A headbanging good time

By Michelle Anne P. Soliman, Reporter

Music Review
Poster Girl (2021)
By Zara Larsson
Epic Records and TEN Music Group

ON Mar. 5, pop singer Zara Larsson released a new album which had been in the works for three years. After a year dealing with the pandemic, Poster Girl deserves a spot on your 2021 playlist.

Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Maria Larsson was 10 years old in 2008 when she emerged as champion of Talang, the Swedish version of the Got Talent franchise. Her winning cover of Celine Dion’s “My Heart will Go On” was released as her debut single. In 2012, the singer was signed with TEN Music Group. She released her first EP Introducing with her first original song, “Uncover,” in 2013. Among her popular songs are “Lush Life” (2015), “Never Forget You” (2017), and a collaboration with British classical-pop band Clean Bandit called “Symphony” (2017).

Poster Girl is the 23-year-old artist’s third studio album and her second released internationally.

Listening to Ms. Larsson’s new album is like attending a dance party. The album opens to the blaring emergency alarm-like sound of “Love Me Land.” The track feels like you are entering a club or joining a flash mob.

The fifth track, “WOW” (featuring American singer Sabrina Carpenter) stands out for its striking chorus beat drops. For someone who does not dance, unapologetically headbanging to the chorus of a pop song is an option. The song incorporates a hint of techno.

“WOW” is followed by the title track, “Poster Girl,” which starts off slowly at first, but the rhythm builds up to another dance track.

While most of the songs are energetic, the album is balanced by slower feel-good tracks such as “Talk About Love (Ft. Young Thug),” “I Need Love,” and “Ruin My Life.” The slower songs are scattered in among the 12 tracks, creating breaks from upbeat tunes.

The songs’ themes include unrequited love, seeking affection, and finding it. Featuring Ms. Larsson’s striking pop vocals, the 37-minute Poster Girl is a groovy pop and R&B album. The record’s pop sound is consistent with her previous studio albums.

Poster Girl is a good addition to a workout playlist or to a new dance routine (whether filmed on TikTok or not). It is also a feel-good record to listen to after a stressful day. I suggest putting the album on loop, inventing random moves (dancer or not), dropping everything else, and just have fun.

For an enhanced experience of the album, videos of Ms. Larsson’s recent online concert were uploaded onto her official YouTube page. Premiered on International Women’s Day, they show off her charisma as a performer — clean choreographed dancing paired with powerful live vocal control.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ms. Larsson said she likes to dance and incorporating movement in pop songs is “what’s fun about it.”

This writer headbangs in agreement.

Poster Girl is available on Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Music, Deezer, Apple Music, iTunes Store, and Amazon Music. For more information, visit.