For more than a decade, Zara Larsson has been releasing globally popular hits such as Symphony, Lush Life and Never Forget You. Still, it is hard to say she ever fully broke through the barrier separating success from true name recognition. Only this year, thanks to a savvy image shift and a major boost from TikTok, she finally managed to escape the “Khia Asylum” — the internet nickname for the pop stars’ graveyard — and become a relevant, even intriguing, artist again.
Larsson’s race for fame began in early childhood. At just 11, the Swedish singer won the local version of “Got Talent,” performing Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On in the final. After her win, she flew to Los Angeles to meet with major record labels, but no deal materialized, and she eventually signed with a Swedish label. Over the years, she released four albums and opened for major artists such as Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran, yet never quite became a big enough pop star with a clearly defined name and a loyal fan base of her own.
That began to change thanks to TikTok. In 2024, her collaboration with British group Clean Bandit, Symphony, released seven years earlier, unexpectedly became a meme. Users paired confessional messages or dark secrets with visuals of happy dolphins and fluorescent aesthetics, creating a sharp contrast with the song’s sense of endless euphoria.
Larsson, to her credit, embraced the renewed attention and adopted the colorful, lighthearted aesthetic as a central theme of her latest album, Midnight Sun. In interviews, she said the neon colors and Y2K-inspired vibe were not part of her original plan, but that the viral trend and TikTok dolphins stayed with her subconsciously and guided her creative direction. Add to that her decision to join Tate McRae’s tour as an opening act — McRae being one of the moment’s breakout stars after her hit Sports Car — and Larsson suddenly found herself performing for a young audience enthusiastic about her new look. In one of her new songs, she even sings: ‘Who knew opening up would make me a headline.’
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The viral trend and the TikTok dolphins stayed in her subconscious and guided her in this creative direction; Zara Larsson
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
TikTok once again proved its value for Larsson this summer, when she invited a fan named Julia onstage during a show in Amsterdam about two months ago. Larsson expected Julia to simply dance along to her 2015 debut hit Lush Life, but the fan surprised her by flawlessly performing the exact choreography Larsson and her dancers use in the official routine. The potent mix of distinctive choreography, a once-forgotten hit and a viral clip turned the moment into a TikTok sensation, with the dance and song becoming a trend in their own right. Almost unintentionally, Larsson cemented her status as a TikTok favorite, someone who understands and embraces trends, quickly becoming cool and compelling in the eyes of Gen Z.
She is now even nominated for a Grammy for the first time in her career, for the title track of Midnight Sun — a dream she has said she has had since she was eight years old. “There is definitely a shift in how the world perceives me,” she told Dazed last month. “I’m like, wait, it’s cool to listen to my songs? I’ve always loved all my songs, but I think it’s been hard to identify me as an artist. Before, people knew my songs, but it feels like they know me better now. I’m having fun with it – I’m posting a lot more, and I know for some artists that’s so annoying, but not for me. It’s literally my dream to be a YouTuber.”
Last month also saw the release of a documentary that followed Larsson for years, but ended just as fame began to “happen” for her. In that sense, the film focuses on her “previous life” as a pop star who struggled to reach a truly international audience, while also highlighting another aspect of her persona: outspoken political activism and support for Palestinians on social media.
In the film, Larsson revealed that she was invited to perform at the Eurovision 2024 broadcast held in Sweden but declined in protest of Israel’s participation in the contest. As early as 2019, she criticized Demi Lovato after the singer posted photos from a private trip to Israel, and after October 7, she compared Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — a comparison for which she later apologized. In the documentary, she claims those positions cost her financially, leading to canceled appearances and commercial contracts. “It left me shocked,” she said in the film.
Still, Larsson’s music remains available on streaming platforms in Israel, and in 2023, she even co-wrote the song Everything with Israeli singer Netta Barzilai.
The fact that TikTok audiences are rediscovering Larsson’s older hits, not just her new material, prompted her dramatic declaration that she has risen from the pop singers’ graveyard. She says the new aesthetic reflects her true personality, but at this point, it hardly matters. Rather than resisting trends, Larsson is riding them, fulfilling a childhood dream. And if that means inflatable dolphins at her shows and viral dances on social media — elements that might deter other artists — that is exactly what she is willing to do.