[1] "Skinny Love" was the first single released from Bon Iver's 2007 debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, in the United States.

On October 6, 2008, "Skinny Love" was featured in the NBC series Chuck (season 2, episode 3).

[4][5] On December 11, 2008, Bon Iver performed "Skinny Love" on the Late Show with David Letterman.

[6] On January 26, 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #21 by the Australian national radio station Triple J in the annual Hottest 100 countdown of the previous year's best songs.

[21] A similar event took place in New Zealand in May 2013 after X Factor winner Jackie Thomas performed the song at her audition.

The song entered the top 40 for the first time and reached number two on the RIANZ chart following the broadcast, behind Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines".

[22] In 2011, "Skinny Love" sold 259,000 copies in the UK, becoming the third biggest selling rock single of that year.