Zara Larsson’s line “Boots!” is more than just an ego boost. It’s a mixture of ferocity, fabulosity, and genius wrapped in glittery bows of chicness and sass. It personifies the energy that Larsson brings to the song in just one line, and it gives the song even more life than it had before—not to say that the original version is bad by any means. The song is quite reminiscent of an older era of pop—an era in which stars like Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, and many more soared in popularity. These artists made pop classics that fans still recite faithfully in contemporary times. No matter how old we get, there will always be a party in the USA.
The original version of Stateside, sung by PinkPantheress, features a more Y2K vibe as the music video offers lower resolution and a more edgy look which significantly juxtaposes the modern, clean-cut technological implementations that many of our contemporary music videos feature. The song has a very nostalgic feel, almost serving as a metaphorical form of time travel, and encapsulates a period of time that remains very near and dear to our hearts. You can just hear—through imagination of course—the song blasting on a classic radio in the room of a teenage girl after a long day at school as she kicks her feet on her bed, obsessing over her school crush.
Zara Larsson’s addition to the song drops more than a hint of magic to the already musical masterpiece. Larsson’s vocals add an angelic tone and harmony that complement PinkPantheress’s low-intensity vocals. The two’s vocal styles work magnificently together, and Larsson implemented an iconic phrase that has fans recreating her viral sound where she kicks up her feet yelling, “Boots! That’s my ego boost!”. The clever wordplay has caught social media in a chokehold as many are mesmerized, describing the song as “serving c*nt”.
Despite Larsson rising to fame in the States through her feature on Stateside, she has experienced many career successes prior to the viral hit. She won a Swedish talent show in 2008 when she was only 10 years old. She also released pop hits Lush Life and Never Forget You a little over ten years ago, catching international attention.
So I think it’s safe to say that Larsson wasn’t lying when she described “all those years [she] put in for the American Dream.” The song did wonders for both women as the music video has reached almost 900K likes on YouTube and is ranked No. 1 on both the U.S. and Global Spotify Charts. Both women have been highly recognized for the strong efforts that they put into creating such a musical gem that we can look back on for years to come.
