Zara Larsson’s new album, Midnight Sun, isn’t just a regular pop record; it’s a perfect example of how pop music should be made. I honestly haven’t been this hooked on an album’s sheer, great pop sound since Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream. It gives you that same wonderful feeling of a star who is just getting everything right. Released last Friday, the album quickly proves itself to be a strong, cohesive record with no weak songs. Every song feels carefully crafted, from the bright, loud production to the genuine, heartfelt feelings at its core. Midnight Sun isn’t just a hit album; it proves that when Zara Larsson focuses her immense talent and finds her authentic sound, the result is nothing less than pure, perfect pop.
Zara’s growth is undeniable: she steps into her own as an artist, abandoning any need to chase trends in favor of her own dazzling aesthetic. The entire record is an homage to the Scandinavian summer, giving us a vibrant, unified world of endless daylight and euphoric dance music. It’s a fun, maximalist fever dream of electro-pop that never loses sight of its heart. Whether she’s singing about the messiness of a crush or the complex pressures of ambition, Zara uses this album to prove she’s not just a vocalist, but a star entirely in command of her voice and the pure pop energy that fuels it. Her growth is a journey we can all be proud of and feel connected to.
Midnight Sun is absolutely stuffed with fun pop moments designed to keep the party going long past the actual sunset. The opening track run is pure fire: the title track, “Midnight Sun,” and the track that follows, “Blue Moon,” form an unstoppable one-two punch of euphoric dance-pop. “Midnight Sun” hits you with soaring vocals over trance-inspired production, while “Blue Moon” immediately delivers a club-ready beat to celebrate that perfect romantic high.
Then there’s “Pretty Ugly,” a pure dose of chaotic energy, a rebellious, shouty cheerleader anthem that rejects the idea of being the “good girl” (‘F* the ladylike, more like crazy-like’**). It’s empowering, messy fun. But perhaps the most relatable moment of emotional chaos is “Girl’s Girl.” It brilliantly flips the feminist expectation of female loyalty on its head, with Zara singing honestly about the horrifying, guilt-ridden feeling of crushing on a friend’s boyfriend. It’s a complex, deeply human situation that proves even in her most high-energy pop songs, she’s still giving us the brutal truth.
The middle of Midnight Sun delivers pure pop electricity, starting with “Crush,” which is arguably the highlight of the entire project. It’s an irresistible percussive pop jam with an amazing, show-stopping bridge that perfectly captures the anxiety and excitement of falling for someone totally wrong for you. That infectious energy just keeps building, seamlessly leading into “Eurosummer,” a total sonic shift to a rousing, high-energy dance beat built around hypnotic accordion melodies. It’s the ultimate party track that instantly transports you to a dizzying European holiday. The transition into “Hot & Sexy” is then a brilliant, confident “Eurosummer” leaves you buzzing, and “Hot & Sexy” immediately answers with a bold and confident, unavoidable declaration. The track’s opening seconds feature the iconic, commanding sound bite from reality TV legend Tiffany Pollard—which shifts the mood from escapist fun to full-blown, undeniable self-assurance. This moment cements Zara’s control over the entire pop music scene, leaving the audience impressed and in awe.
@mdhf71029 How it feels to finally have this song on Spotify 😩 #midnightsun #zaralarsson #zaralarssonlive #tour #concert @Zara Larsson
But for all its glittering pop perfection, Midnight Sun isn’t just a relentless dance record; it earns its depth by pulling back from the party for a few genuine, stripped-back, meaningful moments. That serious pivot begins with “The Ambition,” a song that strips away the glitter to reveal the brutal honesty of striving for stardom. Here, Zara tackles the pressure and competition head-on, confessing the internal struggle of chasing validation and seeing “numbers meaning more than words.” This vulnerability is beautifully followed by the album’s emotional anchor, “Saturn’s Return.” Referencing the astrological rite of passage into real adulthood, the track finds her reflecting on personal growth and embracing uncertainty with the powerful, mature realization: “It feels so good to know I don’t know what I’m doing.” These two songs ground the entire experience, proving that the ultimate pop escapism can still have a profound, beating heart, which she then closes with the final, adorable flourish of “Puss Puss,” the final track that feels like the equivalent of a cheeky “kiss kiss” sign-off, leaving you on a sweet, flirty high. The album’s balance of fun and depth keeps the audience engaged and emotionally connected.
@ire_b05 and this was just a stripped back version 😮💨 ❤️🔥 #zaralarsson #midnightsun #albumlaunch #london #saturnsreturn @Zara Larsson
This entire album is why I’ve been talking about Zara Larsson so much this year: she didn’t just participate in pop, she won it. She isn’t just a singer; she’s a dedicated student of the genre, and Midnight Sun stands as her masterpiece, a perfect example of how to blend powerful dance anthems with genuine emotional depth seamlessly. The perfect track sequencing, the bold sonic risks, and the sheer confidence radiating from every chorus demonstrate that she has mastered the exact chemistry of pop music.
Like what you saw? Here’s more:
Zara Larsson: Modern-Age Aphrodite
Olivia Dean: Love, Actually
The Best Reactions We’ve Seen To ‘The Tortured Poets Department’
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