussion
  • Ketil Solberg – violin
  • Leo Svensson – cello
  • Mariam Wallentin – vocals
  • Thomas Tjärnkvist – electric guitar
  • Vincent Brantley – choir (track 7)
  • Sean Dancy – choir (track 7)
  • Yolanda Dancy – choir (track 7)
  • Katherine Dancy – choir (track 7)
  • Talitha Manor – choir (track 7)
  • Brandon Hampton – choir (track 7)
  • Andrea Thomas – choir (track 7)

Technical

[edit]
  • Lykke Li – production
  • Bjorn Yttling – production (tracks 1–4, 6–9); recording
  • Greg Kurstin – production (tracks 5, 9); recording
  • Lasse Mårtén – vocal production, mixing, recording
  • Hans Stenlund – recording
  • Gustav Lindelöw – recording
  • Viktor Bälter-Lundin – recording
  • Nille Perned – recording
  • Julian Burg – recording
  • Alex Pasco – recording
  • Laura Sisk – recording
  • Rick Nowels – recording
  • Kieron Menzies – recording
  • Trevor Yasuda – recording
  • Ted Jensen – mastering

Artwork

[edit]
  • Karl Lindman – art direction
  • Brendan Dunne – design
  • Josh Olins – photography

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Edition Label Ref.
Germany 2 May 2014 Standard Warner [85][86]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
[87][88]
United Kingdom [89][90]
France 5 May 2014
  • CD
  • LP
Standard Warner [91][92]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
[93][94]
Sweden LL [61][95]
United Kingdom
  • CD
  • LP
Standard
  • LL
  • Atlantic
[96][97]
United States 6 May 2014
  • CD
  • LP
  • digital download
[98][99][100]
Japan 7 May 2014 Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
Warner [101][102]
Sweden
  • CD
  • LP
Standard LL [103][104]
Australia 9 May 2014
  • CD
  • digital download
Deluxe Warner [105][106]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
I Never Learn is the third studio by Swedish Lykke Li, released on May 5, 2014, by LL Recordings and .
The album consists of nine tracks and runs for 33 minutes, marking Li's shortest and most ambitious full-length release to date.
It was primarily produced by Björn Yttling of , with additional production by on the track "Gunshot."
The album was recorded following Li's relocation from to and draws heavily from personal experiences of heartbreak and emotional turmoil after a .
Musically, it shifts toward a ballad-heavy style blending , R&B, and orchestral elements, featuring sparse arrangements with acoustic guitars, , strings, and cavernous production reminiscent of Phil Spector's wall-of-sound techniques.
Key tracks include the title song "I Never Learn," which opens the album with raw vulnerability, and singles such as "No Rest for the Wicked," "," and "Never Gonna Love Again."
I Never Learn received generally favorable reviews from critics, earning a Metascore of 77 out of 100 on based on 32 reviews, with praise centered on its poignant exploration of loss and desolation.
Pitchfork awarded it an 8.4 out of 10 and named it "Best New Music," lauding its life-affirming portrayal of heartbreak as "so life-affirming that you want to share the feeling with the world."
The album has been reissued in a 10th anniversary edition on vinyl in November 2024, underscoring its enduring influence in Li's discography.

Background

Development

Following a devastating during the final leg of her tour for the 2011 album Wounded Rhymes, Swedish relocated from to in early 2013, marking a profound personal turning point that catalyzed the creation of I Never Learn. This move, spanning over 5,400 miles, came at a time of emotional turmoil, as Li navigated the immediate aftermath of the relationship's end while crashing on a friend's couch amid power outages from a storm. The isolation of LA, described by Li as "so quiet, and so desolate," forced her to confront her inner self, transforming the heartbreak into the album's core emotional driver. Li conceived I Never Learn as the concluding installment in a trilogy of albums tracing themes of love, youth, and maturity, building on her debut Youth Novels (2008), which captured youthful exuberance, and Wounded Rhymes (2011), which delved into romantic passion and vulnerability. At 27, Li entered what she termed the "intensity of your late twenties," using the project to explore emotional growth amid loss, positioning the album as a mature reflection on resilience. The breakup's shadow loomed large, infusing the work with an overarching narrative of grief, self-reckoning, and tentative healing, as Li sought to channel "power ballads for the broken." The initial songwriting process began in early in her new LA surroundings, where Li turned to music as a therapeutic outlet, composing primarily on and guitar before capturing demos on a tape machine. She co-wrote the music for most tracks alongside producer Björn Yttling, while penning all the herself, ensuring the songs retained her raw, personal voice. This solitary phase yielded material that evolved into the album's introspective core, later refined during recording sessions in .

