REVIEW: Zara Larsson @ 9:30 Club — 05/11/19 [PHOTOS]
Posted On May 13, 2019 May 14, 2019 In Galleriesby Matt Torres
Larsson's follow-up to 2017's So Good is due Spring 2019
WOW, Swedish megastar Zara Larsson sure puts on a damn great show. Over the weekend, the 21-year-old Stockholm native brought her intimate and completely sold-out Don't Worry Bout Me Tour to Washington, D.C.'s iconic 9:30 Club – and it was a complete masterclass on true pop stardom. From the powerful live vocals that led each track to the infectious and tantalizing dance moves that kept us on our toes, Zara Larsson was on fire as she delivered her most successful hits, a few unreleased and deep-cut gems, and even a great Avicii cover to round-out an incredible evening.
Zara Larsson at 9:30 Club (Photo: Matt Torres)
While fans are anxiously awaiting the follow-up to Zara's international debut album, So Good, Saturday's performance at 9:30 Club was undeniable proof the Swedish songstress has already achieved extensive global success in a short period of time. Larsson's setlist read like a laundry list of the decade's biggest viral hits, and that's easily just the beginning.
Larsson's penultimate show on her first-ever headlining U.S. tour opened with a wallowing cut of her multi-platinum, Clean Bandit chart-topper, "Symphony." The performance, which was met with an enthusiastic singalong from the crowd, would immediately set the tone for the wild night that was already unfolding.
After working D.C. into a tizzy with her first UK #1, Larsson quickly followed with, "I Would Like," one of the eight singles produced by So Good, before treating fans with a live performance of "This One's For You" – the singer's David Guetta collab and the official song for the 2016 UEFA EURO Cup.
Before we could catch our breath, Larsson and her two backup dancers were already prepared to crush our souls with the artist's latest bop, "Don't Worry Bout Me," an unapologetic ode to brushing off the self-interested and selfish. The new single, which was released in March, is our second taste of Zara's upcoming new album. While news of the album has remained rather scattered, the contagious hook, melody, and chorus of DWBM have us ready to end our worthless relationships. The track is also a clear indication that the follow-up to 2017's So Good will be filled massive pop anthems ready to launch Zara Larsson into an entirely new pop stratosphere.
Zara's high-energy cut of the new track was then met with one of the quietest moments of her set, and a return to her 2012 debut EP, Uncover. Stripping back the booming bass that characterized a majority of the night, and with Larsson's beautiful voice at the forefront, D.C. got a deep-cut taste of "Carry You Home" before building into a reinvigorating cover of Avicii's "Wake Me Up" featuring Aloe Blacc.
Our revived spirits were then served up, "TG4M," a non-single track from So Good, before getting a rare live performance of the unreleased track, "Wanna." The song, which prominently features a sample of Usher's "You Make Me Wanna," did not make the cut on Larsson's So Good, with the Swedish artist telling Billboard, "I had so many good songs that didn't make the album because I didn't want to do a 28-song album. I wanted to keep it short and sweet." Though, the artist has promised the fan-favorite will receive its long-awaited moment in the sun on the new record, "It's getting on the fucking record, I love it." Trust and believe we loved the track as well.
Following our first unreleased glimpse into the new record, Larsson split the crowd into two, asking both sides to sing different parts of her 2017 Ty Dolla $ign collab, "So Good." D.C. had no issue as they perfectly harmonized the so good, so goods and once again reconfirmed the untouchable international reach of Larsson. We then got our second unreleased taste of the album with "All The Time," another pop earworm ready to burn up our speakers like wildfire.
"Uncover," from Larsson's 2012 debut EP, seeped from the speakers after our final taste of the new album ended. Although the song may be relatively unknown to a large portion of the U.S. population, the single has accumulated over 155 million streams, proving it's only a matter of time before Larsson's world domination truly commences. Despite only a majority of her biggest fans going crazy over the track, the energy never left the room as Larsson prepared for her grand finale.
As the night came to a close, Zara Larsson quickly delivered "I Can't Fall in Love Without You" before running through so many hit singles that my head is still spinning. "Ruin My Life," the lead single from Zara's upcoming album, began to play to ear-rupturing screams, indicating the room was definitely filled with the fans responsible for the track's 215 million streams to date. "WOW," a track that finds Larsson enjoying the cheeky simplicity of true love, kept the crowd alive and pumping until the Swedish powerhouse completely slayed the room with her international hits, "Lush Life," which boasts nearly 800 million Spotify streams, the buzzing "Ain't My Fault," and then closing out with her triple platinum, chart-topping hit "Never Forget You" with MNEK.
While Zara Larsson is still working on her epic follow-up to 2017's So Good, the Don't Worry Bout Me Tour proves the young singer-songwriter is ready to make the next crucial pivot into becoming the household name she deserves to be. Her stage presence demands attention, her voice is showstopping, and her choreography will have you queuing up YouTube dance tutorials just to keep up.
With singles, "Ruin My Life," "Don't Worry Bout Me," and "WOW" setting a strong case for Zara's forthcoming album, it's only a matter of time before this pop star is selling out arenas worldwide. Stream Zara Larsson's complete discography below while checking out our photos from the show. Zara Larsson's Don't Worry Bout Me Tour runs through August in Europe with a performance at DC's Capital Pride Concert confirmed in June. See the full dates and purchase tickets here.
Connect with Zara Larsson
Galleries Review9:30 ClubEpic RecordsMNEKSo GoodTy Dolla $ignZara LarssonZara Larsson 9:30 Club
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