She’s still only 21, but it feels like Swedish dance-pop singer/songwriter Zara Larsson has been around forever due to the fact that she first found fame at the age of 10 thanks to Swedish TV singing competition Talang (kinda like the Swedish version of America’s Got Talent). So she’s been fortunate/unfortunate enough to grow up in the public eye. Her first two albums — 2014’s 1 and 2017’s So Good — were both released while she was still in her teens but the “Ruin My Life” single (released last year) and the “Don’t Worry Bout Me” follow up (released last month) display a more mature, exciting sound. She performs at the Fonda this week so we chatted…

L.A. WEEKLY: How do you think you've grown and evolved as an artist between the “So Good” album and your new material?
ZARA LARSSON: I am much smarter and wiser than I was. I’m not a teenager anymore – I’ve been through so much including feeling my first heartbreak. As for the sound, the culture has evolved so much so it’s going to be different. I try not to overthink it too much, though.

How was the experience of working with The Struts on “Don't Worry Bout Me?” What did they bring to the song?
I love them so much, they are so cool. They are really fresh and easy to write with. It’s so vital to me to be comfortable with the people I write with and have the right vibe, so it was a perfect fit.

Do you enjoy coming to L.A.? Any good memories?
So many great memories! Usually when I’m in L.A. I am working, writing or recording, and that is really fun. There’s also so much great food and the weather is always amazing.

What can we expect from the set this time?
It’s a lot of my classic songs, but it is definitely an evolution from past shows. We have new songs and new dance breaks that I am so excited about. Even if there is some overlap to previous sets, I always have a great time, so I can promise that you will too.

What's next for you, after this tour?
After this tour, I have the Ed Sheeran tour starting and then a few festival dates. Ed’s tour is a ton of dates and goes into the fall, and then hopefully an album and another tour. The dream goal is to grow with each step. I love every aspect of it.

Zara Larsson performs with Astrid S at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30 at the Fonda.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.