We called singer Zara Larsson the morning after her London show last Thursday night, to find her in bed in a baby pink dressing gown. Given she’d been hosting back-to-back live shows on her “Midnight Sun” tour for the past few weeks, and hasn’t really taken a break from touring, performing, and earning her It-girl reputation since she was 16-years-old, the PJs were fair enough.
But we weren’t dialing in for a slumber party. We wanted to talk to Zara about how “Midnight Sun” has become more than an album, more than an aesthetic. It’s a lifestyle, a mentality, and a fantasy brought to life by Zara, her all-female team, and “a million @pinterest boards,” as she explained. Like the cultural reset that “Brat” was in 2024, Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun” is fast gaining a similar reputation, where instead of electronic basslines she brings island beats and incredible vocals.
Here’s what Zara Larsson told us about how she’s curating a world around her latest album that feels like an escape to a euro summer happening somewhere far away under a blazing midnight sun.
You’ve been on tour for a while now – I’ve loved seeing all the clips online of your shows! What’s something you get the most homesick for when you’re travelling?
“I actually, luckily enough, don’t really get homesick. I think because I’ve been travelling since I was so young. Around like, 2015, 2016, is when I really started travelling, and since then, I’m never somewhere for longer than a couple of months. The time that made me [feel], like, ‘whoa,’ was during COVID when I didn’t travel for, like, two years. That was such a crazy time for me because my body was just itching to go somewhere, because I was so used to it.
“[If I had to say something I get homesick for, it’s] just the people, honestly. Maybe my bed! But I feel like the world is so universal these days. If you want any type of food, you can get it; whatever you want, you can order it online. I think the people [are what I miss the most], but the nice thing about touring now is that my boyfriend is my opener, so we get to go on tour together, which is very cute.”
Talking about how hen you dropped “1”, your first studio album in 2014, you were only 16 years old. What was it like being in the music industry at such a young age?
“On “Sweden’s Got Talent” I was 10, and I was just so eager. Like, I couldn’t wait. I was very stressed and [thought] that time [was] running out, which is so funny to think back at, because I’m way less stressed now, [compared to] when I was a literal child. I had always wanted to be on stage and travel the world, sing songs, perform, entertain. It’s a part of my DNA. I don’t really know anything else, and I can’t really see myself doing anything else. I actually see myself doing more stuff – I’m getting more and more creative and I’m really a part of making my shows.
“I’m directing my videos, sketching the clothes that I wear on stage, and being a part of everything that I do. I write all my own songs now. I’m going even deeper into being inspired, getting inspiration. Like, even [talking about] my Pinterest boards, I spend so much time [finding inspiration on Pinterest]. I’ve made a million types of boards, and spend so many hours looking at, like, the different clouds I want from my show or how I want to make my videos. I can’t see myself doing anything else, but I can see myself doing more in this world.”
If you could give 16 year old Zara one piece of advice, what would it be?
“Start writing your songs and believe [in] your taste – it’s amazing because it is you. Don’t be so scared of what other people think and stop trying to fit into [being] something you think other people might like, because what you want is what’s gonna make you successful. Funnily enough, when you stop thinking about what other people want and you just do you, that’s what’s going to make you interesting, you know?”
How do you feel like your music style has evolved since you started making music? Who’s influenced you the most along the way?
“The older I get, the more… open to everything I become. I think growing up, I was more in my bubble of what I liked. And also back in those days, we really didn’t have streaming like that. I went and bought an album, and then I was listening to that [one] album or [a few] different albums that I had on repeat. It was Christina Aguilera, it was Celine Dion, it was Beyoncé, it was a few Swedish artists. That was what was going on in my room. Now, with streaming and the internet, you have access to everything, and I really do [listen to] all types of genres – but I think I’ve always been a pop girl.
“Of course, I’m a pop girl that also exists in the world, so whatever’s popular now, I listen to that, and I think that inspires me subconsciously. Rosalia released her album today, and I can’t wait to get into that. It feels experimental and fun. I [also] want to experiment with sounds and have more fun, and the more I write, the more free I become. But I’ve always been a pop girl. I think I would always be a pop girl, no matter [what pop] sounds [like]. I’ve changed [musically] from being a teenager to a grown woman, but at the same time, I think the core essence of who I am is still the same.”
