I Follow Rivers

"I Follow Rivers"
Single by Lykke Li
from the album Wounded Rhymes
Released	21 January 2011
Format	CD single digital download 7" single 12" single
Genre	Goth pop[1] dance[2]
Length	3:48
Label	LL
Writer(s)	Lykke Li Björn Yttling Rick Nowels
Producer(s)	Björn Yttling
Lykke Li singles chronology
"Get Some" (2010) "I Follow Rivers" (2011) "Sadness Is a Blessing" (2011)

"I Follow Rivers" is a song by Swedish recording artist Lykke Li from her second studio album, Wounded Rhymes (2011). Produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, it was released on 21 January 2011 as the album's second single.^[3] The track premiered exclusively on SPIN.com on 10 January 2011.^[4] The music video, directed by Tarik Saleh and filmed at Närsholmen on the Swedish island of Gotland,^[5][6] features Li in a black robe and veil chasing a man (Swedish-Lebanese actor Fares Fares)^[7] through a snowy landscape.

Belgian DJ/producer The Magician remixed and reworked "I Follow Rivers" in 2011, peaking at number one in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania. Number two in Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Netherlands. Number 3 in France. The remix was deemed "90's house".^[8] Belgian band Triggerfinger covered "I Follow Rivers" in 2012, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Track listings

• Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish iTunes EP – Remixes^{[9][10][11][12]}

1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:42
2. "I Follow Rivers" (Dave Sitek Remix) – 3:58
3. "I Follow Rivers" (The Magician Remix) – 4:40
4. "I Follow Rivers" (Van Rivers & The Sublimial Kid) – 6:41

• UK iTunes EP^[13]

1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:48
2. "I Follow Rivers" (Dave Sitek Remix) – 3:58
3. "I Follow Rivers" (Van Rivers & The Sublimial Kid) – 6:41

• UK 7" single^[14]

A. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:48

B. "Get Some" (Primary 1 Remix)

• UK 12" single – The Remixes^[15]

A1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:48

A2. "I Follow Rivers" (The Magician Remix) – 4:40

B1. "I Follow Rivers" (Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid Remix) – 6:41

B2. "I Follow Rivers" (Tyler, The Creator Remix) – 3:41

• German CD single^[16]

1. "I Follow Rivers" (The Magician Remix) – 4:40
2. "I Follow Rivers" (Radio Edit) – 3:20

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2011–13) Peak position scope="row" Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[17] 2 scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 1 scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[19] 1 Brazil (Billboard Hot 100 Airplay)[20] 48 Brazil (Hot Pop Songs)[20] 12 scope="row" Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[21] 5 scope="row" Denmark (Tracklisten)[22] 40 scope="row" Europe (Euro Digital Songs)[23] 10 scope="row" France (SNEP)[24] 4 scope="row" Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 1 Greece Digital Songs (Billboard)[26] 1 scope="row" Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[27] 6 scope="row" Hungary (Dance Top 40)[28] 2 scope="row" Ireland (IRMA)[29] 2 scope="row" Italy (FIMI)[30] 1 scope="row" Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[31] 1 scope="row" Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32] 2 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[33] 1 scope="row" Poland (Dance Top 50)[34] 1 scope="row" Portugal Digital Songs (Billboard)[35] 3 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[36] 1 scope="row" Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[37] 13 scope="row" Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 44 scope="row" Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[40] 7 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[41] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[42] 179 Chart (2012) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[43] 21 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[44] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[45] 7 France (SNEP)[46] 6 Germany (Media Control AG)[47] 3 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[48] 15 Ireland (IRMA)[49] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[50] 3 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[51] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 9 Chart (2013) Position Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[53] 97 Italy (FIMI)[54] 7 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[55] 72 All-time charts Chart Position Belgium (Wallonia) (BEA)[56] 6 France (SNEP)[57] 1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[58]	Platinum	30,000^*
Belgium (BEA)[59]	2× Platinum	60,000^*
France (SNEP)[60]	Diamond	250,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[61]	5× Gold	750,000^^
Italy (FIMI)[62]	2× Platinum	60,000^*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[63]	3× Platinum	90,000^^
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[64]	Gold	1,300,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Triggerfinger version

"I Follow Rivers"
Single by Triggerfinger
Released	24 February 2012
Format	CD single digital download
Recorded	3FM (Hilversum, Netherlands)
Genre	Pop
Length	3:35
Label	B1M1
Writer(s)	Lykke Li Björn Yttling Rick Nowels
Triggerfinger singles chronology
"Let It Ride" (2011) "I Follow Rivers" (2012) "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" (2012)

Belgian band Triggerfinger covered "I Follow Rivers" during Giel Beelen's show on the Dutch radio station 3FM in what was called "a fragile version". They used glasses, cups and knives to create a rhythmical background section.^[65] Triggerfinger's version was released as a single on 24 February 2012,^[66] topping the singles chart in Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands, while reaching number nine in Germany and number seventeen in Switzerland.

Track listings

• Belgian and Dutch iTunes single^[66][67]

1. "I Follow Rivers" (Live@Giel! – VARA/3FM) – 3:34

• German CD single^[68]

1. "I Follow Rivers" (Live@Giel!) – 3:35
2. "Let It Ride" – 3:24

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
scope="row"	Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[69]	1
scope="row"	Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[70]	1
scope="row"	Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[71]	4
scope="row"	Germany (Official German Charts)[72]	9
scope="row"	Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[73]	7
scope="row"	Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[74]	1
scope="row"	Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[75]	17

Year-end charts

Chart (2012)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[43]	16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[44]	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[45]	43
Germany (Media Control AG)[47]	29
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[50]	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52]	60

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[76]	Platinum	30,000^*
Belgium (BEA)[77]	2× Platinum	60,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[78]	Gold	150,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[79]	Gold	15,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Other versions and use in media

• "I Follow Rivers" was performed by Jenna Ushkowitz's character Tina Cohen-Chang in the Glee episode "A Night of Neglect", originally aired 19 April 2011.^[80]
• American indie rock band Plain Jane Automobile covered "I Follow Rivers" and released it online in February 2012.^[81]
• The Magician remix of the song was featured in the French film Rust and Bone and also in Blue Is the Warmest Colour.^[82][83]
• The song was used in some Colombiana trailers.
• The remix version of the song was played as background music in episode 8 of Turkish series "Medcezir"
• British singer-songwriter Marika Hackman included a cover on her 2014 Deaf Heat EP
• The song appeared in the third episode of the ninth season of CSI: NY, 2,918 Miles, when Linsay and Sheldon process the evidence.^[84]
• Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires covered the song on a 2015 two-song EP entitled Sea Songs.^[85]
• The song was used in the 2016 commercial for American fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger's new fragrance, The Girl, featuring supermodel Gigi Hadid.
• The Magician remix is featured in the 2016 video game Forza Horizon 3.

See also

• List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 2012
• List of number-one hits of 2012 (Austria)
• List of number-one hits of 2012 (Germany)
• List of number-one hits of 2013 (Italy)
• List of number-one singles of 2012 (Poland)
• List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2011
• List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2012

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