I Follow Rivers

"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.^[4] The track premiered exclusively on SPIN.com on 10 January 2011.^[5]

"I Follow Rivers"
Single by Lykke Li
from the album Wounded Rhymes
Released	21 January 2011 (2011-01-21)
Genre	Gothic pop[1] dance[2] pop rock[3]
Length	3:48 (original version) 4:45 (The Magician remix)
Label	LL Recordings EMI (Scandinavia) Atlantic (rest of world)
Songwriter(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)
Music video
"I Follow Rivers" on YouTube

Belgian DJ/producer The Magician remixed and reworked "I Follow Rivers" in 2011, peaking at number one in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania, number two in Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and number four in France. The remix was deemed "'90s house".^[6] Belgian band Triggerfinger covered "I Follow Rivers" in 2012, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Music video

The music video, directed by Tarik Saleh and filmed at Närsholmen on the Swedish island of Gotland,^[7][8] features Li in a black robe and veil chasing a man (Swedish-Lebanese actor Fares Fares)^[9] through a snowy landscape. An unofficial music video consisting of scenes from the French film Blue Is the Warmest Colour played with The Magician's remix was uploaded to YouTube by user Aldo Zuga on March 9, 2014, and has over 533 million views as of May 2024,^[10] surpassing the original music video's 91 million views as of May 2024.^[11]

Track listings

• Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish iTunes EP – Remixes^{[12][13][14][15]}

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^[16]

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^[17]

A. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:48

B. "Get Some" (Primary 1 Remix)

• UK 12" single – The Remixes^[18]

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^[19]

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

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Chart (2011–2019) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[22] 1 Brazil (Billboard Hot 100 Airplay)[23] 48 Brazil (Hot Pop Songs)[23] 12 CIS Airplay (TopHit)[24] 5 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[25] 5 Denmark (Tracklisten)[26] 40 Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[27] 10 France (SNEP)[28] 4 Germany (GfK)[29] 1 Global Dance Songs (Billboard)[30] 21 Greece Digital Songs (Billboard)[31] 1 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[32] 6 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[33] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[34] 2 Italy (FIMI)[35] 1 Italy Airplay (EarOne)[36] 1 Luxembourg Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[37] 1 Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[38] 37 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 3 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[41] 1 Poland (Dance Top 50)[42] 1 Portugal Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[43] 3 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[44] 1 Romania (Romanian Radio Airplay)[45] 1 Romania (Romania TV Airplay)[46] 1 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[47] 1 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[48] 13 Slovenia (SloTop50)[49] 14 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[50] 44 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 2 UK Physical Singles Sales Chart (OCC)[52] 30 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[53] 25 Chart (2015–2025) Peak position Weekly chart performance for "I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)" Euro Digital Tracks (Billboard)[54] 8 Moldova Airplay (TopHit)[55] 39

Monthly charts 2025 monthly chart performance for "I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)" Chart (2025) Position Moldova Airplay (TopHit)[56] 88 Year-end charts 2011 year-end chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Chart (2011) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[57] 7 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[58] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[59] 179 2012 year-end chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Chart (2012) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[60] 21 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[61] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[62] 7 France (SNEP)[63] 6 Germany (Media Control AG)[64] 3 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[65] 18 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[66] 15 Ireland (IRMA)[67] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[68] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[69] 4 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[70] 1 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[71] 72 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[72] 9 2013 year-end chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Chart (2013) Position Brazil (Crowley)[73] 64 France (SNEP)[74] 45 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[75] 25 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[76] 97 Italy (FIMI)[77] 7 Italy Airplay (EarOne)[78] 10 Slovenia (SloTop50)[79] 28 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[80] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[81] 72 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[82] 56 2014 year-end chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Chart (2014) Position France (SNEP)[83] 83 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[84] 148 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[85] 187 2015 year-end chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Chart (2015) Position France (SNEP)[86] 177 Decade-end charts 2010s decade-end chart performance for Fallen Chart (2010–2019) Position Germany (Official German Charts)[87] 44 All-time charts Chart Position All-time chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" Belgium (Wallonia) (BEA)[88] 6 France (SNEP)[89] 1

Certifications

Certifications for "I Follow Rivers"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[90]	Platinum	30,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[91]	2× Platinum	60,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[92]	Platinum	90,000‡
France (SNEP)[93]	Diamond	250,000*
Germany (BVMI)[94]	5× Gold	750,000^
Italy (FIMI)[95]	3× Platinum	90,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[96]	2× Platinum	120,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[97]	3× Platinum	90,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[98]	Platinum	600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[99]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[100]	Gold	1,300,000†
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Triggerfinger version

"I Follow Rivers"
Single by Triggerfinger
Released	24 February 2012 (2012-02-24)
Studio	3FM (Hilversum, Netherlands)
Genre	Pop
Length	3:35
Label	B1M1
Songwriter(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)
Live video
"I Follow Rivers" on YouTube

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.^[101] Triggerfinger's version was released as a single on 24 February 2012,^[102] 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^[102][103]

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

• German CD single^[104]

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

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" (Triggerfinger version)

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[105]	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[106]	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[107]	4
Germany (GfK)[108]	9
Luxembourg Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[109]	7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[110]	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[111]	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[112]	17

Year-end charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Follow Rivers" (Triggerfinger version)

Chart (2012)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[60]	16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[61]	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[62]	43
Germany (Media Control AG)[64]	29
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[68]	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[72]	60

Certifications

Certifications for "I Follow Rivers" (Triggerfinger version)

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[113]	Platinum	30,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[114]	2× Platinum	60,000*
Germany (BVMI)[115]	Gold	150,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[116]	2× Platinum	40,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[117]	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.^[118]
• In 2011, "I Follow Rivers" was sampled by Hip-Hop artist E-Dubble in his single 'Space Rivers' as a part of the 'Freestyle Friday' series.
• American indie rock band Plain Jane Automobile covered "I Follow Rivers" and released it online in February 2012.^[119]
• The song was covered in German by FC Bayern München ultras, as "I Follow FC Bayern" and was in this year, in the Lykke Li Version, the Song for Ran TV Intro.^[120]
• The Magician remix of the song was featured in the 2012 French film Rust and Bone^[121] and also in the 2013 film Blue Is the Warmest Colour.^[122][123]
• 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, this version appears during Season 4 Episode 3 of True Detective: Night Country
• The song appeared in the third episode of the ninth season of CSI: NY, 2,918 Miles, when Linsay and Sheldon process the evidence.^[124]
• Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires covered the song on a 2015 two-song EP entitled Sea Songs.^[125]
• 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.
• French band Dionysos covered the song on their 2016 Vampire en pyjama album.
• Israeli singer-songwriter Roni Alter released an acoustic cover (together with Alon Lotringer) as a single in 2016.^[126]
• In 2021, British singer Will Young covered "I Follow Rivers" on his album Crying on the Bathroom Floor.^{[127][128][129]}
• In 2023, Dmitri Vegas & Like Mike together with the Hardstyle duo Sub Zero Project produced an unreleased remix version of the song.^[130]
• In January 2025, Tiësto & Oaks released a cover version of the song, which also sampled elements of the instrumental of the original song.^[131]

See also

• List of Airplay 100 number ones of the 2010s
• 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 Romanian Top 100 number ones of the 2010s
• List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2011
• List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2012