React: Zara Larsson - VENUS

Don't underestimate Nothing.

I’ve been an avid Zara Larsson fan over the years, mostly listening to singles here and there. I know this album came out effectively a month ago, but as the saying goes, better late than never. I may be a novice, but I am very much looking forward to listening to this album.

Some of my favorite songs from her include Ruin My Life, WOW (Remix) - featuring Sabrina Carpenter, Lush Life, and I Need Love. And, recently, I watched her AmazeVR concert experience through Apple Vision Pro. That was incredible, but more on that in my upcoming Apple Vision Pro review.

So without further ado, here are my first reactions to Zara Larsson’s VENUS.

Can’t Tame Her

Damn it, I thought I avoided spoilers for this album. Nope. That concert experience I mentioned a few sentences ago? That included Can’t Tame Her.

What stands out to me the most is the song’s retro vibe. The high-pass filtered drums, the synths, and the very precise vocal arrangement send me back. It kinda reminds me of what The Weeknd did a few years back.

In the chorus, there’s a piano that plays out of the left channel, giving the overall chorus a dance vibe. It blends well with the synth playing down the center. Then you have the guitar coming through on the right channel in the second verse.

During the first half of the bridge, if you listen carefully, you can hear a vocoder being added to her backing vocals giving it a bit of a digital effect. That gets stripped away in the second half. The entire bridge is very spacious as well. The instruments all have a ton of reverb added, while Zara’s vocals are very dry and center. It’s a great contrast.

It’s a nice change of pace for the first track on the album. I feel like recently, a lot of albums have started very slow or are a bit melodramatic. I like that Zara started off strong with an absolute banger of a track.

More Than This Was

Right from the start, it sounds like we’re keeping the space/electronic vibe.

If I’m being completely honest, I’m not vibing with this track at all. I think the build up from the intro and first verse did not pay off going into the chorus and second verse. Musically, it’s just not all that interesting.

Yeah, sorry. I just can’t connect with this track at all. Neither lyrically nor musically. It doesn’t have a pull.

On My Love

I love the synth at the beginning and the echoed yeah’s after every line. Before even looking I was like, "This sounds like a David Guetta produced track," and I was right. The synth and drum combination is signature David (in the best way possible).

The chorus reminds me of plenty of songs that repeat one or two similar lines. One is another of Zara’s songs, WOW. On My Love is much more fun and upbeat, while WOW is super intense.

The song is great, but it’s pretty repetitive all around. But I could totally see this being played at a club or on the dance floor.

Ammunition

The lyrics to this song are absolutely heartbreaking. It’s all about wrong timings and what it’s like to either like someone who’s already taken or get your heart broken over something super petty.

The acoustic guitar during the chorus isn’t something I was expecting with a Zara song, to be honest. Actually, the entire chorus is surprising to me with how stripped back it is.

I was gonna say that it’s not a super memorable track. But I’m loving this outro to the song. It’s the saving grace here. It gives off R&B vibes. I’m a sucker for a breakdown to end a song.

None Of These Guys

Hopefully, I don’t eat my words here but this song is starting off strong. The vibe is completely different from the last few tracks and I’m only seven seconds in.

I love the driving synth/bass combo here. The overall mix on this track is great, with a nice blend of her main/backing vocals as well. It gives the track a bit more depth.

I can imagine this song being in a trailer for a 007 movie or a big fight scene in an action movie. I’m absolutely vibing with it.

You Love Who You Love

Do I sense a trend starting? I love the beginning of this song as well. The guitar/bass duo is killer. Very deep bass combined with a bouncier guitar lick. The drum track on this song is great as well. Slightly bouncier kick drum a clap, and a fun hi-hat pattern.

If this were a video, you’d see me bopping my head to this track. And god, right after the first chorus, you add in the strings for four bars. Chef’s kiss. If only it stuck around for longer.

In the second verse, an additional bass layer is added. That’s interesting as... most pop songs keep the same basic bass structure throughout the entirety of the song. It’s nice to hear the change up.

Lyrically, another song about hurt. Sticking with someone and ignoring all of their red flags is pretty tough. The song tells the story as an outsider though, as a friend. As the first line of the song says, You’re so in love with him, it’s tragic.

You know what else would be tragic? If this song doesn’t get a music video. That would be tragic.

End Of Time

Sorry, I’ve also heard this song before. It was also part of the AmazeVR experience.

I think the first verse of the song is almost too slow given the vibe of the rest of the track. End Of Time sounds like a track that has a bit of an identity crisis. Parts of the song (like the beginning and the bridge) are super melodramatic. But other parts of the song are upbeat.

It’s one of those songs I’ll have to give a few more listens to fully form an opinion. But right now, I feel like it’s a bit all over the place. The AmazeVR dance sequence was awesome though!

Nothing

Don’t mind me, I’m being an idiot with a one-liner. "What if this song was three minutes of pure silence." No, it’s not that at all. It’s actually the first ballad on the album and I think I’m in love.

The build up is very beautiful. It’s one of those deeper meaning tracks. A soul read, if you will. Yeah I know too well. When you say it’s nothin’. It’s never nothin’.

I mean what else is there to say? It’s a beautifully produced track. Very spacious in both width and depth. The violas have a ton of reverb and the cello stabs are the backbone of the track. It holds everything together.

Escape

Again with the retro vibe with those synths and pianos.

Honestly, this song kinda mesmerized me. Sorry for the lack of reaction here but I was just vibing to the track the entire time. I’m a sucker for this retro-esk type of song.

The thick bass line, the clap, the stabs. Everything. I love it.

Soundtrack

Another absolutely lovely ballad. This time, it’s more of a traditional pop ballad. Slower bpm with a very basic drum track overlayed over a piano and a few ear candies here and there.

I’m slowly starting to discover that Zara knocks it out of the park with her ballads. She’s 2/2 on this album, and I’m sure there’s more the explore in her back catalog. They’re absolutely beautiful.

I’m not sure what about it that draws me in, but I love the two I’ve heard so far from top to bottom.

Venus

The title track to the album. These always have a bit of hype behind them as it’s what typically inspired the album name (I’d assume, at least).

I’m not sure I completely understand the meaning of the track lyrically. I sort of feel a similar disconnect with the composition as well. I’m just not connecting with the track all that much.

I guess I shouldn’t have hyped the track given it’s the title track. 🤷🏽‍♂️

The Healing

As I mentioned with Soundtrack, I think the sleepers on this album are the ballads. The Healing is another ballad that I’m in love with.

A beautiful way to end the album. No other notes.

Conclusion

I had zero expectations going into this album. I came out pleasantly surprised. There were a few songs I just couldn’t get into, and that’s to be expected. I can’t love every song on every album I listen to.

Likewise, the songs I did connect to, I absolutely loved. Before today, I liked Zara for her upbeat, dance songs. But now, I’m more entangled and interested in her slower, more emotional tracks. I might go back and listen to some of her older content and share some thoughts on Threads.

I’m glad I checked out the album, even though not everything was for me. As always, I’m looking forward to what’s coming next from Zara Larsson.

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NOTE: This reaction was listened to on Tidal with a Hi-Fi Plus subscription via Roon (24-bit, 96 kHz for Can’t Tame Her and 24-bit, 44.1 kHz for the rest of the album). End of Time and Can’t Tame Her were previously listened via the AmazeVR app on Apple Vision Pro.