Music Opinion: Zara Larsson’s ‘Girls Trip’ transforms ‘Midnight Sun’ into a collaborative playground

Following on from the cult success of ‘Midnight Sun’, Zara Larsson has opted to remix the sound into a new collaborative women-centred album, ‘Girl’s Trip’ - in perfect time to take summer 2026 by storm.

In ode to a girl’s trip, Music News Blitz’s Macy Wright takes us on a trip of our own through the artistic new album.

A new era influenced by ‘BRAT’ summer

Where the original album was more sleek and cohesive, ‘Girls Trip’ loosens the reins and takes the tracks in innovative new directions with help from our favourite female pop voices.

The remix approach lands at a time when pop music is still shaking off the afterglow of ‘BRAT’ and its cutting-edge remix album ‘Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat’.

The genius of the remix album by beloved pop diva Charli XCX allowed the cultural moment of ‘BRAT’ summer to dominate from 2024 all the way into 2025.

But now, it’s time for lime-green, messy hair and smudged eyeshadow to step aside as neon pastels, metallics and face jewels move in.

‘Girls Trip’ operates on the same premise that pop musicians don’t need to be meaningless hit makers, they can release creative, boundary-pushing music and then remix it into something entirely new.

Each track on the fresh record is handed to a different female collaborator, and the results vary greatly depending on who Larsson has worked with.

PinkPantheress brings a British influence to the pop hit

On the title track, PinkPantheress brings her signature light, UK garage-influenced touch, giving ‘Midnight Sun’ a fresh sense of movement, ready to soundtrack the British summer.

The track feels reminiscent of a sunny day, relaxing in the park somewhere, listening to 2000s garage anthems on your friend’s JBL speaker.

It is one of the album's most natural pairings, where both artists meet in the middle to combine their unique styles into one cohesive track.

Following on from the success of Stateside by PinkPantheress featuring Zara Larsson, it comes as no surprise that this track lands as a personal favourite from the album.

A blend of sounds and hyperpop production

The project works best when it leans completely into the remix concept - with the new and improved ‘Pretty Ugly’ being a major highlight of this.

The high-energy song takes on a modern hyperpop influence, with the genre’s signature chaotic production done masterfully by DJ Margo XS, most known for working with hyperpop icon Kim Petras.

While the original track was highly successful in Larsson’s home country of Sweden, across the UK the song had more of a niche cult favourite across gay bars and drag performances for its pure attitude and catchy hooks.

With the fresh addition of JT’s voice cutting through the original track, and a new and improved beat from Margo XS, the remix is sure to rival the love of the original amongst the UK’s LGBTQ+ community.

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Zara Larsson’s feminist vision

‘Girls Trip’ feels very much curated around the current state of pop, where women’s voices are being highlighted more than ever, and female artists are emerging as some of the strongest voices in the music industry.

Beyond its sound, the album leans into a deliberate collaboration between women, and promotes the idea of love and support between them.

Larsson has long been vocal about equality within the music industry, and this project feels like a natural symbol of her stance, rather than a marketing ploy or publicity scheme.

Instead of positioning women as features within a male-dominated framework, the album removes that hierarchy entirely.

‘Girls Trip’ is not a perfectly cohesive record, but it doesn't try to be - each collaborator is given their own space to reshape the material however much they feel necessary.

A chaotic but compelling pop reinvention

Ultimately, the strength of ‘Midnight Sun: Girl’s Trip’ lies in the chemistry between the mastermind behind the project herself, Zara Larsson, and the talented collaborators on the album.

While the blending of sounds could come across chaotic at times, the album works perfectly because it doesn't try to control every outcome, it allows musical personalities to collide and overlap at a time when collaboration between women is celebrated.

As the days get longer and the sun starts to rear its head here in Europe, many of us are putting our face jewels on ready for a ‘Midnight Sun: Girl’s Trip’ summer, and we are celebrating chaotic collaboration all the way.
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