Zara Larsson's musical comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. The 28-year-old singer has reclaimed her stardom with a dramatic transformation and a loyal fanbase after a decade of striving to prove her worth in the industry.
While some know her for the viral hit 'Midnight Sun', others recall her breakthrough in the summer of 2016, when songs like 'Lush Life' and 'Never Forget You' propelled her to fame. However, despite that success, Larsson faced career setbacks and criticism over feuds with Taylor Swift and Chris Brown, as well as controversy surrounding her comments on abortion.
She remains unfazed by her so-called 'flop era', using it as a source of resilience rather than shame. The star is set to headline BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland this weekend.
'I've already had success and then my flop era. And then it's like, 'Okay, I flopped'. So, it doesn't scare me anymore,' she told ABC News. 'I think, looking back, I just felt like I didn't know what I wanted to do. The project didn't start from here. I just kept looking outside of myself. Like, 'what do people want me to do, what do they like?''
She added: 'It's the fact that you are being totally ignored, but you have to push through and be excited – while not being seen. It can be discouraging. But, my love for singing and music goes so deep into the fabric of my DNA and who I am.'
Larsson's ethos as an artist is to achieve longevity and leave a mark on pop history. Yet her outspoken and outlandish demeanor, along with her passion for discussing politics, hot topics, and other celebrities, often lands her at the center of controversy.
Earlier this year, Larsson revealed she lost a massive $3 million (£2.23 million) brand deal after making a 'funny' joke about abortion on TikTok. A fan had posted a clip with the text overlay: 'I didn't know I was pregnant here but at least my baby got to hear 'Midnight Sun' before I aborted it.' Larsson replied: 'I killed the performance and then you killed it after the performance purrrrrr.'
Addressing the backlash, she said: 'I mean just lately, the abortion joke, which is very funny by the way, I lost a $3 million deal which is like what the f***.' She continued: 'If you don't agree with me thinking women should have access to abortion or that we can have a joking conversation about it then we are not meant to be partners. I don't give a f*** about it. You can send me a million DMs and send me a million comments about me being a bad person or a wicked witch, but I don't give a rats a*** because I'm so sure in my stance in that.'
This incident follows a furious social media rant where Larsson slammed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and declared her love for immigrants, trans people, socialism, and even criminals. She wrote: 'Idk about yall but I'd rather have someone smoking crack on my couch than a f**king ICE agent ewwwwwwwww. They're criminals too. Killing, kidnapping, violent, hateful ones.' In another post, she stated: 'I love immigrants, criminals, trans people, abortions, queers, slutty women, contraception, welfare and socialism. But I f**king hate ICE.'
She explained her support for criminals as part of her desire to see her boyfriend, Swedish dancer Lamin Holmén, who cannot enter the US due to a criminal record for marijuana possession. 'We spend months and months apart because of a little spliff over six years ago,' she said.
Larsson also landed in hot water with Taylor Swift for a second time after taking aim at Swifties. When discussing her success, she told The Guardian: 'Playing the chart game is so dead to me. No one's looking at the charts but industry people and maybe Taylor Swift fans.' This sparked outrage among Swift's fanbase, leading Larsson to clarify her comments on Instagram Story, stating she meant it as a compliment to Swift's chart dominance.
Larsson has also been involved in feuds with Chris Brown, whom she called 'TRAAASSHHHHH' on Twitter, and YouTuber James Charles, whom she accused of sending inappropriate messages to her ex-boyfriend. She later deleted those tweets and expressed regret.
In 2023, Larsson clashed with TikToker Ryan Crouse over a satirical video implying she used a homophobic slur. She defended herself, saying: 'Everybody who knows me knows that I'm an ally.'
In 2021, she publicly fired her creative director Ryder Ripps after his ex-fiancé Azealia Banks exposed messages where he body-shamed Larsson's arms. Larsson responded: 'Not Azealia Banks sharing a convo with my CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryder making fun of my armssss. Like I don't pay his bills?'
