For Zara Larsson, Lollapalooza began with a quiet moment in a Chicago hotel room. The Swedish singer and songwriter was waiting for room service, mentally preparing for her festival set as part of her Midnight Sun tour, which has so far stretched from Los Angeles to Brazil, Tokyo and beyond. It was a homecoming of sorts, marking a decade since her first Lollapalooza appearance, and she reflected on just how much has changed.
Reflecting on the gap between performances, Larsson said: “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.”
As part of Vogue’s Sound Check series, Larsson welcomed cameras into her preparation, showing off vocal warm-ups and taking time to mingle with fans, including posing for selfies with starstruck attendees. Before hair and makeup, she revealed the inspiration for her look: a crawfish. The purple and orange shades in her makeup were matched to a photo of the crustacean on her makeup artist’s phone.
Larsson called her personal style “sparkly, glittery, fun,” but said practicality matters too. Her stage outfits need to allow dancing, so she aims to go “as naked as possible and as colorful as possible.” Among the looks she showed off were a glimmering bright blue miniskirt paired with a motorcycle jacket, a pink cropped floral fur piece, and dazzling stretchy capris. She laughed and added, “My Bedazzler is my stylist.”
Larsson embraces a flexible approach to live performance. “I personally don’t like to have too much backing track,” she said. “…I don’t mind that it’s not flawless.” Still, every extra minute helps. When Lil Uzi Vert faced weather delays on the way to Chicago, the rapper offered Larsson his Lollapalooza slot, giving her extra time for glam “and a nap.”
Once dressed, made up and warmed up, Larsson took the stage. “Lollapalooza, how we feelin’?” she called out to the packed crowd, which roared back. She then invited them along, saying, “Let me take you to the midnight sun.”
With that, the preparation gave way to performance, and Larsson’s newest Lollapalooza chapter began.
