A chauffeured black van pulls up to the sidewalk outside Destroyer in Culver City and Zara Larsson jumps out like she's riding a float in the Rose Parade.
The 28-year-old Swedish singer has been a constant presence in pop music for about a decade, with a string of catchy singles – “Lush Life,” “Never Forget You,” “Ruin My Life” – that have racked up hundreds of millions of streams without ever establishing a place for her among music celebrities.
However, that's finally what happened this year with the title track from Larsson's fifth studio album, “Midnight Sun.” A euphoric electro-pop song about “bathing naked with your heart out,” it was called one of the songs of the summer by Pitchfork, which described it as “'Ray of Light' via Jersey Club via Lisa Frank” and said it was “apparently designed in a laboratory to short-circuit gay kids' critical thinking.” Now “Midnight Sun” is nominated for a Grammy Award, Larsson's first, in the dance-pop recording category along with songs by Lady Gaga and Tate McRae.
Wearing a sparkly minidress and a brightly colored bolero, Larsson, who has also made headlines lately for her vocal support of the Palestinian people, spoke about the rise of her career over breakfast on a warm December morning before an appearance at iHeartRadio's annual Jingle Ball concert.
“It's much nicer to be here now than at home,” he says, his blonde hair shining in the sun. “In Sweden it's snowy and cold and it gets dark really early. They'll say, 'Guys, it's really late, we should go to sleep.' Then you realize it's 3:30.”
You saying in a recent interview that the American propaganda machine targeted you. I was wondering which parts specifically.
The entertainment of it all: the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, just Los Angeles as a whole. That's also why I like coming here: it's like I'm still living in a childhood fantasy. There is something motivating about coming to the land of trying to achieve success instead of being at home where we are just happy with our insurance and our healthcare. There is no routine.
Is the routine good?
In doses. I like to come here for a few months, feel inspired and then come home.
You started spending time in Los Angeles for work when you were young.
Sixteen or 17 years old. I always came with my mom, she took me everywhere. I didn't really have any friends here, but then I wrote to some people on Instagram my age and said, “Do you want to go to lunch?”
Something bold.
Why not? Having friends here changes everything. If I have a weekend, I can drive somewhere and see someone. The car is one of the main reasons I like Los Angeles. I love being in the car: I can listen to music and be in my thoughts. It's one of the only times I don't scroll on my phone.
Is “Midnight Sun” your best album?
Safely. I think it's better because it's more me. When I started, I knew I loved singing and acting; I loved to entertain. But as I get older, I realize that there is a difference between being a performer and being an artist.
How is making this album different from your previous ones?
I was signed at 14 and started releasing music at 15, and I was always around a lot of adults or people much older than me. They were incredible but they were not my companions. I felt a little disconnected because of the age difference or because they had 10 hits under their belt; I just felt a little small. This was the first project where I brought together people who felt like my friends and we were really doing this together.
In an alternate timeline, that previous process slowly wears you down and you never reach the epiphany you described.
I don't remember who, but someone said that as an artist, what wears you out is not that people hate you, but that they ignore you. That's more painful than someone booing you.
Have you ever been booed?
Sometimes, but that wasn't really because of my music, but because of my political opinions. But at least there's energy in that.
Zara Larsson
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
You said PinkPantheress in Interview magazine that you've been practicing your Grammy speech since you were 8 years old.
Maybe not practicing, but definitely fantasizing: “Wow, I can't believe this!” Me and the mirror growing up we were like [crosses fingers]. When I think about it, the mirror was like the ultimate manifestation tool. That's what I did throughout my childhood: imagine myself on stage in front of people, entertaining them but also entertaining myself.
What did the people in your life do with that disposition?
I mean, it was always embarrassing to do that performance in front of the mirror, then look back and see my sister looking into the room with her friends: “What is she?” doing?”
Tonight you will play Jingle Ball. Would you say you were aiming “Midnight Sun” for Top 40 radio in the United States?
With love and respect for iHeart, I really didn't give a damn about the radio. Wanting to do something for other people. Will the radio play this? Will other people think this is a success? —I don't think that really benefits you. I understand why people do it. But it's not very inspiring. And funnily enough, when I stopped doing that, that's when they said, “Do you want to come perform?”
Was success in the United States always important to you?
Yes. That's why I never wanted to sing in Swedish. At home, all our popular artists sing in Swedish.
Write letters in Swedish
[Cringes]
Wouldn't that be nice?
Maybe. I haven't really tried it. As a language, it is very melodic. And the interesting thing is that I love writing in Swedish. I used to have this blog where I wrote in Swedish.
Does any Swede bother you for not singing in Swedish?
No, because we have had many amazing artists who sing in English: Roxette, Ace of Base and many important DJs. Everyone knows that Sweden has a huge music export; that's probably what made me feel like I could do this because all those other people have done it: Robyn, Lykke Li, Max Martin, obviously.
Is Max Martin considered a national hero in Sweden?
It's so discreet. If someone with semi-long hair walked up and said, “I'm Max Martin,” people would say, “Yes.” I don't think he's a recognizable person in people's minds because he's not on TV. We don't have a celebrity culture.
In pop music, most of the great performers are women and most of the great producers are men. However, I was struck by the fact that Addison Rae made her album in Sweden with two women: Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser.
I love them. Elvira is one of my favorite producers. A few years ago I knew that I never want to be in the studio with only men. I have done this many times and they were always very friendly. But I never really felt seen or heard in those rooms. This time basically no straight men made the record, and it was wonderful.
