Poster Girl in Bloomington, MN

Following an extended rollout that reached back to 2018, Swedish pop singer
Zara Larsson
returned in 2021 with her third solo effort,
Poster Girl
. A generous dose of buoyant dance pop, the set builds upon a formula similar to its 2017 predecessor, the chart-topping, multi-platinum international hit
So Good
, home to a quartet of Swedish number one singles. Here, she continues to dole out infectious R&B-influenced pop gems with ease, from the pulsing, string-backed "Love Me Land" -- an exuberant earworm that would make both
Rihanna
and
Robyn
proud -- to the sensual throbber "FFF," which falls somewhere between
Kylie Minogue
's
Body Language
Dua Lipa
Future Nostalgia
. Other highlights include the sparkling summer jam "Need Someone," which packs piano twinkle and funky bass into a nostalgic disco throwback; the booming "WOW," a dramatic electronic journey courtesy of
Marshmello
; and the disco-kissed "Look What You've Done," a sonic sibling to
Larsson
's hit collaboration with
Clean Bandit
, "Symphony." That latter track recalls contemporary radio hits by
Ava Max
, while elsewhere the spirit of
Ariana Grande
slides up next to
Young Thug
duet "Talk About Love" and album closer "What Happens Here." Tighter than
and packed with just as many catchy tunes,
is yet another big step forward for the artist, adding a dozen fresh anthems to her catalog and maintaining her position as one of Sweden's finest pop exports. ~ Neil Z. Yeung