So Good

You could never call Zara Larsson shy and retiring. A performer since the age of 10, she’s spent her life hustling to make it as a musician. A disciple of Beyoncé—with flecks of Britney Spears and fellow Swede Robyn—Larsson has become one of pop’s most magnetic stars, one who’s known for her fierce live performances, as well as her outspokenness when it comes to social issues like homophobia, bigotry and feminism. Effusive and dedicated, when it comes to being a pop star, Zara Larsson is all in. That maximalist approach propels her second album, 2017’s <i>So Good</i>, which features everything from tropically tinged pop to skittering EDM to air-grasping balladry. For proof of the album’s power, look no further than the juggernaut that is “Lush Life”, on which Larsson doesn’t so much strut towards global stardom as bulldoze her way towards it. Backed by more hooks than seems possible, “Lush Life” is a bright and summery explosion of pop music genius that’s part ABBA, part Rihanna. Elsewhere on <i>So Good</i>, there’s rasping desperation (“Never Forget You”), impassioned excavations of love lost (“Funeral”) and poignant affirmations that skip the syrupy clichés (“What They Say”). Larsson’s personality brings all those disparate threads together. “I don’t mean to be rude/But I’d look so damn good on ya,” she boasts on the bombastic “Ain’t My Fault”, before showing off her impressive vocal abilities in the song’s final chorus. It’s cheeky, shameless—and exactly the kind of braggadocio you want from a pop star. Fearless and unapologetically confident, <i>So Good</i> is the perfect primer, one that offers a glimpse at the undeniable force Larsson has since become.