Collage by Marjainez, using a photo by Josh Olins. Illustrations by Marjainez.

Lykke Li—singer-songwriter, Fleetwood Mac interpreter, master of the art of bedroom dancing—has a new record called I Never Learn coming out in May. A third of the song titles reference sleep-states, including the echo-y anthem “No Rest for the Wicked.” What happens when you’re not awake is one of the things that has been fascinating her as of late, more of which she’ll tell you about right here!

1. Dreams. I have such psychedelic dreams. It’s like living a parallel life. I was swimming with dolphins all night last night, and it was so nice! I’m super into Carl Jung and dream analysis. I think [dolphins] mean freedom and playfulness. Sleep is where I let go of everything.

2. Chia pudding. My chia pudding is the one thing I miss when I’m touring. It’s unbelievable. I mix chia seeds with almond milk and goji berries and walnuts and blueberries and bananas and a bit of vanilla. It’s my own recipe—I’ve been experimenting with it. I love healing foods and herbs, and I’m really interested in how what you eat affects your body. If I could choose another career, I think I’d get into homeopathy.

3. Quotes. There are a few quotes I live by, but this one, which is often attributed to Anaïs Nin, is really powerful: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” It hurts to grow. Do I hold on tight, or do I let go? I thought about that a lot with I Never Learn, and I think about it in my day-to-day life.

4. Mexico City. It’s the most interesting city in the world right now. I was living in L.A. when I was making the new record, and when I’d hit a wall I would go to Mexico City to get lost. There’s all this tradition and history, like the nearby ruins—it’s crazy. It’s clearly proud of its heritage, but it’s also so progressive. It’s wild and crazy, and it embraces the chaos of the modern world. It’s the complete opposite of Stockholm, where I’m from.

5. Spring. In Sweden, it was such a cold winter, and we only got a couple hours of sunlight a day. But it’s the best place to be when spring finally comes, because people have been suffering for six months. Seeing that first sunlight is greater than anything. You get hope again. ♦

(As told to Lena.)