Discover more about the Venus singer-songwriter.
In 2015, Zara Larsson took the world by storm with her single, “Lush Life”. Since then, the Swedish singer-songwriter has gone on to release several other pop bangers, including “Ruin My Life” and the chart-topping collaboration with Clean Bandit, “Symphony”. Her success also earned her the opportunity to open for Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour at the Wembley Stadium in London in 2016.
Now, nearly a decade after her rise to international stardom, the 26-year-old has returned with her fourth LP, Venus. But before you dive into her latest record, here are five things you need to know to get acquainted with the Gen-Z pop sensation.
1. Her hit single “Lush Life” was born out of a songwriting camp
When Larsson released her tropical pop smash, “Lush Life”, from her second studio album, So Good, in 2015, it was quickly dubbed the song of the summer. It’s an inescapable earworm about forgetting the past and living in the moment with no regrets. The single became a massive hit in her home country of Sweden before gaining traction across Europe and Australia, and then eventually reaching the USA. A team of songwriters and producers co-wrote the song during a songwriting camp in Stockholm that Larsson attended. At the end of the week-long session, “Lush Life” caught the singer’s attention, who thought the song had a “really nice vibe to it”. “I love it so much,” she explains in a Genius interview. “We were approaching summer, and it’s a very good summer song.”
2. She appeared in — and won — the Swedish version of Britain’s Got Talent
Before Larsson got her international breakthrough with “Lush Life”, the singer was a contestant on Talang, the Swedish edition of Britain’s Got Talent. Seeing it as a chance to pursue her pop star dreams, she entered the contest at age 10 and instantly became a hot favourite with her soaring rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All”. For the season’s finale, she performed Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, which won her the top prize. Her cover of the Titanic ballad was then released as her debut single and stayed on the Swedish singles chart for over a month, peaking at No. 7.
3. Venus marks the first album under her own label
In 2022, Larsson launched her record label, Sommer House, in an effort to take control of her entire recording catalogue after her previous label, TEN Music Group, shuttered its business. This bold entrepreneurial move also resulted in the creation of the singer’s fourth album, Venus, marking her first official full-length record under Sommer House. The album, inspired by the eponymous Roman goddess, places platonic and romantic love at the core of dramatic EDM and ’80s-inspired dance-pop gems. But besides releasing her music independently, Larsson also plans to discover and sign new talent under her label. “I want to sign my own artists and producers and writers because now I have the foundation set up for it,” she tells the BBC.
4. “On My Love” is a love song dedicated to her sister
Venus is full of love songs, including one that’s specially dedicated to Larsson’s sister, Hanna. Titled “On My Love”, the track was co-written by Larsson with French DJ and producer David Guetta. Driven by a pulsating club beat, the song is the singer’s love letter to her younger sibling. “Whether it’s wrong, whether it’s right, I will follow / I’ll pay the price, I’ll sacrifice / That’s on my love,” Larsson proudly declares. In the accompanying music video, nostalgic home videos of the pair of sisters as children are interspersed with summer-filled clips of the duo in the present day as they enjoy each other’s company on a tropical vacation and at a rave with friends.
5. Larsson has also pursued a career in acting
Larsson might be known best for her singing abilities, but the pop star also knows a thing or two about acting. She recently made her acting debut in the Netflix film A Part of You, which also marks her first lead role in a full-length feature film. Directed by Sigge Eklund, the Swedish production stars Larsson alongside rising actors Felicia Maxime and Edvin Ryding. In the movie, the singer portrays Julia, the older sister to Maxime’s character, Agnes. To Agnes, Julia seemingly has it all — looks, friends, and a boyfriend — until one day, everything unexpectedly turns upside down. Larsson has described the coming-of-age project as a “dark and sad” yet “hopeful” story about life and grief. “It sounds terrible, but it’s beautiful,” she says.
Listen to Venus on KrisWorld.
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