Album Review: Zara Larsson – VENUS

Larsson explores finding yourself within the expectations of society

Zara Larsson has returned with her star-studded new album VENUS. The album explores confidence and finding yourself as well as expressing vulnerability in the faults within yourself. I found the album to be a great listen, as Larsson explores finding yourself within the expectations of society and being comfortable in your own skin.

VENUS comes with many iconic singles, including ‘Can’t Tame Her’ in which the singer expresses the confidence and excitement that comes with being comfortable in your own skin. The song begins with unbound lyrics ‘Night is still young, where the hell will she go? / Nobody knows, nobody knows’ which shows how Larsson is empowering young women to be themselves. The fast paced and upbeat melody of the song brings foreshadows a hopeful beginning to the album and ultimately an exploration of self-love.

Another single from VENUS is ‘On My Love’ featuring the unforgettable David Guetta. As Larsson revealed on social media platform X, the song is a ‘love letter’ to her younger sister Hanna Larsson. Although the song has typical pop beats, the lyrics truly show how much love the singer has for her younger sister. ‘Into the dark, into the light, baby, I go / Whether it’s wrong, whether it’s right, I will follow’ illustrates no matter what circumstances, Larsson would do anything for her little sister and their unbreakable bond.

Another two songs which express the singer’s confidence and embracing herself are ‘Ammunition’ and ‘None of These Guys’. ‘Ammunition’ shows how Larsson is vying for her lover’s ‘ammunition’ in the relationship, their love and attention otherwise. The singer’s confidence in her lover and how they can do better for them both can be seen in the lyrics. ‘I wanna give us a shot, please / Give me ammunition / Love me, kiss me’ conveys this.

However, VENUS expresses the vulnerability that comes within a relationship. The singer recently told Apple Music about the song and her thoughts behind it. ‘It talks about that very relatable feeling, when you just know like, ‘Are we coming to an end? […] It’s an eerie feeling.’ The song’s soft melodies paired with Larsson’s delicate vocals and the emotional lyrics express the singer’s vulnerability when she feels the relationship gradually coming to an end.

The song […] highlights the hardships and upsets that come with ending a relationship

Another song which expresses vulnerability with the relationship coming to an end is ‘The Healing’. The song itself highlights the hardships and upsets that come with ending a relationship with the one you love but also how you can come out of it as a stronger and better person. ‘Can I be with you after the hurting? / After the monsters in my head are finally gone?’ which shows how the singer wants to give the relationship another try after her own difficulties and how she has loved in the relationship despite these difficulties.

Overall, VENUS is a wonderful listen. The album explores love and self-love in different forms, whether in a relationship or not. It shows how despite all the hardships and difficulties, you will always come out as a better person and learn along the way.