Track Review: Zara Larsson, “Can’t Tame Her”

It’s been two years since Zara Larsson delivered a formidable addition to the pure pop pantheon in the form of her Poster Girl album. The Swedish streaming powerhouse returned last Friday (Jan. 27) with “Can’t Blame Her,” the lead single from her forthcoming fourth studio album.

A typical self-empowerment anthem that revels in Zara’s effervescent party-rocking freedom, “Can’t Tame Her” is just fine. It’s a fluffy song that hits every familiar trope and cue in the Top 40 pop handbook. In that familiarity, there is beauty. With “Can’t Tame Her,” Zara remains committed to condensing grand moments of catharsis into bite-sized three-minute chunks, and that’s what pop is all about.

Nonetheless, the track’s redundancy is its detriment. Zara has always made great pop songs that feel full and distinct. She’s a gifted singer whose vocal choices are bolstered by production that is equal parts saccharine and idiosyncratic. “Can’t Tame Her,” however, suffers from an incredibly obnoxious beat that too obviously wants to evoke the nostalgic yet futuristic feel of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.” Couple that with the fact that we’ve largely moved past the 80s synthpop obsession of 2020, and you’re left with a song that feels oddly behind the curve for an artist as smart as Zara.

“Can’t Tame Her” commits a crime worse than being a bad song in that it never quite builds into anything memorable. Regardless, if her track record is anything to go by, Zara’s upcoming album will probably be a strong project. While “Can’t Tame Her” isn’t a particularly interesting song, it does make for a safe radio single, so it at least serves some purpose.

Score: 60