Midnight Sun is the fifth studio album by Swedish singer Zara Larsson. It was released on 26 September 2025 through Sommer House and Epic Records. Inspired by the atmosphere of the Swedish summer, the ten-track project blends polished pop production with introspective songwriting, being characterized by its focus on personal themes such as ambition, identity, and self-reflection. Larsson worked closely with a range of collaborators on the album, including longtime partner MNEK, as well as Margo XS, Zhone, and Helena Gao. It was preceded by the singles "Pretty Ugly", "Midnight Sun" and "Crush", and will be supported by the Midnight Sun Tour, which is set to begin in Europe in October 2025.
Upon release, Midnight Sun received widespread acclaim from music critics, with praise towards Larsson's lyrical evolution, vocal performance, and Swedish-tinged production. The album reached number one in Sweden, becoming her fourth chart-topping project and third chart-topping album in her home country.
Background
Larsson worked with her longtime collaborator MNEK.
The 10-track project sees Larsson taking creative control, working closely with longtime collaborator MNEK,[1] as well as producers Margo XS, Zhone, and songwriter Helena Gao.[2][3] According to Larsson, the album draws inspiration from the Swedish summer and aims to evoke the atmosphere of a night that never ends.[4][5] In a message to fans, she expressed that Midnight Sun reflects her identity as an artist, describing it as her most personal work to date.[6]
"In thinking about this album, I thought, 'What do I want to say? What do I want this to be?' I really am proud of my Swedish pop heritage, so I wanted to write about a Swedish summer where the sun never goes down. I wanted the whole album to feel like it's a summer night and it never ends. And it doesn't matter if it's December: the summer night will be there for you. It's waiting for you, it will come back for you, and you will come back for it."
Larsson has described it as being shaped by years of reflection and artistic development.[7] During the four-year period between So Good (2017) and Poster Girl (2021), she recorded and ultimately scrapped several album versions, citing the pressure to deliver a strong commercial follow-up.[7][8] "I must have had five albums in those four years that I was just like, 'No, no, no, not good enough. Let's start over,'" she said, reflecting on the creative process. The title Midnight Sun was chosen early on and revisited multiple times, with Larsson writing several songs under the same name before finalizing the concept.[8]
Composition
Midnight Sun is an electropop album[9] that blends polished pop production with introspective lyrics, drawing on Larsson's experiences with ambition, self-doubt, and personal growth.[8] Lyrically, Larsson embraces life's messiness with refreshing honesty, chronicling her navigation of public scrutiny and private growth while acknowledging the grey areas that define adult existence.[10] It incorporates a range of styles, including trance, Brazilian funk, and ballroom-inspired sounds, creating a diverse palette that complements its thematic focus on personal growth and youthful energy.[11] According to The Fader, the album carries a distinctive quality compared to her earlier work.[12]
Songs
The title track "Midnight Sun" draws inspiration from the summer nights in Sweden, where the sun barely sets and the atmosphere feels timeless.[13] Larsson described the song as central to defining the album's tone, blending a sense of freedom with emotional depth.[14] The track captures themes of clarity, presence, and paradoxical carefreeness, which she summed up as: "I don't give a fuck, but I do care a lot, and I hope and I pray and I manifest".[15] "Blue Moon" is characterized as a Baltimore club–influenced love story.[16] "Pretty Ugly" is described as a "hedonistic shrugging-off of traditional roles by way of 'Hollaback Girl'.[16] "Girl's Girl" explores the internal conflict of having an attraction to a close friend’s boyfriend, with Larsson noting that the song was inspired by her own experiences at sixteen.[16] "Crush" addresses the challenge of resisting attraction to a forbidden subject.[16] "Hot & Sexy" combines bubblegum bass, Brazilian funk, and techno elements, incorporating themes of female autonomy and societal expectations. Larsson stated that the song concludes with a message emphasizing the right for women to enjoy themselves freely, regardless of external judgments.[16] It also draws on ballroom influences, adding a vogue-inspired energy that underscores its playful yet confrontational tone.[11] The track "The Ambition" reflects these themes, addressing internal pressure and comparison. Larsson has described ambition as "both a blessing and a curse", influencing the album's emotional tone. The concept of the "midnight sun" serves as a symbolic link to her Swedish roots and evolving identity.[8] The album closer, "Saturn's Return" is described as reflective, airy, and celestial, with Larsson singing about letting go of pressures and embracing uncertainty.[11] "Puss Puss", begins as a personal sign-off to a boyfriend over the phone and transitions into an uptempo track.[16]
Promotion
Larsson is set to promote Midnight Sun with an iHeartRadio Album Release Party, where she performed new music and participated in a Q&A hosted by iHeartRadio's JoJo. The event was broadcast on 29 September via iHeartRadio's Hit Nation station.[17] In October 2025, Larsson appeared on UK content creator GK Barry's podcast Saving Grace to further promote the project.[18]
Singles
The album's lead single, "Pretty Ugly", was released on 25 April 2025.[19] The electro-influenced track was accompanied by a music video directed by Charlotte Rutherford, featuring choreographed sequences in an open field that descend into chaos as rain begins to fall.[20][21] The title track "Midnight Sun" was released on 13 June 2025.[22][23][24] On 15 August, Larsson released her third single from the album, "Crush".[25][26][27][28][29]
To support the album, Larsson will embark on the Midnight Sun Tour, beginning in Europe October 2025 with arena dates across major cities including London, Amsterdam, and Stockholm.[6][30] She will also join Tate McRae's Miss Possessive Tour in North America and support OneRepublic on their 2026 Australia and New Zealand dates.[2]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Midnight Sun received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 89 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[32] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 6 reviews and gave the album an average of 8.0 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[31]
AllMusic praised Midnight Sun as a breezy and energetic dance-pop album that reflects both Larsson's Swedish roots and her personal growth. The review highlighted her Rihanna-like vocals, diverse production from collaborators including MNEK, and a balance between euphoric pop tracks and more introspective moments.[33]Clash described the album as a return to form for Larsson, contrasting it with Venus and noting that the album avoids heavy concepts in favor of consistently catchy Scandipop.[34]DIY described Midnight Sun as a vibrant, maximalist pop record that blends electronica, dance, Scandi-pop, and R&B, showcasing Larsson's versatility. The review also highlighted her reunion with MNEK, praising the album's energetic production and its mix of bold party tracks and more introspective moments.[36]Dork wrote that while Midnight Sun opens with the polished, radio-friendly pop Larsson is known for, the album ultimately reflects her own confident personality and independence from outside expectations.[37]Rolling Stone wrote that Midnight Sun sustains "high-energy dance-pop joy" from beginning to end, celebrating the endless summer atmosphere of Larsson's native Sweden. The title track was highlighted as "deliriously hypnotic", capturing the experience of partying through 24 hours of daylight.[40]
In a more mixed assessment, Stereoboard's Jack Press rated the album three out of five stars, noting that while MNEK's production elevates weaker material, it also ties Larsson to retrospective sounds when bolder reinvention might have been more effective. He concluded that Midnight Sun works better as a course correction than a breakthrough, improving on Venus while still leaning too safely on nostalgia.[10]
Commercial performance
Midnight Sun debuted at number 1 in Sweden, Larsson's home country. Across Europe the album debuted at number 10 in Norway, number 18 in Germany, and number 33 in Denmark.[42][43][44] It also debuted at number 36 in the United Kingdom and number 49 in Spain.[45]
↑ Göthberg, Hugo (26 September 2025). "Popstjärnans bästa album hittills"[The pop star's best album so far]. Gaffa (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
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