Are you familiar with the viral meme of whimsical dolphins jumping into a rainbow sky, usually accompanied by an existential or depressing caption? If so, you’re also familiar with Zara Larsson, the singer of the meme’s soundtrack, “Symphony.”
Zara Larsson
Zara Larsson is a 27-year-old Swedish singer who, up until recently, was mainstream mostly in Scandinavia. In 2008, she won the Swedish version of the “Got Talent” show, Talang, and was introduced to American audiences in 2015 with singles like “Lush Life” and “Never Forget You.” In 2017, her first international album, So Good, was released, containing collaborations with Ty Dolla Sign and Wizkid, as well as the Clean Bandit track, “Symphony.” So Good was a successful release as it took high positions on the charts in many countries, although it did not make as many waves in the US.
Between then and 2024, Zara had released two more albums, Poster Girl and Venus, which were successful internationally but did not break mainstream in the US. In August of 2024, a Tik Tok user posted an image of joyous dolphins captioned “I’m depressed” to the chorus of Zara Larsson’s “Symphony.” The meme was hilarious because of the stark contrast between the happy dolphins with upbeat music and the dark caption. Social media did its thing, and the meme became a trend overnight. Other posts of the same or similar dolphin images and song featured different captions, like “$1000 vet bill,” “I am mentally unstable,” and “everything is fine, everything is fine,” for example. The trend boosted the song into the Top 50 Charts and was even noticed by Zara herself.
midnight sun
Zara took this opportunity and ran with it, announcing and releasing a new album in 2025 called Midnight Sun. The aesthetic of Zara’s Midnight Sun era is seemingly inspired by the dolphin meme, as she performs in bright beachwear and airbrushed tee shirts, adorned with rhinestone flowers and fun keychain belts. The album is inspired by the real-life phenomenon of Midnight Sun, when in northern regions the sun doesn’t set for months out of the year, as well as nostalgia and stability. Prior to the album’s release, Zara opened a leg of Tate McRae’s Miss Possessive tour. Some nights, she performed “Symphony” in front of an animation of jumping dolphins, similar to the ones from the infamous meme or danced with inflatable dolphins.
Midnight Sun has been a huge success; the title track was nominated for the Best Dance Pop Recording Grammy, the first nomination of Zara’s career. Zara also recently announced a 2026 Midnight Sun world tour.Â
memes as marketing
Social media trends can either make or break an artist, and it is refreshing to see a pattern of artists being pushed into the spotlight and embracing the memes. Demi Lovato for example, recently released an album and used her past memes as marketing. Charli xcx embraced “Brat Summer” and it pushed her to create more and more content for her fans. It’s very likely that Zara Larsson secured her spot in the US pop scene by embracing her meme.Â