Influences

During her time in California following a personal breakup, drew significant inspiration from classic recordings that shaped the emotional depth and raw intimacy of I Never Learn. She frequently listened to Van Morrison's 1968 Astral Weeks, which influenced the album's emotive vocal delivery and introspective folk-soul atmosphere. Similarly, Harry Nilsson's demos and songs like his 1971 cover Nilsson Sings Newman informed the vulnerable, confessional tone in Li's songwriting, emphasizing personal fragility over polished production. The Band's organic, rootsy instrumentation from albums such as Music from Big Pink (1968) contributed to the album's grounded, ensemble-driven arrangements, while Dennis Wilson's solo work, including his 1977 Pacific Ocean Blue, evoked a melancholic, beach-tinged that resonated with Li's relocation to . Li expressed a deliberate intent to blend her indie pop sensibilities with orchestral swells and lush arrangements, pulling from the 1970s singer-songwriter tradition exemplified by artists like Bob Dylan (Blood on the Tracks, 1975), Leonard Cohen (Songs of Love and Hate, 1971), and Carole King (Tapestry, 1971). This approach allowed her to move away from the "shiny and overproduced" pop of her earlier work toward a more minimal, blues-infused sound, while rooting in historical precedents. Her Swedish upbringing, immersed in the indie and electronic scenes of , contrasted with her relocation to the , fostering a fusion of Nordic restraint with American folk-rock and soul influences. The move to after the breakup not only triggered the album's themes but also exposed her to the region's storied musical heritage, integrating soulful expressiveness from Morrison and Wilson alongside the folk-rock storytelling of Dylan and . This cross-cultural synthesis is evident in the album's dramatic, sweeping arrangements, though Li primarily channeled these through her curated 1970s influences.

Recording and production

Sessions

The recording sessions for I Never Learn took place primarily in 2013 across several studios in , including Echo Studio, Sonora Recorders, and The Green Building, with additional sessions in at studios such as Ingrid, Studio Spegeln, and Music And Words. The process unfolded over approximately six months, beginning with initial tracking and extending into overdubs that continued into early 2014. Li fostered a collaborative yet intimate environment during these sessions, often working in a sparsely furnished house setting alongside key contributors like , where she played or guitar while he accompanied on guitar. Compared to her prior albums, Li took a more hands-on role in shaping the arrangements, starting by composing on acoustic instruments and capturing rough demos on a 1990s tape machine before refining them in the studio. One notable challenge during tracking involved blending live instrumentation—such as pedal steel guitars, pianos, and organic —with electronic components like Moog synthesizers and Rhythm King drum machines, all while striving for a raw, stripped-back aesthetic that avoided . This tension required careful balancing to maintain emotional authenticity, with Li insisting on live performances to infuse the recordings with human immediacy.

Production team

The production of I Never Learn was led by a core team of collaborators, with taking on a co-producer role alongside her responsibilities for vocals and overall artistic vision, marking her first time self-producing and signifying her evolution as a more autonomous artist. Co-producers handled arrangements and multi-instrumentation, while contributed additional production, mixing, and engineering. Engineering credits were shared among the team, with Yttling and Kurstin both involved in recording duties; Kurstin specifically played drums and keyboards on several tracks, enhancing the album's orchestral and rhythmic elements. Yttling's contributions extended to string arrangements across the record, adding lush, emotive layers to the soundscape. These efforts were primarily realized during sessions in Los Angeles studios such as Echo Studio and Sonora Recorders.

