Zara Larsson Recalls Sneaking Around in School to Listen to Eminem & Akon

In a recent appearance on Rolling Stone’s video series “My Life in 10 Songs,” Swedish pop star Zara Larsson took fans on a nostalgic journey through the tracks that soundtracked her life and deeply impacted her musical upbringing. The series, which challenges artists to reflect on the defining music of their formative years, prompted Larsson to reveal a surprising and rebellious chapter from her childhood.

For her third selection, Larsson bypassed traditional pop anthems and instead picked Akon’s 2006 club hit “Smack That,” featuring hip-hop icon Eminem. The choice shed light on her earliest memories of musical discovery, which involved a healthy dose of childhood defiance. Because of the track’s mature themes, it was strictly forbidden in her household, a restriction that ultimately made the song completely irresistible to a young, curious mind.

Reflecting on the thrill of sneaking around just to hear the track, Larsson shared the full story of her third-grade underground listening sessions: “This was the song that I was not allowed to listen to. My mom would be like ‘turn that off!’ She would never allow me to listen to that. I discovered this song when I was in third grade. I didn’t have a phone at this point but it was one guy in my class and he had a phone, he had that song on his phone. So when we had recess, we would go into a corner and it was four other friends and we would listen to the song. I felt so naughty and bad. This introduced me to the sound of Akon. It was the first song that I remember feeling like little bad and that made it so much more intriguing. Also, kind of introduced me to Eminem.”

This early experience proved to be a pivotal moment for Larsson, as it expanded her sonic horizons beyond what was playing on her home radio. The forbidden allure of “Smack That” didn’t just provide a recess thrill; it served as her formal introduction to the signature production style of Akon and the fierce lyricism of Eminem. Decades later, looking back on her journey to global stardom, Larsson credits that hidden schoolyard corner for sparking a deeper fascination with hip-hop and R&B that would help shape her eclectic musical palate today.