Released: February 9
Zara Larsson delivers one of the most fun and exciting pop releases of the year so far with her fourth studio album, ‘Venus’.
Led by single Can’t Tame Her – a synthesiser-drenched return for Larsson with a relentless energy and powerful vocals – the record carries through the intergalactic imagery of its artwork and title, with the instrumentation on tracks such as More Than This Was building to a sparkly and euphoric climax.
None of These Guys is an eerie dark-pop number, sold by Zara’s captivating vocal delivery – even going as far as to describe the men around her as NPCs – while the Top 20 David Guetta collaboration, On My Love – although a hit in its own right – is the most straightforward moment on the LP.
It’s an outlier on ‘Venus’ with an anonymity that could have belong to any number of pop stars, but having proven herself to be equal parts feisty and determined countless times in interviews and online, Larsson largely sticks to her guns on her latest offering, which feels like a departure from her last release, the summery ‘Poster Girl’ (2021).
Instead the Swedish star opts for more menacing melodies and confident choruses, such as on You Love Who You Love, which is filled to the brim with attitude and a multitude of catchy segments that in a justified world would get Larsson an easy hit. Meanwhile, Venus is another future potential single choice, with a giddy chorus and dreamy production that helps to build the universe Zara wants us to travel through on the record.
Across the album, obvious risks are taken with unique production choices such as the glamorous flourishes on Nothing that feel straight out of a period drama, even if an extended run time does bear with it the occasional filler moment.
But where it’s good, it’s great, and ‘Venus’ is without question Larsson’s strongest offering which, in showcasing her impressive vocals, proves this could very well be the thing that sets her apart in a crowded industry.
