I mean love Zara, but after sitting with Midnight Sun: Girls Trip for a few days, I think my main issue is that the project feels disconnected from Zara's core identity. What made the MS era exciting in the first place was how defined her aesthetic felt. The glossy, hot, slightly campy, very European pop sound, the visuals, the dolphins, the tongue-in-cheek sex appeal, it all felt cohesive and very her. And that's exactly what gets diluted on this album. Comparing this to the Brat remix album, Charli invited big names like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Lorde, but they all had to step into HER world. The production, the attitude, the sonic palette, everything stayed unmistakably Charli. That's what made it feel so curated and intentional. Zara kind of does the opposite here. Instead of pulling the girls into her universe, she adapts to theirs. Girls Trip just sounds like a playlist of features rather than a cohesive Zara Larsson project. At times it genuinely feels like she's the feature on her own album, which is kind of wild considering how strong her artistic identity has been this era. "Hot & Sexy" with Tyla is actually the best example of what DOES work. I've seen people call it boring, but I disagree. It's the one track that fully commits to Zara's established sound. And then you have songs like "Crush" with Eli. I actually like the track, but the production doesn't really elevate Zara's vision, which ends up feeling more like a detour than an evolution. And let's not forget about Saturns Return cause... that was a choice. And that's kind of the running theme: instead of amplifying Zara, these collaborations dilute her. A collab album was a great idea on paper, especially for an era this visually and sonically defined. Zara is at her best when she's leading the energy, the aesthetic, the vibe. But she didn't just invite the girlies over to her world… she moved into their worlds. And I don't think that's where Zara shines. This project just showed me how perfect the OG MS is.