Composition

Musical style

I Never Learn represents a blend of and orchestral elements, characterized by lush string arrangements and resonant chords that contribute to its widescreen, dramatic sound. The album incorporates subtle , such as moody synths and reverb-heavy textures, alongside acoustic guitars and live kits that provide an organic, heartbeat-like pulse. This production approach, handled primarily by with contributions from , creates a spacious that emphasizes emotional depth through cavernous reverb on vocals and . Compared to Lykke Li's earlier albums like and Wounded Rhymes, which featured coy melodies, booming beats, and a more minimalist framework, I Never Learn shifts toward a mature, expansive style with power influences and reduced eccentricity. The overall sonic palette is subdued and slow-burning, with sluggish tempos evoking a sense of deliberate , while big, booming drums add a Phil Spector-esque wall-of-sound quality to select tracks. This evolution results in a raw yet polished aesthetic, blending confessional intimacy with orchestral rock grandeur. The title track "I Never Learn" exemplifies leanings through its gentle, percussion-free arrangement of rolling strings and wordless vocal melodies that build to a climactic swell. In contrast, "No Rest for the Wicked" infuses elements via its Spector-inspired strings, thumping , and a vast, layered chorus that incorporates subtle hip-hop undertones from guest A$AP Rocky. These track-specific features highlight the album's versatility within its cohesive, heartbreak-oriented framework, prioritizing lush orchestration over earlier electronic minimalism.

Lyrics and themes

I Never Learn explores themes of unrequited love, heartbreak, and personal growth, drawing from Lykke Li's experiences following a painful breakup that prompted her relocation from Stockholm to Los Angeles. The album serves as the concluding chapter in a trilogy that chronicles a woman's search for love and self-identity in her twenties, emphasizing maturity through raw emotional reckoning. Li has described its core as encompassing love, loss, regret, and the pursuit of light amid profound darkness, marking a shift toward acceptance of turmoil rather than resistance. Recurring motifs underscore the album's emotional weight, including imagery of guns symbolizing explosive passion and irreversible pain, as in "Gunshot," where Li sings of love's climactic devastation: "Every time the rain falls, think of me." References to sleeping evoke isolation and , particularly in "Sleeping Alone," with lines questioning adaptation to : "Can I get used to / Can I forget you / Will I get used to sleeping alone?" The titular phrase "I never learn" recurs as a motif of resigned repetition in , evident in the title track's acknowledgment of enduring heartbreak without resolution and "Never Gonna Love Again," which conveys a born from incapacitating . Li's confessional style amplifies vulnerability, presenting lyrics from a place of self-loathing and introspection, as in "No Rest for the Wicked," where she laments, "I let my good one down / I let my true love die." This rawness extends to tracks like "," capturing the toxicity of addiction-like love at its breaking point, and "Never Gonna Love Again," which exposes the shame and guilt of relational failure. Li has noted that these words were written primarily for personal , without initial expectation of an audience, fostering an intimate, unfiltered narrative. Across its nine tracks, the album traces an emotional arc from visceral despair—rooted in post-breakup isolation and regret—to a quieter of imperfection and renewal, reflecting Li's maturation into embracing life's instabilities. This progression culminates in a sense of surrender, as Li has explained her intent to "let go and let be" after cycles of turmoil.

Release and promotion

Announcement and marketing

On February 27, 2014, officially announced her third studio , I Never Learn, via her website and channels, revealing the title, tracklist, and a May 5 release date through LL Recordings and . The announcement was accompanied by a and the of the "No Rest for the Wicked," building anticipation for the 's themes of heartbreak and emotional recovery. The album's cover art was unveiled on March 20, 2014, depicting Li in a stark black-and-white portrait with a hooded, veiled figure in a dramatic, somber pose, photographed by Josh Olins. This imagery aligned with the album's introspective tone and contributed to early promotional visuals across media outlets. Pre-release promotion included a full album stream on NPR's First Listen starting April 27, 2014, allowing listeners early access one week before the official release. Additionally, in March 2015, Li starred in Gucci's short film "Lykke Li & the Lady Web," directed under creative director , which featured her track "Just Like a Dream" from I Never Learn and showcased the brand's Spring/Summer 2015 collection in a dreamlike narrative. This collaboration extended the album's marketing reach into fashion, emphasizing Li's crossover appeal.

