Zara Larsson

Zara Larsson

Biography

Zara Larsson is a Swedish singer/songwriter who first caught the public's eyes and ears in 2008 as the winner of the popular Swedish talent show "Talang Sverige", the Swedish version of "America's Got Talent".

The young singer, who was born Zara Maria Larsson on December 16, 1997, was 10 when she won the competition. Not much was heard about her following her "Talang" victory, but she signed with TEN Music Group in 2012 and released her debut EP "Introducing" in January 2013.

"Uncover" was released as the set's lead single. It later peaked at No. 1 on both the Sverigetopplistan and DigiListan charts. It also reached No. 1 in Norway and peaked at No. 3 in Denmark. By February 2013, the song was certified Platinum in Sweden by Universal Music Sweden and its video reached 50 million views on YouTube. 

In March 2013, Larsson previewed her next EP with "She's Not Me (Pt. 1)". The EP titled "Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself" was eventually released on 5 July 2013, featuring five songs. A month later, she announced that she had signed a three-year contract with Epic Records in the United States. Her debut full-length album didn't come out until October 2014.

That month, she dropped "1" via Record Company Ten and Universal Music. The record, which features songs from" Introducing" and "Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself" EPs, went Platinum in Sweden.

"She's Not Me", "Carry You Home" and "Rooftop" off the LP became Larsson's next chart-toppers. She reached international success in 2015 with "Lush Life", the first single from her second album.

She then followed it up with a collaboration with MNEK called "Never Forget You", which performed even better on charts around the world. It has reached No. 1 in Sweden, No. 5 in the U.K. and No. 17 on the U.S.' Billboard Hot 100. [h/t: aceshowbiz]