Zara Larsson - Poster Girl

3.6

Rating

3.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Good dance pop
Quite a variety of tracks
Some nice lyrics

Flyctory.com Cons

Some songs are just too weak

A new album by Swedish pop supergirl Zara Larsson. Four years after her last long-play, the Scandinavian is back in the record store and releases Poster Girl on 5th March 2021. It is the third album by the 23 year old girl. Here is my review.

Zara Larsson – About The Artist

Zara Larsson is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter, who was born on 16th December 1997 in Solna, a Northern suburb of Stockholm. She already became popular in her home country by winning the 2008 edition of Talang, which is the equivalent to other … got talent national shows. Her winning title was Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, which has been released as a debut single after the show and went seventh in the local charts. She nonetheless did not get a record deal at that time, so that her debut EP, Introducing has been released at the beginning of 2013. The only single from that EP, Uncover, topped the charts in Sweden and Norway and went Top 10 in Denmark and Switzerland. This paved the road to her 2014 debut album, which has simply been called 1 and majorly just lead to a national success.

She kept on working on her career and the second album So Good, released 2017, turned her into a global superstar. Already the first single, Lush Life, was huge in all major European markets. It is a ten times platinum single in Sweden. Three more singles went platinum in her home country, She had some collaborations in recent years, but none could connect to this success.

Zara Larsson – Poster Girl – Track by Track

The twelve song album lasts 37 minutes.

1. Love Me Land

The opener of the album, Love Me Land, is rather thin to me. Rather hectic change of different elements than really a compact song. I cannot relate to the song too much.

2. Talk About Love (feat. Young Thug)

Critics about the first song – much more positive about this one. While I personally don’t like these kind of rap-pop collaborations overwhelmingly, Talk About Love with Young Thug is definitely well done, has a continous beat and a more catchy chorus. Nice one.

3. Need Someone

Need Someone is the first song which has not been released before the album.

Yeah, I’m happy
I don’t need someone
I’m happy, I don’t need your love
I’m happy, but I want you
Yeah, I’m happy
I don’t need someone
Yeah, I’m happy but I want you

Nice happy pop sound. A song which sounds like Zara Larsson – which is definitely some sort of seal of quality.

4. Right Here

I’m right here
Why can’t you look at me
You keep your eyes on the screen like you don’t care
That I’m right here
I’m wearing that perfume
That you got me in June
Do you not smell it in the air?
I’m right here

While I feel that the verses are a bit of slow and could have more power, the chorus is definitely a nice pop one.

5. Wow

Out of the singles released before the album, Wow has received the best reviews. I am not really into the song, I have to admit. Pop music can be simple and lead to an easy listen. Wow has a nice vibe, but other songs on the album do better to me.

6. Poster Girl

The sixth track of the album is title track. Poster Girl is definitely my favorite song on the album so far. Nice dance rhythm, which makes you want to dance. Nice chorus as well:

Holy smokes
I’m not the poster girl of feelings but with you I can’t stop
Holy smokes
I want the sweet organic healing on the tip of my tongue

7. I Need Love

I Need Love is a slower track and thus comes with a slight touch of soul. A nice groove. One of these tracks of the album, which deserve the Explicit sign right beneath the song.

I need love, ooh ooh
Like an addict needs a drug
Like a hunter needs the blood

8. Look What You’ve Done

The verses of Look What You’ve Done reminded me a bit of 1990’s dance top. The song is again very rhythmic, Zara Larsson is just the Swedish dance floor queen.

And now they’re playing our favorite song that
We used to dance to, nights like tonight
The paint is fading, feels so amazing
To know you hurt me for the last time
So I ain’t crying anymore
I’m stronger than I was before
You keep calling me again
But I keep dancing anyway

9. Ruin My Life

Out of the previously released songs, Ruin My Life is definitely my favorite. Nice groove, good lyrics and a catchy melody. That’s pop music.

10. Stick With You

We only gonna break up so we can make up
We got the real thing
We call it real love
Even the haters ain’t gonna stop us
Baby, I’ma, I’ma, I’ma stick with you
We on the inside
They on the outside
We in a bubble with only good vibes
Nobody knows us
The way that we do
Baby, I’ma, I’ma, I’ma stick with you

Rather in the mid-tempo range and having a nice rhythm, Stick With You comes with some quite present guitar sounds in the background. Definitely the kind of songs Zara Larsson fans will praise. Good one!

11. FFF

FFF is limited in highlights to me. At least it comes which an almost cheeky, teen-ish sound. And it is good enough that you don’t feel urged to skip it.

12. What Happens Here

Any dance party is coming to an end. Music off, lights on, pay your bills and go home. What Happens Here too strongly feels like the get-out dance of the album. You know that it will soon be over even when you just started to listen to that.

Zara Larsson – Poster Girl – Spotify

Here is Poster Girl on Spotify:

Zara Larsson – Poster Girl – My View

Poster Girl is indeed a nice album. Unfortunately, it is a Zara Larsson album. She can do better – and you expect more. The listening experience is full of ups and downs. Some really good songs and some others. Zara Larsson fans will still love the album, for dance pop fans, it at least holds some five, six songs for a party playlist, which is not too bad at all.