Best known for winning Sweden's version of Got Talent, at the tender age of 10, Zara Larsson is a shining example of a prodigious young female talent being groomed by the music industry into the perfect pop icon.
Her third album Poster Girl is exactly what it says on the tin. Here is a place of dance floor beats and snappy sass for your average teenage girls’ bedroom karaoke session. Perhaps, it’s what the title alludes to, although I was expecting more irony on that front.
For the most part, the album is very generic pop. The “touch me the way you do’s” of “Love Me Land”, “Make your jaw drop, Make you say ‘Oh my god’” of “Wow” and ABBA nuance of “Look What You’ve Done” are slickly produced bangers with all the bounce and claps teen girls need to sustain their basic life dramas.
There’s a whisper of a unique voice that demonstrates a yearning for valid tracks somewhat truer to who Zara might be as opposed to a male-created version of how she should be seen (mostly lace and bra tops, apparently). “I’m Right Here” is a wry riot of wondering why she even tries to get the attention of some idiot who keeps his eyes on the screen and wouldn't notice anything she's up to, as spelt out in the lyrics: “I could have two girls in this bed, I could have powder as my best friend, I could be naked at dinner”.
“Ruin My Life” has more depth of sound with a deep resonating bass and richness that borders on individual and I find myself almost enjoying the broken doll soundscape intro and very brief echo of Iggy Azalea in “What Happens Here” in which she sings “I'ma do it 'cause it's what I want… To be honest, I don't give no fucks”. It’s clear Larsson is a strong young performer who has the talent, drive and wherewithal to get to where she wants to be. I guess it just won’t happen authentically until the contract with Sony is up.
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