Album Review: 'Poster Girl' by Zara Larsson

Zara Larsson, the 23-year-old pop singer from Sweden, claims her position as an international dance-pop legend with her latest album “Poster Girl.” Released on March 5, 2021, Larsson’s long-awaited sophomore album is equal parts relatable, empowering and vulnerable. Larsson offers us a personal look inside her relationship with love, sharing both the sad, heartbreaking and warm, uplifting moments. Larsson’s experiences over the past three years, while she worked on “Poster Girl”, are infused into the fabric of each record.

Anyone can sing about love and heartbreak, but Larsson’s pop princess style takes the listener on an intimate, relatable journey and captures all of the notable moments in heartbreak to newfound love.

While Larsson’s first international album “So Good,” fits together like a compilation of singles, her second album is more cohesive. Despite six of the tracks being released first as singles, the twelve-track album is connected around the central theme of heartbreak and love. Larsson switches between dynamic, outgoing songs to vulnerable and downcast songs. This nonlinear pattern captures both the highs and lows on the unpredictable journey of recovering from heartbreak and falling in love again.

“Look What You’ve Done” is a self-empowering anthem about rediscovering yourself after leaving a bad relationship. Larsson’s well-crafted lyrics and airy vocals convey that she finally feels strong and whole again. To an upbeat and emotional pop melody, Larsson sings “Cause now that you’re gone, I’m number one, boy I should thank you for who I’ve become.” Yet the next song, “Ruin My Life,” Larsson’s breakout single from 2018, reflects on the self-destructive behavior of not being able to move on from a relationship you know is bad for you. The juxtaposition of the tracks mirrors the reality that getting over a past relationship is difficult and tumultuous.

Larsson is confident, flirty, and fun, but she doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her personality shines through on the album opener, “Love Me Land.” Featuring an electronic beat and high-pitched vocals, Larsson doesn’t hold back, belting “Thought I’d never love again, but here I am in love me land.” With heavy bass, the record is sonically dark yet also fun and lighthearted with the choruses of “ay ay ah ah.” According to Larsson, “Love Me Land,” which was the last song recorded for the album, was “inspired by the moment when you are finally ready to fall in love again.” 

“Talk About Love” is the perfect follow-up, expressing fear of ruining the magic of the moment by defining the relationship. This mix of upbeat pop and contemporary R&B expresses wanting to protect yourself from falling in love, captured by the lyrics “I don’t wanna talk about love, I just wanna keep us right here in the moment…I’ll do anything that you like, but I won’t talk about love.” On the other end of the spectrum is “Right Here,” a song about wanting to be loved but not receiving the attention and love deserved in a relationship.

Other tracks that stand out as notable checkpoints on Larsson’s journey through love are “I Need Love, “FFF,” and “Need Someone.” On the latter track, Larsson conveys that she finally feels okay being alone and while she doesn’t need a man, she does want one. In contrast, “I Need Love” explores the difficulty of being alone and feeling vulnerable and heartbroken. With a slower, flowing melody, this track beautifully combines a sense of yearning with heartfelt lyrics. The playful and experimental track, “WOW” offers a cheery and bright interlude. The album’s eleventh track “FFF,” an abbreviation for “falling for a friend” is similar in tone to “Love Me Land,” full of the wonder and joy that comes with falling in love. 

The title track of Larsson’s sophomore album, “Poster Girl” is a different type of love song: a love letter to marijuana and life in the spotlight. Like any young pop star, Larsson is adjusting to fame, simultaneously wanting to be the poster girl while also keeping her personal life private. 

Zara Larsson’s album “Poster Girl” is uniquely relatable. Anyone can sing about love and heartbreak, but Larsson’s pop princess style takes the listener on an intimate, relatable journey and captures all of the notable moments in heartbreak to newfound love. With flowing, perfectly in pitch vocals, Larsson brings all the elements of a pop star to the table.

Larsson co-writes many of her songs, but in her own words, she is a performer first and foremost. With the absence of concerts over the past year due to the pandemic, Larsson took things into her own hands to give her fans a special treat. On March 8, International Women’s Day, Larsson collaborated with Ikea to film a live performance on YouTube to promote her new album and draw attention to the importance of girl’s education. Zara Larsson’s professional background in dance and ballet, her vocal range and control, and her fierce stage presence demonstrate that her ability as a performer is similar to stars such as Ariana Grande and Beyonce. You can watch Larsson’s live performance here.