Touring and live performances

Following the release of I Never Learn on May 5, , launched promotional live performances with a series of headlining shows across and in spring , starting on April 24 in at Berns and including dates in cities such as , , and New York. These early concerts featured debuts of album tracks like "I Never Learn" and "" in intimate venues, setting the stage for broader exposure. Throughout the summer of 2014, Li expanded her live presence with festival appearances, including a set at on June 27 on the John Peel Stage, where she performed material from I Never Learn alongside earlier hits. Other key festivals included in on June 14, in on August 1, Osheaga in on August 3, and Outside Lands in on August 10, allowing her to reach larger audiences with orchestral arrangements emphasizing the album's emotional depth. The album's primary headlining tour commenced in September 2014, covering with dates starting September 17 at The Moore Theatre in and concluding October 10 at Mana Wynwood in . Supported by artists such as on select dates, the tour showcased Li's evolving stage presence, with elaborate lighting and string sections enhancing the album's cinematic quality. Setlists during the 2014 tour typically opened with "I Never Learn" and incorporated several new tracks, such as "No Rest for the Wicked," "Just Like a Dream," and "Sadness Is a Blessing," while blending in fan favorites from prior albums like "Little Bit" from Youth Novels (2008) and "I Follow Rivers" from Wounded Rhymes (2011) to maintain continuity across her discography. This mix evolved over the run, with later shows emphasizing deeper cuts like "Gunshot" and covers such as Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home" to heighten audience engagement. Into 2015, Li extended promotions with additional festival slots, including her Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival debut on April 10 and 17, where she delivered a set heavy on I Never Learn material amid emotional, confessional delivery that resonated with attendees. However, health concerns led to cancellations of dates including the Australian Laneway Festival leg in February, prompting a touring hiatus. In celebration of the album's 10th anniversary, a remastered edition of I Never Learn was released on November 15, 2024, as a vinyl , though no dedicated anniversary tour or performances were announced as of 2025.

Singles

Release details

The from I Never Learn, "No Rest for the Wicked", was released on March 20, 2014, as a digital download through LL Recordings and . A for the track premiered on April 10, 2014, directed by and depicting a dramatic interracial love story set against a seafaring backdrop. A featuring A$AP Rocky followed on April 22, 2014, also available digitally. "Gunshot" served as the follow-up single, released on August 1, 2014, in digital formats including remix editions. Its accompanying debuted on July 15, 2014, directed by Fleur & Manu with choreography by , incorporating theatrical elements such as and performers to evoke emotional intensity. The third single, "Never Gonna Love Again", arrived on April 8, 2015, primarily as a digital "Re Edit" version alongside the original track. A directed by Philippe Tempelman premiered on April 6, 2015, featuring Li in a brooding involving a car crash, , and themes of isolation. Across all singles, formats encompassed digital downloads via platforms like and , limited promotional CDs, and official video releases on and .

Chart performance

The singles from I Never Learn demonstrated varied commercial success on international charts, reflecting Lykke Li's growing but niche appeal in the alternative and European markets during 2014, a period when physical sales and digital downloads still dominated over streaming platforms. "No Rest for the Wicked," the lead single released in March 2014, marked Li's strongest radio performance to date, while it peaked at number 14 on the Sweden Heatseeker chart. "," released on August 1, 2014, and notably featured in a advertisement, attained a peak of number 28 on the Belgium Ultratip Bubbling Under chart, number 40 on the Singles Chart, and number 126 on the UK Singles Chart; it received moderate airplay across Europe, contributing to its visibility in radio rotations without broader top-40 breakthroughs. The third single, "Never Gonna Love Again," released in April 2015, charted at number 5 on the Digital Download chart but had limited impact in the , where it failed to enter major radio or sales tallies. Overall, the singles' performance highlighted the era's transition, with digital downloads driving European success for "" and "Never Gonna Love Again" amid modest sales, while streaming metrics—though not yet chart-dominant—began amplifying "No Rest for the Wicked" through platforms like , foreshadowing future consumption patterns.

