A never-ending Midnight Sun: Zara Larsson’s brightest reinvention yet
By Amitoj Hari, October 28 2025—
When Zara Larsson’s new album Midnight Sun dropped this September, extending her “Eurosummer” into fall, she stepped into an all-too-familiar battleground: the one between numbers and cultural narrative. The 10-track album shows an intentional shift towards creative control; she serves her signature dance pop sound, but shows more vulnerability than previous projects. Yet Larsson’s career raises a question bigger than any one album: how can an artist deliver massive hits and still be cast into cultural obscurity?
Larsson’s resume is nothing short of impressive. “Lush Life” has over a billion Spotify streams, “Never Forget You” reached #13 on the coveted Billboard Hot 100, and “Symphony,” her collaboration with Clean Bandit, was a #1 UK single and a viral hit. While her hits often circulated through playlists and radio, she has struggled to create a lasting identity as an artist. Outside of her European stardom, her name doesn’t hold the same recognition as other 2010s breakout stars like Ariana Grande or Halsey.
This has often been the case for European artists. Hollywood is the epicenter of the music industry, and global success doesn’t always translate to breaking into the Western Market. Larsson’s predicament mirrors that of Little Mix, despite chart topping albums and billions of streams, the group’s lack of U.S. promotion and touring meant their success was mostly confined to Europe, Asia and South America.
The power of Tiktok virality to reignite a pop career was proven with the resurgence of “Symphony” in 2024. Thanks to the “rainbow dolphin meme,” the song trended as users paired the chorus with neon, Lisa-Frank-style dolphins paired with melancholic captions. The 2017 song’s resurgence was exactly the inspiration Larsson needed for her next era.
Larsson took the aesthetics of the meme into the visuals and mood of the album, calling them “Nature but silly.” The album’s artwork and music video imagery nod toward surreal digital dream visual tropes; the playful, colour flooded motifs feel like an elevated continuation of that meme universe. The virality of “Symphony” didn’t just boost streams, it gave Larsson a clear popstar identity, similar to Ariana Grande’s ponytail and Halsey’s blue hair.
Midnight Sun is her sunlit return to the spotlight. Across its concise tracklist, Larsson co-wrote every song, taking a step toward creative ownership rather than outsourcing pop formulas. The album is reminiscent of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, with every song having single potential. The title track introduces the era with an explosive chorus, and “Blue Moon” follows with upbeat romance. Meanwhile “Saturn’s Return” and “The Ambition” show introspection, while “Hot & Sexy” and “Pretty Ugly” lean into the playful hedonism that she does best.
But more than just a collection of songs, Midnight Sun positions Larsson as a true artist, not just a conduit for chart fodder.
Midnight Sun is an album meant to be experienced, not just listened to. Opening for Tate McRae on her Miss Possessive Tour, it gave Larsson a rare U.S. stage and boy did she seize it. Clips from her performances show illustrious vocals and striking choreography, with stan Twitter comparing her stage presence to early Britney Spears. Larsson has inserted herself into the cultural conversation and her upcoming headline tour can cement her relevancy.
In the digital music economy, first-day stream counts, chart placements, and album sales are instrumental in determining the value of artists. Midnight Sun totaled 3.87 million first-day streams on Spotify, which can be career-defining for most, but modest compared to her blockbuster project “So Good.”
But numbers alone don’t create recognition or legacy. Songs tied to collective memory like Ariana Grande’s thank u, next and Halsey’s “Closer,” shape cultural moments. Larsson’s hits, while huge, have not always carried that same stickiness.
Numbers fade; but stories last. Without a narrative, artists risk being remembered only for playlist filler. Midnight Sun pushes back against this erasure. It asks to be seen as a personal and cultural reinvention, not just another algorithmic pop project. Whether it cements her legacy remains uncertain, but it proves a simple truth: charts crown a moment, culture defines an era.
Listen to Midnight Sun by Zara Larsson on Spotify or watch the title track video.