You work with an all female team on tour, something I know more female artists have been talking about doing – Addison Rae discussed it a while back. Why was this important to you?
“I feel like there’s so many people in the industry – backstage specifically, but also the people you don’t really see who make the show – so I really try my best to make sure that there’s a lot of women on my team. I just find it just nicer. Even if there’s this very nice guy, sometimes I’m like, “Excuse me, like, are you listening to me or are you just talking at me?” I feel like they don’t even do it on purpose. It’s just built into them, this slight misogyny, [and I end up feeling like:] ‘you don’t think I know what I’m talking about because I’m a woman.’ My tour director, my tour manager, my production manager, they’re all women and it’s just so nice to be around people who are competent, who listen, and who are solution oriented. They complain way less. They just make shit work. They get it done. It’s a really, really good energy – I feel respected, and I think we all respect each other.”
We love Sophia Sinot, who’s been doing your tour makeup. What’s the vision when it comes to your glam on stage?
“I just sit down in the chair and let [Sophia] go off. I trust her so much. I’ve known her for such a long time, and I was really, really excited that she could come on tour with me because I knew that she was gonna elevate everything so much. Everything on stage matters: the clothes, the hair, but the makeup, it just takes it to another level. [Sophia] just has magical hands, and I know whatever she does… it’s going to look amazing. She just has an eye for colours, and I love that she loves to have fun with the looks. It’s never, like, ‘Let’s do a natural look.’ She basically puts me in drag every night. Like, it’s full on. It’s a costume. It’s fun, it’s a show, it’s entertainment, and I love that she’s not afraid to go there. It really puts the cherry on top of everything about ‘Midnight Sun’.”
And we have to talk about the fits – your onstage looks are stunning. Who are your favourite brands/designers right now?
“We basically only work with independent designers [on the costuming], which is very fun. We kind of say, ‘oh, we want something like this,’ and then we [get] sent something back and I’m like, ‘yes, exactly that.’ One of my favourite [looks] is probably my opening outfit – it’s by Alineo Studio, and they’re very fairy core. It moves so beautifully, with beautiful colours. I also love the girl who did my VMA dress, her name’s Sorcha O’Raghallaigh, and she also does a lot of my skirts. I love that I get to work with really amazing, talented designers to bring a fantasy come to life.”
If “Brat” had tank tops and sunglasses, and “Cowboy Carter” had jeans and cowboy hats, what’s the official tour uniform of “Midnight Sun”?
“A flower hair clip and a key chain belt.”
What are your three main essentials for a “Euro Summer”?
“A pair of really cute sunglasses, a colourful bikini, and a nice beach tote bag.”
You’re wrapping your Europe tour in November, and starting your US tour in February. What are your plans in between?
“Well, I’m gonna go and hang out with my family, visit my parents and spend some time with them. And then I’m gonna take a little bit of a holiday, and just… relax. Lay completely still for a week and a half. Eat a lot of good food. My plan is to not have any plans. Christmas is really the time where the music industry just stops, and we just let Mariah Carey do her thing, so I always book in my holidays then. There’s so much going on [right now], and I’ll have so much going on next year, so I’m planning to do nothing. Just relax.”
Lastly, can you share anything you have coming up in 2026 that we might not know about yet? Even a small teaser…
“I’m gonna be doing a lot of shows. I think that’s the focus. It’s weird being an artist because I essentially know what I’m gonna [be doing].. up until, like, 2027. But it’s gonna be a lot of live shows. I really want to go to Japan and have a show so bad. That would be so amazing. And then just continuing to develop my shows, doing a lot of fun festivals, releasing more music, obviously. Being even more stylish. Just expanding my world.”
If there were one thing on your Pinterest mood-board for 2026, what would it be?
“Girl, honestly, my Pinterest board is it. I make mood-boards for everything, but it’s very ‘summer 24/7,’ mind you, like, 365 days a year. It’s very: bright, bold colours, a lot of hot pink, a lot of trinkets, a lot of accessories. I’m such a maximalist. I don’t believe in the Swedish simplicity of things. Like, bring neon back! I can’t wait for neon.”
Cover image via @zaralarsson ©
