Review: Zara Larsson – So Good
After a hefty amount of delays, Swedish pop hotshot Zara Larsson‘s international debut So Good has finally seen the light of day.
The fifteen-strong collection gets things going with “What They Say”, an inspirational anthem dedicated to keeping her fans motivated. “Whatever you do, just don’t believe what they say / ‘Cause they don’t believe you like I believe in you anyway”, Zara convincingly tells them. So Good then launches into an onslaught of Zara’s memorable hit bops (“Lush Life”, “I Would Like”, and her latest, “So Good”), reminding us exactly how she became a household name across Europe in 2016.
“TG4M” feels like the only obvious single choice left from an album already containing six singles, and will surely be pushed as yet another hit for the Swede this summer. However, the remainder of the new tracks on So Good are mostly a miss. Some of the LP’s songwriting could have definitely been better; “I don’t wanna shower even if I stink / ‘Cause I don’t wanna wash you off, wash you off my skin” she comically expresses on “Only You”, whereas “I Can’t Fall In Love Without You” contains a cringe-worthy line about wishing impotency on an ex she’s hung up on. It doesn’t get much better with the ambitious #woke theme “Make That Money Girl”, an embodiment of the proud feminist image the teen boldly unleashes on Twitter frequently.
Many of So Good‘s songs only fuel the comparisons Zara has had to Rihanna (one that even her own mother believes). You can almost literally hear Riri all over island dance bop “Sundown”, especially since the two singers have a remarkably similar tone in their singing voices. Despite this, nobody can deny that So Good shows Zara Larsson as a hit making singer in her own right, with her own uniquely great singing voice.
“I’m just trying to do good pop”, Zara commented about the album to Billboard. ‘Good’ is certainly the most appropriate adjective for the Swede’s international debut album; So Good is an album which is neither terrible, nor brilliant – just… good.
Listen to Zara Larsson‘s album So Good on Spotify.