Zara Larsson and Jess Valice on Love
Office — To start off, Zara, what’s one thing you love about Jess’ work? And Jess, what’s one thing you love about Zara?
Zara Larsson — What I love about Jess’s work is that it has this quiet confidence. I’m drawn to artists who can make something feel intimate without over-explaining it.
Jess Valice — What I love about Zara is that she is unapologetically herself. She knows what she wants, and she goes after it, which I really admire.
O — Jess, what would you say inspired you the most when portraying Zara the way you did?
JV — In my work, I’m interested in removing the mask that we all put on ourselves, whether it’s the idea that everything is amazing or everything is terrible. Neither is fully true. I like leaving space for more complex and ambiguous emotions. I wanted to peel back the layers and show Zara’s depth behind all the glamour.
O — What’s something completely non-physical that instantly attracts you to someone?
ZL — Humor. Always. If someone can make me laugh in a way that feels effortless, I’m immediately interested. Not performing, not trying too hard, just that natural spark. It tells me they’re present, clever, and probably don’t take themselves too seriously, which I love.
JV — [Laughs] Humor matters for me too, but if I can have deep conversations with someone, I’m happy to be the funny one in the room. I love when it feels almost telepathic, like you both know exactly what the other person means, even if you’re not saying the right words.
O — Can you tell within seconds if someone will matter to you, or has that instinct ever completely misled you?
ZL — I think I can feel chemistry quickly, but I’ve definitely confused intensity for importance before. Sometimes you meet someone, and it feels electric, but electricity can also just burn out. I trust my instincts more now, but I don’t worship them.
JV — Totally. I can tell right away when there’s chemistry with someone, but at the same time, you never really know what a person is carrying. What demons they have, or what you still have to work through yourself before you’re actually ready for something, especially romantically.
O — What’s more seductive to you: mystery or honesty?
ZL — Honesty. I’m not that impressed by mystery. It actually bothers me when I think about it.
JV — Really?
ZL — I think mystery can sometimes come from not wanting to be fully seen. And to me, to be loved is to be seen, so I like people who say what they mean, don’t play games, and are vulnerable.
JV — That’s interesting, because I’m kind of attracted to both. My last relationship felt more honest, but then dating has definitely felt more mysterious. But the most attractive thing is when someone has both. That’s kind of the dream.
O — What’s one city that is permanently linked to a love memory for you? And for which reason?
ZL — I would say LA. Not necessarily the most romantic city…
JV — I think it’s romantic!
ZL — [Laughs] That’s where my boyfriend and I decided to be a couple. We were spending every night on the rooftop of our hotel while the whole city was shutting down at the beginning of COVID. Looking back, it sounds scary, but it felt really intimate. I just remember feeling safe because we had each other. Then we flew back to Stockholm on one of the last flights out, and it’s been him and me ever since.
JV — Paris. I’ve had very romantic moments in Paris.
ZL — Way more romantic.
JV — I remember leaving the Picasso Museum and then sitting at this random little terrace café, having an intimate conversation over spritzes while people-watching. That was just perfect.
O — What’s harder: loving someone wholeheartedly or allowing yourself to be loved?
ZL — I guess they go hand in hand. I've never had a problem with allowing myself to feel loved. I’m kind of addicted to it. [Laughs] But again, to be fully loved is to be fully seen, and you have to be brave enough to let people see even the sides of yourself that are ugly and a bit pathetic. That’s hard to come to terms with.
JV — That’s incredible. I’m learning how to do the same. Giving love has always been so much easier than receiving it for me.
ZL — I think, as well, when loving others, you have to discover that the fantasy of what you think a person is, is not real. I don’t know. I guess they’re both hard.
O — How do you think love changes people, if at all?
ZL — Love forces you to take a good look at yourself. If you can be humble enough to accept love into your life, you have to be humble to it.
JV — Exactly. It changes you in every single way. It affects every part of you.
ZL — Yes. Beyond just changing you, I think it more so unlocks what’s already inside and brings out a softer side.
O — What’s the strangest thing heartbreak has ever made you do?
ZL — Strangest thing… When I was a teenager, I had strong emotions that kinda only a teenager can have. I ruined Christmas one year because I was outside of my ex’s parents’ house for four hours, and we were both just screaming at each other. That was fun for both of our families.
JV — [Laughs] Well, for me it was astrology! I can effortlessly read anyone’s birth chart now.
ZL — Way more fun than screaming.
O — What was one instance where you truly chose yourself and it changed your life?
ZL — It was not one big thing. Instead, it was tiny things over and over again. In the making of my album, Midnight Sun, I felt like I was growing so much as a person because I made more decisions than I ever had, and every time I did, I would ask myself, What do I want? What do IIIII want? Simple. Funny enough, that’s when people really started to connect with me, because it felt genuinely me.
JV — I relate to that idea of coming back to yourself and putting yourself first. After my last breakup, I was so angry because my whole life, it’s been against my nature to choose myself over someone else. And the second I finally did, I lost what I thought was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. But that anger just poured straight into my painting, and the work became way more expressive, loose, and raw.
ZL — The moment you stop thinking about what other people want from you, how other people would like your art or music, is when things happen.
JV — Exactly. I’ve actually been making these small canvases in my studio, I call them “the tinies”, just for myself, imagining they’d never be seen by the public, and people have been loving them!
O — Have you made your best work while deeply in love or completely heartbroken?
ZL — My best work is, in my opinion, my latest, which comes from being happy. I’m so happy right now! I think being in love and feeling stable actually gave me more freedom creatively. Most of the songs on my album aren’t even about romantic love. They’re about all these other complicated feelings and experiences. Heartbreak just isn’t really my vibe anymore.
JV — I’d say for me it’s a mix of both. Anger, frustration, and passion seem to bring out my best work.
O — What’s something you understand about love now that you didn't a couple of years ago?
ZL — That love should expand you, not shrink you. It shouldn’t make you less yourself. It should make you feel braver, more honest, more alive.
JV — Fully agree! I think love is the most intense experience I’ve ever known. There’s nothing else like it.