Critical reception

Reviews

Upon its release, I Never Learn received generally favorable reviews from music critics, earning an aggregate score of 77 out of 100 on based on 32 reviews. It also holds an average rating of 7.2 out of 10 on AnyDecentMusic, compiled from 33 sources. Critics widely praised the album's emotional depth and Lykke Li's vulnerable vocal delivery, which conveyed raw heartbreak and introspection across its sparse, orchestral arrangements. Many reviewers highlighted the album's intimate exploration of loss and resilience, with awarding it 4 out of 5 stars and describing it as a "heart-wrenching" collection of torch songs that capture romantic pain in an affirming way. gave it an 8.4 out of 10, commending Li's confessional songwriting and lower-register vocals for creating a "life-affirming" take on failure and disillusionment, while noting the widescreen drama built from simple instrumentation like acoustic guitars and . rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars, emphasizing its maturity as Li's most grown-up work to date, with cinematic production that elevates themes of redemption amid melancholy. However, some critics pointed to the album's uniform pacing and somber tone as drawbacks, potentially leading to monotony over its brief runtime. The Guardian's other review, by , gave it 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "one-paced" and sluggish, with lovely individual ballads that grow tiresome as a whole due to Li's thin and the lack of variety. NME critiqued the repetitive revisiting of themes from prior albums and suggested it felt like an obligatory rather than inspired effort, though it acknowledged the orchestral grandeur in tracks like "Never Gonna Love Again." Overall, the critical consensus positioned I Never Learn as Li's most personal and statement yet, transforming personal turmoil into universally resonant , though its unrelenting somberness divided listeners seeking more levity.

Accolades

I Never Learn earned a for Best Pop Album at the 2015 Swedish awards, where it competed alongside releases by artists such as Beatrice Eli, , Little Jinder, and . The album was also nominated for the 2015 Nordic Music Prize, an award modeled after the 's and recognizing the best Nordic album of the year; it was shortlisted among 12 entries, including works by and . In year-end rankings, I Never Learn placed at number 23 on Pitchfork's list of the 50 Best Albums of 2014, praised for its confessional songwriting and expansive sound. It appeared in individual writers' selections for The Guardian's end-of-year poll and was included in NME staff top tens, reflecting its critical regard among music publications.

Commercial performance

Sales and certifications

In the United States, I Never Learn sold approximately 11,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number 29 on the chart. In the , the album debuted at number 33 on the with sales of 2,774 copies. By 2015, the album had achieved estimated worldwide sales exceeding 100,000 units, reflecting modest commercial success in physical and digital formats. Post-release, digital sales and streaming significantly extended its reach; as of November 2025, it has amassed over 134 million streams on alone, underscoring the growing role of platforms in sustaining album longevity. The album received a gold certification in Sweden from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI Sweden), denoting shipments of 20,000 units. It earned no certifications in major markets such as the or .

Chart positions

I Never Learn achieved its strongest commercial performance in Lykke Li's native , where it peaked at number 2 on the albums chart and remained on the ranking for 11 weeks. The album also entered the top 10 in neighboring , reaching number 10 on the albums chart with a total of 4 weeks on the tally. In , the album debuted at number 29 on the US , marking Lykke Li's highest entry on that chart to date, driven by initial sales of approximately 11,000 copies in its first week. It spent 2 weeks on the overall. In the , it peaked at number 33 on the Official Albums Chart, reflecting a brief one-week stay amid focused promotion in . The album's chart entries varied by region, with stronger placements in Scandinavian markets likely influenced by Lykke Li's local popularity and targeted European promotion through , compared to more modest debuts in and other international territories. Outside its top peaks, it reached number 38 in on the Albums Chart for one week, number 47 in on the Albums Chart for one week, and number 25 in on the Swiss Albums Chart for 2 weeks. Long-tail charting was evident in select markets, particularly 's 11-week run, bolstered by sustained streaming growth in the post-release years as platforms like amplified accessibility for releases.
Country/ChartPeak PositionWeeks on Chart
(Sverigetopplistan)211
(VG-lista)104
(Swiss Albums)252
(Billboard 200)292
(Official Albums)331
(ARIA)381
(Ultratop)471

Track listing

Standard edition

The standard edition of I Never Learn consists of nine tracks with a total runtime of 32:50. All tracks feature lyrics written by , with music composed by Li alongside collaborators including and .
No.TitleWritersDurationDescription
1"I Never Learn", 3:04Acoustic opener featuring unplugged guitar, rolling strings, and wordless melodies without percussion.
2"No Rest for the Wicked", , 3:41Track with minimal verses built on delicate and slow, thumping percussion, leading to a soaring chorus.
3"Just Like a Dream", 4:09Song incorporating slow, foreboding drums, warped with reverb, and fluttering synths.
4"Silver Line", 3:53Calm, downbeat piece with a low-key programmed beat and murky guitar.
5"", , 3:24Orchestral opener with faint drums, bubbling percussion, and brooding keys in the chorus.
6"Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone", 3:46Stark power featuring rough, wavering .
7"Never Gonna Love Again", 4:01Track with a huge chorus including pop elements and gorgeous harmonies.
8"Heart of Steel", 3:55Straightforward pop vocal supported by a gospel choir in the chorus.
9"Sleeping Alone", 2:59Closing with , steady drum and march, and low strings.

