GIRLS TRIP: A DETOUR BACK TO THE KHIA ASYLUM ?

Charlotte Rutherford

2 May 2026

Joshua Magazzu

Zara Larsson has released the deluxe version of her album Midnight Sun, titled “Girls Trip.” This expanded edition features new, exclusive remixes of the original ten tracks. The deluxe boasts all new production and spotlights fierce female talent, with reimagined versions featuring artists such as Shakira, Robyn, Kehlani, and Madison Beer. While the intention behind Girls Trip was to breathe new life into Midnight Sun, the execution falls short. Many of the remixes feel cluttered and lack the tightness that defined the original album.

The instrumentation often sounds layered without cohesion, resulting in a messy sonic landscape. While Larsson attempts to explore new territory with experimental synths and abrupt tempo changes, the result is tracks that feel unfinished and unpolished. Collaborations that initially promised to invigorate the album sometimes fall flat.

"Midnight Sun," featuring Pink Pantheress, is the lead of the project; it has a cute music video and introduces a new dynamic, but suffers from awkward mixing. Even "Pretty Ugly" with JT and Margo XS, a major standout on the original record, is filled with countless new sounds that don’t blend. It's overwhelming and chaotic, undermining the artists' synergy. The overall sense I get is that these reimagined songs were not given enough time to really stew and become fierce evolutions of their original forms.

Despite these shortcomings, I can applaud Larsson for really taking this era by the scruff of the neck and making it her bitch. She has had an incredible year: an almost flawless original record, a sold-out world tour, and the name on every pop fan's lips.

Yet, in striving to expand her artistic vision with Girls Trip, she’s taken risks, which is fierce! But there is every chance that it doesn’t always pay off.

The messy and unfinished nature of many tracks pulls the rug out from what could have been a triumphant reinvention, leaving us with a reminder that even the brightest stars can stumble when they reach too far, too fast.

So here we are — standing at the gates of the Khia Asylum, watching Zara Larsson walk the line between brilliance and flash in the pan. Midnight Sun was her escape plan, but if her next work is anything like Girls Trip, she’ll be back behind those infamous doors in no time.

rating: ⭐️