Lykke Li has cancelled a string of tour dates because of ill health, she has revealed.
The Swedish singer, who released her ‘I Never Learn’ last year, has scrapped scheduled gigs in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore which she was due to play as part of this year’s Laneway Festival. She has been replaced by rapper Tkay Maizda for each of the festival’s five Australian dates.
“I’m incredibly sorry to announce that I’m no longer able to play Australia, New Zealand and Singapore for Laneway Festival,” said Li on Facebook. “It’s been a long time coming, but unfortunately tour life has caught up with me and it’s been recommended that I take a break. I’m devastated but I know I will return.”
The singer-songwriter expanded further on her decision in a post on her Instagram account, writing: “I AM UTTERLY DEVASTATED, SOMETIMES WE PUSH AND PUSH BUT THE BODY SIMPLY WON’T FOLLOW. I GAVE IT ALL I HAD, MY BODY, HEART AND SOUL. AFTER 7 YEARS OF TOURING MY HEALTH IS SCREAMING/BEGGING FOR ME TO LISTEN/HEAL/SLOW DOWN.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR UNDERSTANDING.
“THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY BLEEDING HEART AND WATCHING ME DANCE IN THE DARK THESE PAST YEARS. I LOVE YOU. I WILL COME BACK. STRONGER. BUT FOR NOW MY LOVES, I HAVE TO REST. U CAN’T ALWAYS “WIN”…. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES!!! YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME. CHOOSE LIGHT AND LIFE! LIFE IS EBB N FLOW, HIGH N LOW. BUT WE KEEP ON. I WILL MISS YOU SO. X”
Li released her debut album ‘Youth Novels’ in 2008, with follow-up ‘Wounded Rhymes’ released in 2011 and her third LP, ‘I Never Learn’, arriving last year. Speaking previously to NME about the album, Li said it was the third part in a trilogy of her albums, claiming that the album covers the “intense period” of being a woman in her twenties. “I see my albums as a trilogy, with [2007 debut] ‘Youth Novels’ as the first one and hopefully this one as the last in this chapter,” she said.