Deluxe edition

The deluxe edition of I Never Learn, released in 2014, includes the standard nine tracks in their original order, followed by two acoustic bonus tracks: "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone (Acoustic)" (3:58) and "No Rest for the Wicked (Acoustic)" (3:42). These additions provide stripped-down interpretations of key singles, emphasizing the album's raw emotional core through minimal instrumentation and Li's vulnerable vocals. The total runtime is approximately 40 minutes, available digitally on platforms like and as a with an expanded booklet. In celebration of the album's 10th anniversary, a digital reissue was made available in 2024, incorporating the previously unreleased outtake "Midnight Shining" (3:08) as a bonus track appended to the original sequence. Co-written and produced by Greg Kurstin during the album's initial recording sessions in 2013–2014, the song captures the record's motifs of heartbreak, isolation, and quiet introspection, with lyrics evoking "a sea of guilt" under a "blue moon." Released as a single on September 6, 2024, it extends the deluxe offerings to three bonus tracks when combined with the 2014 acoustics, though the anniversary edition itself totals 10 tracks and 36 minutes. A limited-edition 180-gram blue vinyl reissue, pressed in 2024, adheres to the standard nine-track lineup without bonuses but includes updated packaging. These expanded versions have been accessible digitally since 2014 and via select physical reissues thereafter, enhancing the album's availability for collectors and streaming listeners.

Personnel

Musicians

provided lead vocals and harmonies on all tracks of I Never Learn, while also contributing guitar and keyboards to several songs, including "No Rest for the Wicked" and . , a key collaborator and member of , performed bass, guitar, , and arranged strings across the entire album, adding , , , , and percussion to enhance the orchestral texture. Greg Kurstin handled drums and keyboards on select tracks, alongside bass and guitar contributions that shaped the album's rhythmic foundation, particularly evident in "Gunshot" and "Silver Line". Additional musicians included on for "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone". String arrangements, performed by session musicians including cellists Cecilia Linné and Leo Svensson, violinists Erik Arvinder and Andreas Forsman, and violist Erik Holm, lent a cinematic sweep to ballads like "I Never Learn" and "Sleeping Alone". Additional contributors included Skoglund on for select tracks and Mariam Wallentin on backing vocals.

Technical staff

The mixing for I Never Learn was handled by Lasse Mårtén at Music and Words Studio in . Mastering was performed by at Sterling Sound in New York. Recording engineering credits include , Alex Pasco, and Julian Burg at Echo Studio in ; Laura Sisk at Sonora Recorders in ; Rick , Kieron Menzies, and Trevor Yasuda at The Green Building in ; and in , Hans Stenlund and Nille Perned at Ingrid Studios, Gustav Lindelöw and Viktor Bälter-Lundin at Studio Spegeln, and and Lasse Mårtén at Music and Words and Decibel Studios. Assistant engineering was contributed by Julian Burg at Echo Studio. The album's artwork featured art direction by Karl Lindman, design by Brendan Dunne, and photography by Josh Olins. The deluxe and 10th anniversary editions retain the core technical credits, with the bonus track "Midnight Shining" produced by .

Legacy

Cultural impact

I Never Learn emphasized lush orchestral arrangements and raw emotional vulnerability in mid-2010s . The album's sweeping production, blending , strings, and sparse percussion, featured themes of loss and through grandiose yet intimate compositions. Swedish singer Lykke Li's approach on the record drew from classic torch songs while updating them for contemporary audiences. Tracks from I Never Learn have appeared in various media, extending the album's reach beyond music listeners. For instance, "Gunshot" featured in the 2024 Netflix series A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, underscoring tense dramatic moments in episode 1. This placement highlights how the song's haunting melody and lyrics about lingering pain resonated with visual storytelling in . The album marked a pivotal shift in Li's artistic trajectory, serving as the culmination of her early focused on love and growth, and setting the stage for more experimental directions in her later work. Following the orchestral ballads and folk-tinged introspection of I Never Learn, Li's 2018 release So Sad So Sexy incorporated trap beats, R&B elements, and electronic production, reflecting a deliberate toward genre-blending during a personal hiatus. This transition allowed Li to explore vulnerability through modern hip-hop influences, diverging from the record's more traditional roots. In retrospect, particularly around its 10th in 2024, I Never Learn has been hailed as an enduring benchmark for breakup albums, praised for its unflinching portrayal of emotional turmoil and critical acclaim upon release. The reissue of a 10th edition, including vinyl and an track "Midnight Shining," underscores its lasting resonance as a fan-favorite in heartbreak pop. By 2025, the record continues to be recognized for its role in defining Li's legacy as an innovator in indie pop's emotional spectrum.

Reissues and anniversary releases

In 2014, a deluxe digital edition of I Never Learn was released, expanding the original 9-track album with bonus remixes: "Never Gonna Love Again (Remix)", "No Rest for the Wicked (Remix)", and "Gunshot (Remix)". This edition was available on platforms like and included an expanded booklet in physical formats such as CD. To commemorate the album's 10th anniversary, Rhino Records issued a vinyl reissue on November 15, 2024, featuring the standard 9 tracks in a sleeve. The digital edition became available on streaming services on the same date, including the outtake "Midnight Shining" as a bonus track for a total of 10 tracks, without additional remastering specified. As a companion to the anniversary reissue, Lykke Li released the previously unreleased outtake "Midnight Shining" as a digital single on September 6, 2024, recorded during the original album sessions.

Charts

Weekly charts

"I Never Learn" demonstrated strong initial chart performance across multiple international markets following its May 2014 release, with particularly notable success in Scandinavian countries. In Sweden, the album entered the Sverigetopplistan albums chart in week 18 of 2014 and peaked at number 2 the following week, sustaining a presence on the chart for 11 weeks. In the United States, it debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 in the chart dated May 24, 2014—Lykke Li's highest entry on that ranking—and held for two weeks total. In the United Kingdom, it reached number 33 on the Official Albums Chart for one week in mid-May 2014. Norway saw the album peak at number 10 on the VG-lista albums chart, with a four-week run beginning in week 19 of 2014. The album's weekly chart trajectories varied by territory, reflecting regional fan interest and promotion efforts. Below is a summary of its peak positions, entry details, and durations across 18 major markets:
CountryPeak PositionEntry Week/DateTotal Weeks on Chart
218/2014 (early May)11
1019/2014 (mid-May)4
1719/2014 (mid-May)3
1920/2014 (late May)2
World Albums2021/2014 (late May)1
2419/2014 (mid-May)3
2519/2014 (mid-May)2
United States (Billboard 200)2921/2014 (May 24)2
2919/2014 (mid-May)1
3320/2014 (May 11)1
3821/2014 (late May)1
4320/2014 (late May)1
4720/2014 (late May)1
5020/2014 (late May)1
6020/2014 (late May)2
6019/2014 (mid-May)1
6119/2014 (mid-May)1
6819/2014 (mid-May)1

Year-end charts

In 2014, I Never Learn earned notable recognition in year-end critic compilations, ranking at number 7 on Billboard's list of the 10 best albums of the year. It also placed at number 23 on Pitchfork's 50 Best Albums of 2014, praised for its orchestral and themes of heartbreak. The album lacked prominent placements in decade-end commercial charts but received retrospective acclaim in indie and adult contemporary lists, such as number 3 on The Roundtable's Favorite Adult Contemporary Albums of the . Another inclusion came in I Love Sweden's Top 20 Albums of the Decade, highlighting its emotional resonance within Swedish pop. During the streaming era of the , I Never Learn experienced renewed visibility on platforms like in , bolstered by the release of its 10th anniversary edition in , which added bonus tracks and remixes to sustain listener engagement. In comparative terms against 2014 contemporaries, I Never Learn was often ranked below St. Vincent's self-titled album, which topped 's year-end list for its innovative , while Li's work was lauded in parallel critiques for its confessional balladry.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Catalog
VariousMay 6, 2014, digital download, LPLL Recordings, Atlantic825646295586
VariousNovember 15, 2024LP (10th anniversary edition)Atlantic825646306039

References

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