Zara Larsson is patiently awaiting a room service order in her Chicago hotel room as she prepares to play Lollapalooza, one of many stops on the Swedish pop star and singer-songwriter’s Midnight Sun tour that’s taken her from Los Angeles to Brazil to Tokyo (and beyond). What’s changed for Larsson since her last stop-in at Lollapalooza a decade ago? “I was a teenager, and now I’m a woman. I feel like my voice is better, I feel like I have more fun, actually, I feel more involved in my artistry and in my songwriting and in the making of the show, and I think you can really, really tell,” she says.
Catching up with Larsson as part of Vogue’s Sound Check series means being treated to some of her vocal warm-ups, as well as watching her mingle and pose for selfies with starstruck fans. “The inspiration for the look is a crawfish,” Larsson explains as she sits for hair and makeup before taking the stage, showing off the purple and orange details of her beat that perfectly match the coloring of a photo of a crawfish pulled up on her makeup artist’s phone.
Larsson describes her style as “sparkly, glittery, fun,” but her onstage outfits also have to be comfortable enough for her to dance in, so she tends to go “as naked as possible and as colorful as possible.” When she later shows off the glimmering bright blue miniskirt and motorcycle jacket, pink cropped floral fur, and dazzling, stretchy capris that constitute some of her tour looks, she remarks with a laugh: “My Bedazzler is my stylist.”
When it comes to live performance, Larsson is a big believer in going with the flow. “I personally don’t like to have too much backing track,” she notes, adding: “…I don’t mind that it’s not flawless.” But every bit of prep time helps. Larsson and fellow artist Lil Uzi Vert brilliantly schemed a little Lollapalooza lineup switcheroo when the rapper faced weather delays on his way to Chicago and offered Larsson his slot, giving her some much-appreciated extra time for glam “and a nap.”
Once Larsson is all dressed, made up, and warmed up, it’s officially time to hit the stage. “Lollapalooza, how we feelin’?” she cries to the packed crowd, and they roar back at her as she invites them: “Let me take you to the midnight sun.”
Director: Chrissy Mahlmeister
Director of Photography: Brian Wingert
Editors: Katie Wolford, Billy Ward
Senior Producer: Bety Dereje
Producers, On Set: Lily Hamilton, Qieara Lesesne
Coordinating Producer: Lea Donenberg
Steadicam: Andy G Cat
1st Assistant Camera: Jason Mitchneck
2nd Assistant Camera: AJ Holtel
Gaffer: Snore Doumbia
Audio: Brendan Reilly
Production Assistants: Reggie Swoverland, Isabella Rodda
Production Coordinator: Tanía Jones
Production Manager: Kristen Helmick
Line Producer: Natasha Soto-Albors
Senior Line Producer: Jen Santos
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew
Tour Audio Mix: Bob Boyle
Supervising Editor: Kameron Key
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Global Video Director: Lauren Mendoza
Executive Producer: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Video: Romy van den Broeke
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Images Courtesy Of: Kai Movellan, Sophia Sinot
Footage Courtesy Of: Lollapalooza