Lykke Li

In a few short months, Swedish songstress Lykke Li rocketed from obscurity to the website of the inexorable Perez Hilton, though thankfully for her bedeviling music and not for tabloid antics. The 25-year-old plays offbeat electro-rock similar to that of fellow Scando-pop starlets Robyn and Annie, but with the chic packaging of ’70s rock goddesses like Bianca Jagger. With the help of producer and fellow Swede Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn And John, Li has ridden a wave of acclaim since the release of her 2008 debut album, Youth Novels, and for good reason: She’s proven adept at straddling the line between instant gratification and minimalist smarts, and there’s no better evidence than the suggestive “Get Some,” the first single from this year's follow-up, Wounded Rhymes.

Updated 11/07/2011