Hungry.
The college student roamed around the winding campus, forcing their tired legs to take one more step, and another until their grumbling stomach could finally reach the cafe shop filled with delicious, savory burgers and sweet snacks that could satisfy their intense cravings.
Stardom.
The child’s eyes glowed brightly in both excitement, and nervousness as they watched the new girl group come together on the giant screen while the judges chose the final members, who would lead the international group to the promises of becoming a worldwide star.
Two words, with completely different meanings but when they come together, they create a powerful expression known as “hungry for stardom” to express an artist with a strong desire, and intense passion to achieve success.
With the current industry where we see several experienced and newer artists emerging, it can be hard to track and give attention to each of their journeys and steps taken to reach their current standing. However, in the recent months, there have been some artists that have made their footing and taken a clear direction, by gaining attraction and popularity through their current brand image, infectious melodies, and persistent effort.
The Sun-Kissed Swedish artist, Zara Larsson, made her debut in 2008 by winning Talang, a Swedish talent show, subsequently releasing her first album in 2014 with “1”. Following, her second album with “So Good” poured out many well-known hits circulating the media with “Symphony” to “Lush Life” that became part of an era where many consider music at its’ peak.
Except, until recently in 2026, Larsson’s music caught the attention of more than fifty million music lovers on Spotify, and other social media platforms as well.
From her release of “Midnight Sun” to “Stateside” with Pink Pantheress, Larsson’s latest tracks and new visual identity made her an artist that many of her earliest, and newest fans became completely captivated by.
Following in the footsteps, the “naturally pink-haired” Slovakia singer, Adela, made her debut on the HYBE x Geffen survival show, “The Debut: Dream Academy.” The show was centered around twenty contestants striving for a spot to potentially debut from a major record label, ultimately creating the popular girl group, Katseye.
With her appearance on the show, many viewers that rapidly became fans got a chance to see the journey and extensive effort in becoming an artist, resulting in them growing a strong connection and admiration, even after Adela didn’t debut in Katseye.
After releasing music starting from 2024 with singles to an EP like “Superscar” and “The Provocateur”, Adela started expanding her fan base but truly rose to the top once releasing her 2026 album “Prima”. With catchy melodies from “Ain’t In LA” to “Nicole Kidman”, her music along with her visual identity caught the public’s eye, and increased her fan base to 33.2 million followers on Spotify.
But what has caused such a massive growth in both of these dedicated artists? You may think it’s the great music or the artists’ impressive vocals itself, and while those play a huge factor, there’s a crucial piece in becoming an mainstream artist that once you find out, it’s hard not to notice the clear branding and personal growth that allows these singers to shine.
Adela’s bright-colored hair and full-blown pink style to Zara Larsson’s dolphin summer aesthetic and glowy colorful visuals are all parts of their marketing and brand image that ties them to who they are as an artist, and executing it all through intense amount of determination and hard work to create an artistic identity that resonates with themselves and their fans.
As showcased evidently from these artists’ strong ambition to try their absolute hardest with Zara Larsson speaking out in an interview with ABC News about her many hit songs and years of dedication to performing song after song, this time, her 2026 “Midnight Sun” album finally felt like the chance to be the writer of her own show.
Her previous songs with three of them having over a billion streams struck her as if the public knew the “songs but they don’t necessarily know me”, and had a long time where she felt “invisible”.
This new album allowed Larsson to delve into her identity, eventually giving her the confidence she needed to emotionally connect with her target audience, and grow into an influential artist.
By representing what she stands, Larsson incorporated an all women’s team with her 2026 World Tour, and is working amongst great individuals who understands and connects with her dream vision.
In harmony, Adela’s interview with triple j brought up her fans’ discussion on how “hungry” of an artist she is, with Adela echoing their conclusion by commenting how she is “starved” as she stated the amount of hours and planning she puts into each song and music video.
While still being a newly established artist, it takes time, and experience to learn and understand what direction and music works for you.
In another interview, Adela adds on Spotify Radar about how her 2026 “Prima” album “was made with the intention of being a lot more human”.
By being able to unveil her creative style and songwriting throughout her debut album by creating music that her childhood self would have loved, Adela fashioned a discography and visual aesthetic that is not only appealing to many people from all around the world, but weaved a strong bond between her as an artist and her fans.
Being hungry for stardom is a powerful trait and an admirable dedication that many artists like Zara Larsson and Adela have curated with a design in making, learning along the way that allows them to be the writer of their own story.
Giving the time and place for lesser-known artists and hidden gems, creates an opening for music lovers to cultivate a wider appreciation for music and a chance for these artists to live out their dreams, sharing their striking passion to the rest of the world.
What are some artists that come to mind who are hungry for stardom? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU