Swedish House Mafia are officially back. Out now, their long-teased single ‘Happiness Is So Sad’ with Lykke Li has arrived. It landed on all major streaming and download platforms today. Notably, it marks the first ever collaboration between the trio and their fellow Swedish icon.
Furthermore, the track pulls together some of Sweden’s biggest musical exports on one credit list. Swedish House Mafia produced alongside PARISI and Fred Again... Additionally, Max Martin and Oscar Holter feature among the songwriters. Recording took place in Stockholm. Meanwhile, the premiere landed earlier today with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1.
Thematically, ‘Happiness Is So Sad’ sits in bittersweet territory. It explores the relationship between happiness and sorrow. Moreover, it captures how memory can hold both at once. The result is the pleasure of a moment sitting alongside the knowledge that it now exists only in the past.
For Lykke Li, this arrives as her first new material since her sixth album ‘The Afterparty’, released in May. Meanwhile, her summer has included Coachella 2026 and a headline show at KOKO London. Additionally, she performed at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus in Athens.
Beyond that, the track already has a live footprint. Swedish House Mafia have been dropping it into their Ushuaïa Ibiza Sunday residency. There, it has already become a defining moment of the summer’s sets. Notably, Steve Angello most recently joined Sebastian Ingrosso at Tomorrowland 2026 to play it in front of the mainstage.
Ultimately, the release also serves as a runway to something bigger. Swedish House Mafia head to Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium on August 28 and 29. Notably, those two homecoming shows will be the biggest concerts of their career to date. Ushuaïa continues every Sunday until September 13. Furthermore, Portola Festival in San Francisco (September 27) and Head Trip Festival in California (October 11) follow in the fall. ‘Happiness Is So Sad’ is out everywhere now.
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