Swedish House Mafia and Lykke Li Link Up on New Single "Happiness Is So Sad"

Swedish House Mafia have released a new single, "Happiness Is So Sad," featuring Lykke Li. The track dropped July 30, 2026 on all major streaming and download platforms.

The single was produced by Swedish House Mafia, PARISI, and Fred Again.. and recorded in Stockholm. Max Martin and Oscar Holter are among the songwriters credited. It received its world premiere with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 on the day of release.

According to the release, the track explores how memory holds happiness and grief at the same time, the feeling of a good moment that now only exists in the past. It marks the first collaboration between the two acts.

For Lykke Li, this is her first new material since her sixth album, "The Afterparty," which came out in May 2026. She spent the early part of this summer performing at Coachella 2026, a headline show at KOKO London, and at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus.

Swedish House Mafia, the trio of Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso, are currently in the middle of a Sunday residency at Ushuaïa Ibiza running through September 13. The release notes that the track has been part of their recent sets there. Steve Angello also joined Sebastian Ingrosso at Tomorrowland 2026 to play the song.

The single arrives ahead of two shows at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg on August 28 and 29, which the release describes as the group's largest concerts to date.

Swedish House Mafia upcoming dates:, Ushuaïa, Ibiza, every Sunday through September 13, August 28 and 29, Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, September 27, Portola Festival, San Francisco, October 11, Head Trip Festival, California

Lykke Li upcoming dates:, August 14, Way Out West, Sweden, August 16, Flow Festival, Finland, August 22, Pstereo Festival, Trondheim, Norway, August 27, Rock en Seine, Paris, August 31, Superbloom Festival, Munich, September 19, Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City (with Robyn), October 3 and 10, Austin City Limits, Austin, TX

For independent producers and artists paying attention to process: this one is a useful case study in how a collaboration between two acts with distinct sonic identities gets shaped. Swedish House Mafia, PARISI, and Fred Again.. on production, Max Martin and Oscar Holter on songwriting, recorded in Stockholm. The credits alone tell a story about how major-level records are assembled.