Her debut studio album, Youth Novels, was released in 2008, and has been followed by Wounded Rhymes (2011), I Never Learn (2014), So Sad So Sexy (2018), and Eyeye (2022).

The album was produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John and Lasse Mårtén and was reportedly inspired by a previous relationship of three years.

Lykke Li performed live with a pared-down drum kit, a necklace made out of percussive instruments, a guitar, a bass and a microphone.

[citation needed] Youth Novels was placed on many of the year's Best Of lists[14][15][16] and saw Lykke Li sell out tours, including sets at festivals Glastonbury, Coachella and Lollapalooza.

[17][non-primary source needed] She appeared on Swedish musician Kleerup's self-titled album, contributing vocals to the track "Until We Bleed".

The song was also used in ABC Family's drama Pretty Little Liars in the 18th episode of the second season which was titled "A Kiss Before Lying" which aired 30 January 2012.

[20] The 19 April 2011 episode of Glee (titled "A Night of Neglect") featured student Tina singing a version of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers".

Belgian DJ/producer The Magician's remix of "I Follow Rivers" is featured in Jacques Audiard's 2012 film Rust and Bone and the 2013 Palme d'Or-winning Blue Is the Warmest Colour.

[21][22] Lykke contributed to the 2012 compilation "Volym 1" with the track "Come Near" released by the Swedish artist collective and record label INGRID where she is a founding member.

She also contributed a cover of "Silver Springs" to a 2012 Fleetwood Mac tribute album, which included renditions from Best Coast, Marianne Faithfull, and MGMT.

[23] In 2013, she was featured as a guest musician on David Lynch's third studio album, The Big Dream, performing vocals on the lead single, "I'm Waiting Here".

[29] On 14 November 2014, Lykke Li gained considerable attention from Internet music publications regarding her cover of Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home", performed the night prior at London's Eventim Apollo.

[35] In April 2019, she sang lead vocals and appeared in the video for Mark Ronson's "Late Night Feelings", the title track from the album of the same name.

[36] In a 2019 interview speaking about her fifth studio album, Lykke Li told NME: "I think, maybe to everyone's disappointment, I'm going to really scale it down and back and slow it down.

[40] In July 2022, it was announced that Lykke Li would partner with creative director Theo Lindquist and artist Nick Verstandpresent to present an immersive installation, entitled Ü & EYEYE,[41] at Los Angeles' The Broad Museum.

The project intends "to transform the Broad’s Oculus Hall into a hyper-sensory cathedral of female romantic fantasy", says a statement released about the installation.

[42] In March 2024, Lykke Li performed June Carter Cash song "Ring of Fire" during final credits of Netflix movie "Damsel".

In September 2010, Lykke Li was announced as the official face of the Levi's Curve ID Collection, alongside Pixie Geldof and Miss Nine.

Lykke Li made her acting debut in the 2014 Swedish crime film Tommy directed by Tarik Saleh.

[46] Lykke Li is a founding partner in Yola Mezcal, which hosted a festival in Los Angeles in 2019 featuring a lineup of all-female performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Courtney Love, and others.

Lykke Li has cited Neil Young, the Shangri-Las, This Mortal Coil, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones as influences, stating, "They aren't pop anymore by today's standards, but they were.