Pop music is known for its catchy melodies, danceable beats, and more often than not, its focus on love. This is what makes Zara Larsson the pop princess she is — simply put, she knows the game and how to play it.
With singles such as “Never Forget You,” “Ain’t My Fault,” “Ruin My Life,” and “FFF,” Zara Larsson has been repeatedly stuck in our heads for several years, and with her latest release, ‘Midnight Sun‘, she definitely plans on staying there.
As the album opens, “Midnight Sun” starts with a simple melody before adding a snare that quickly matches your heart rate. Unfortunately, when the vocals come in, we are left wanting a little more. With a barely recognizable hook, this song is ultimately forgettable at best.
It is always disappointing when a title track fails to live up to the hype. A title track is meant to highlight the best parts of the album, if not the current state of the artist themselves. When things come up short, one must wonder what statement is trying to be made and if it is even worth defining.
“Blue Moon” recovers Ms. Larsson quickly, reminding listeners of what makes the artist so great — a danceable beat matched with a catchy hook. This song seems like a throwback to ‘So Good‘ from 2017. A simple song about the feelings one gets during the first stages of a relationship.
There are no 401(k) or mortgage payments here. Only puppy love under the stars and the excitement of getting to know someone for the first time.
“Pretty Ugly” is the first standout track on the album, giving us something that slightly resembles old school party rock. Starting with a gang vocal chant, the song makes the listener want to sing along almost immediately.
This song is about losing one’s inhibitions. When you’re the pretty person, life can often come down to appearances. Here, the artist doesn’t want to stand by society’s standards for the night; she wants to get “ugly.”
“Crush” follows the upward trend on the album, meeting every standard of today’s top pop music. One could easily imagine this song recorded by an artist such as Sabrina Carpenter or Demi Lovato and still being equally as good.
What’s the need for destruction? This might get ugly. You will ruin my life. Tell me why do I crave your attention?
Larsson speaks of having a crush on somebody who isn’t her true love. She knows that this new person will ruin her life, but she can’t help the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. She knows it can never be love, and she ultimately refuses to give in to temptation.
Being a pop song, this could have ended way differently. It is quite commendable that things are drawn to a close before they get too heated.
“Hot & Sexy” evokes an early ’90s freestyle mood, blended with a hint of the party rock mentioned earlier. This song follows the routine already set up on the album, and that is by no means a bad thing. It has a similar tempo to “Pretty Ugly,” and a simple theme that doesn’t take much to decipher.
“Saturn’s Return” slows things down considerably, but that isn’t to say there isn’t some danceability here. Just a slow sway compared to the all-out rave on songs like “Crush” and “Girl’s Girl.” The beat does pick up a little towards the end of the song, but refuses to change the song’s aura.
On this song, Zara Larsson sings about the comfort of ignorance. There is a certain sense of coziness within inexperience, but in all honesty, it becomes dangerous at a certain point. You can only play stupid at your new job for so long before they show you the door.
“Puss Puss” closes out the album, a song reminiscent of early Kesha. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it feels a bit dated. Nonetheless, the song is a fun way to take the compendium to the finish line. The near juvenile recording of a phone call is a bit silly and takes away from the replayability of the song.
Zara Larsson is one of those feel-good artists who can turn even a sad subject into a double dose of positive energy — “Crush,” for example. What could have been a down-tempo, bummer of a song ends up as a high-paced romp through the gamut of emotions. In fact, she has done this on nearly every single album from ‘So Good‘ to ‘Poster Girl‘ to ‘Venus‘, and that is what makes her one of the greats.
All in all, ‘Midnight Sun’ is a total vibe. This is a great album to chase your cares away by dancing out the depression and slaying the sadness.
What is your favorite track on ‘Midnight Sun ’? Let us know in the comments below!
Listen to ‘Midnight Sun.’
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Charles E. Henning
Self-proclaimed "entertainment guru" Charles E Henning fills his free time reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. While not always up on the latest trends, he is consistently willing to dissect the themes of pop culture.