This spring he filled Avicii Arena and in August he played at Way Out West. In September Romain Gavra's film "Sacrifice" also premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, where Yung Lean appears alongside fellow artist Charli XCX and actors such as Salma Hayek and John Malkovich. Yung Lean says he is "super proud" of his acting efforts.
In the New York Times music podcast, he also talks about his current life with music, art, boxing and acting, as well as about his past.
At 18, he was living in Los Angeles, where he suffered a breakdown due to drugs and undiagnosed bipolar disorder. At the same time, his manager died in a car accident.
Yung Lean was helped to get home to Sweden by his friend, rapper Bladee, and his father. After that, a long period of recovery followed.
He has been sober and free from Tramadol and other drugs for two years.
I said, this is disgusting, this is not sexy, says Yung Lean.
I was so scared to sit in my apartment, watch movies and not do this. But my psychologist said, “try for two, three months.” I tried for two months and now it’s been two years.
When asked if he feels a responsibility to show that it is possible to be vibrant and creative with proper medication, Yung Lean answers, among other things:
I guess 16-year-old Lean would think it was silly for me to sit here and say that, but it's really the truth. You can be swaggy without being drunk all the time or taking pills.
