Zara Larsson hits back after critics wrote her off
Zara Larsson says Beyoncé inspired her superstar ambitions
Zara Larsson has revealed her Swedish roots are the secret behind her pop perfection, and she’s not shy about owning her star power.
The 28-year-old chart-topper opened up about her journey to global fame, insisting growing up in Sweden helped shape her “ear for melody” thanks to the country’s long-standing obsession with polished pop music.
Speaking to Vogue Singapore, Zara explained: “Sweden has such a strong pop tradition, and I think growing up there definitely shaped my ear for melody.”
The Lush Life singer added that Swedish pop is often “clean, direct and emotional”, but admitted she always dreamed much bigger than her home country.
“I wanted the big global sound,” she said, describing her music as a mix of Scandinavian songwriting and “ambitious pop-girl energy”.
And it turns out that the songstress has always known she was destined for superstardom.
The Invisible singer confessed she spent her childhood dancing around her room, building Lego and pretending she was performing in packed arenas while blasting Beyoncé songs at full volume.
She also grew up idolising Swedish music legend Carola Häggkvist, calling the Eurovision icon “Swedish royalty”.
“For as long as I can remember, I would pretend I was on stage in a huge arena,” she admitted.
“Certain people are just born to entertain… I’m definitely one of those people.”
But the pop princess also reflected on the tougher side of fame after critics previously claimed her career had stalled.
“Pop is brutal,” Zara said. “People want to declare something over so quickly.”
Now firmly back in the spotlight, she says the experience taught her not to let strangers decide her timeline.
