AceShowbiz - Back in 2008, Swedish indie-pop singer Lykke Li received a simple email from an unexpected source. “It was just an email, like, ‘Hey, can this guy use this song?’” she recalls. That “guy” turned out to be none other than Drake, who sampled her track “Little Bit” for his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone. This collaboration helped propel Drake into global stardom, marking a significant milestone for both artists.

Nearly two decades later, the partnership between Lykke Li and Drake has come full circle. This time, her signature 2011 song “I Follow Rivers” is interpolated on the track “Janice STFU” from Drake’s recent album Iceman. The song delivers a fierce critique of internet gossip and online detractors, with Drake addressing rivals and the constant scrutiny surrounding his career.

When Lykke Li spoke with Rolling Stone, she had just returned from “blasting it in the car with my bestie,” describing the track’s vibe as “potent.” She added that the song carries “that raw, revenge, hip-hop energy,” highlighting the intensity of Drake’s new take on her classic melody.

Much like the initial sampling incident, Lykke Li found out about the new interpolation through a text message, this time from co-writer Rick Nowels. “I thought [Rick] was trolling me,” she admits, before receiving an official email confirming the news. The involvement of Björn Yttling from Peter Björn and John, who has long collaborated with Lykke Li, is also credited on the track.

The enduring popularity of “I Follow Rivers” is nothing short of remarkable. Originally featured on Lykke Li’s album Wounded Rhymes, the song gained further acclaim thanks to a widely popular dance remix by Belgian DJ and producer The Magician. Lykke Li reflects on the song’s lasting impact, calling it “the most mysterious, incredible gift of my career” due to its many lives and reinterpretations.

The song’s reach extends beyond official releases, with countless covers, remixes, and mash-ups flooding YouTube and social media platforms. Lykke Li compares the phenomenon to “a scripture or a verse or a hymn,” emphasizing her belief in music as a universal force. She elaborates, “We are all just downloading something that somehow exists in God or the universe.... Certain songs have an alchemy or symmetry that allows them to have their own life in the world.”

For Lykke Li, seeing her song take on a life independent of her ownership is a profound blessing. “As a songwriter, that’s the greatest wish,” she says. “I’m so grateful and blessed to have one of those songs that doesn’t even belong to me. It has a life of its own.”

Highlighting the song’s unexpected reach, Lykke Li shares a touching anecdote about her two-year-old son recently singing a line from “I Follow Rivers” — “Deep sea, baby” — despite never having heard the song directly from her. “Apparently there was a nanny in the park that was playing the song,” she says in amazement. “So he found out about ‘I Follow Rivers’ through someone else.”

Adding to the song’s ongoing legacy, Lykke Li performed “I Follow Rivers” at the Coachella Music Festival last month. She delivered the iconic line to tens of thousands of fans during her late-afternoon set on the Outdoor Theatre stage, further cementing the song’s place in contemporary music culture.

The journey of “I Follow Rivers” from a Swedish indie hit to a globally recognized anthem, now reimagined on Drake’s Iceman album, illustrates the remarkable power of music to transcend time, genre, and geography.

This article is based on reporting originally published by Rolling Stone.