Professional Fangirl- Katelyn Benschoter
The music industry is one of the hardest industries to break into. Once an artist has “broken” into the industry by having a hit song, it is even harder to maintain that fame. This is where the idea of “one hit wonders” comes from. So many artists throughout the years have struggled to come back after having a song go viral. Artists such as Wheatus, who is known for “Teenage Dirtbag,” or Sheppard, known for “Geromino,” are key examples of one-hit wonders. Everyone has heard of those songs, but has no idea who sings them because they have only had one hit song. Swedish pop star Zara Larsson is a unique case. Larsson is not quite a one-hit wonder; she actually has had a plethora of hits during 2015-2017. Notable songs being “Lush Life”, “Ruin My Life”, “So Good”, and “Never Forget You”. Yet, in recent years, she has been out of the mainstream. Until recently, she has been one of those artists whose songs you may recognize but not know that it was her singing them. This all changed due to, you guessed it, a Lisa Frank-inspired dolphin meme featuring Larsson’s song “Symphony”. Well, maybe you didn’t guess that, and it may sound silly, but a dolphin meme has single-handedly rejuvenated Larsson’s career.
The year is 2017, Larsson and Clean Bandit release the song “Symphony”. It does decent, but nothing too big comes from the release. Fast forward to the year 2024, the world is addicted to TikTok, and an image of two sparkly Lisa Frank-inspired dolphins goes viral using Larsson’s song “Symphony”. The song becomes unavoidable whether you like it or not. The trend was posting this upbeat song, with the vibrant image, to some honest, melancholic text such as “I’m depressed”. The meme was funny because of the juxtaposition of the bright, happy song and imagery, matched with very real and sad thoughts. This meme had a great run and reminded the world of Larsson’s music. Larsson was not quite in the mainstream again, but she slowly but surely made her way back. She started popping up at music festivals and smaller events, singing some of her hit songs, such as “Symphony.” Little did she know this was only the beginning of her comeback.
Most popular artists have a very clear aesthetic, whether it is the BRAT green color Charli XCX has claimed, bows for Gracie Abrams, or even friendship bracelets and Taylor Swift. To make an impact in the music industry, and be able to stay relevant, you must first have a hit song. But the aesthetic and the way in which an artist presents themselves is also crucial. That being said, before 2024, Larsson was missing a clear aesthetic. She did not have any sort of trait or accessory that was uniquely her thing. Once the dolphin meme had been circulating for a while, Larsson decided to change something. In an interview with Spotify, Larsson discussed how the meme, oddly enough, inspired her. She talked about how she wanted to live in the whimsical Lisa Frank world that is featured in the meme. Soon enough, Larsson came out with her album Midnight Sun on Sept. 26th, 2025, with an entirely new aesthetic. From vibrant summery makeup, lots of sparkles, micro skirts, and loads of pink, oranges, and yellows, Larsson looked like she stepped out of the viral dolphin meme. And not only does it match the meme, but it also flatters her so well. It does not seem fake or performative, but rather very genuinely Larsson.
When one finds oneself, or rather a song, going viral for another reason than the artist intended, there are many ways in which they can react. It is probably most common to simply not respond and not play into it. But there is also the approach that Larsson took. That approach is embracing the meme and taking advantage of it. Larsson did not try to pretend her song was not a part of a meme; she thought it was just as funny as anyone else. She began performing “Symphony” everywhere and was suddenly back in the public eye. And as mentioned prior, she then embraced the aesthetic of the meme and did a full rebrand. Despite being an artist on the scene for over ten years, Larsson is someone to watch going forward. I believe this comeback is only going to be the beginning of Larsson’s career. She is going on a world tour starting in February, so I only anticipate her becoming more and more popular.