Lykke Li - Breaking It Up

Breaking It Up is essentially an incredibly silly pop song done very well. At the core is a soft kick-drum embellished with handclaps and Lykke Li's velvet-soft voice cooing over the top. Schoolyard-shouted backing vocals on the chorus give the track a retro-pop vibe, but as a whole, it’s a good example of what's current in the Nordic hotspot of music; great production and multiple layers of keys, strings, percussion and soul infused into upbeat and danceable three-minute doses. There’s a guilty pleasure in indulging in a silly pop song once in a while, and Breaking it Up's sheer appeal outweighs any sense of embarrasment. [Jason Morton]