I Love It (Icona Pop song)

Background

The song was originally written by Charli XCX, whom Icona Pop met several times in London. Swedish producer Patrik Berger sent Charli two beats, and she quickly wrote songs for each of them, one of which became "I Love It" and the other of which became her following single "You're the One". However, she later stated that she knew she would not end up releasing it herself because she could not reconcile it with her sound.

While recording "Good for You" with Icona Pop, Berger presented them with Charli's work on "I Love It". Band member Aino Jawo said she felt a connection to the song because it mirrored her own experiences, and the line "You're from the 70s but I'm a 90s bitch" reminded her of an older man she had known. Member Caroline Hjelt described Charli XCX's original demo as "more cute, in a way…really cool and cocky". Icona Pop approached Swedish producer Style of Eye to make a rougher version of the track, telling him, "We want the punkiness. We want the 'fuck it' feeling."

Composition

"I Love It" is set in common time with a tempo of 126 beats per minute (allegro), and is described as a synth-pop, and dance-pop, song. It is written in A♭ major, with an authentic cadence for the main chord progression. Billboard critic Jessica Hopper defined the instrumental by its "swells of revving synths" and prominent sub-bass sounds. Pitchfork writer Lindsay Zoladz commented that the song was "basically just two-and-a-half minutes of drop"; colleague Larry Fitzmaurice noted the track's maximalist approach fit the contemporary trends in electronic and pop music.

The song's lyrics describe breaking up with an older boyfriend. In its chorus, Icona Pop and Charli XCX shout in unison "I don't care / I love it". Critics compared the song's breakup narrative to Kelly Clarkson's 2004 single "Since U Been Gone", and journalist Chuck Eddy wrote in a piece for Spin that the track's brattiness was similar to that of British band Shampoo.

Release and promotion

"I Love It" was released in Sweden in May 2012. It entered the Swedish Singles Chart the following month at number 48, and after two months on the chart, the song peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks. It was the opening theme song for Snooki & JWoww, which first aired on June 21, 2012. After its January 2013 appearance on an episode of Girls, the song performed better in digital downloads than it had upon initial release. Ten days later it entered the Billboard Hot 100, eventually climbing to number seven on the chart. Jawo and Hjelt's first performance with Charli XCX happened in April 2013, after seeing her back stage at a South by Southwest showcase where both acts were playing.

In June 2013, several cover versions of the song entered the UK Singles Chart, including one by vlogger Venus Angelic. When Icona Pop released their version, it entered at the top of the chart, overtaking Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams.

Critical reception

"I Love It" was met with positive reviews from music critics. The song placed 15th on The Village Voices 2012 Pazz & Jop list, and it rose to eighth place the following year. Pitchfork Media labeled it "Best New Music", calling the song "delectable, empowering, infinitely repeatable". Pitchfork later listed the song number 50 on its "Top 100 Tracks of 2012" list. Rolling Stone placed "I Love It" at number 35 on its year-end list, naming it "the Euro-slut club jam of the summer". Amrit Singh for Stereogum described it as "fun", Heather Phares commented Jawo and Hjelt "half-sung, half-shouted vocals and revved-up synths make the song inescapably catchy". Kat Bein of the Miami New Times called the song a "feminist pop anthem". In 2019, Stereogum and Pitchfork ranked the song as the 117th and 197th best song of the 2010s respectively.

Music video

The music video for "I Love It" was directed by Fredrik Etoall. The video was shot in a day by friends of the band while they were in Paris. It shows Jawo and Hjelt playing a show for a crowd shouting the lyrics and dancing, with additional shots from backstage and an after-party. It also includes outdoor shots of them wearing fringed jackets that they made. Charli XCX does not appear in the video.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time chart

Sales and certifications

Cover versions

Several cover versions have charted in the UK.

In 2014, American hard rock band Buckcherry covered the song on their EP Fuck with modified lyrics.

In 2017, Swedish singer Moneybrother released a punk rock inspired cover version of the song as a part of the eighth season of Så mycket bättre. The track received mixed to positive reviews, ultimately failing to chart.

In August 2025, American singer Molly Tuttle covered the song on her So Long Little Miss Sunshine album, using unusually gentle and lilting vocals and guitar.

British producer and Charli XCX's longtime collaborator A. G. Cook heavily sampled "I Love It" in his 2025 song "Dread", which served as the lead single from the soundtrack for Charli's 2026 mockumentary film The Moment.

Release history

References

References

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