Trending Now: Zara Larsson calls out Chris Brown while taking a stand against industry abusers – Fans React

Swedish pop star Zara Larsson isn’t curating playlists for vibes alone anymore; she’s curating them with values. 

In a candid moment on Cheap Shots, she revealed there are artists she has blocked entirely from her streaming platforms.

“There are so many artists I have blocked on Spotify, and all of them are, like, abusers,” she said plainly. One name she made clear: “You certainly wouldn’t find a Chris Brown song.”

It’s breaking entertainment news, yes. But it’s also bigger than pop culture.

Larsson’s comments land in a world where gender-based violence (GBV) remains a global crisis. According to global health data, more than one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

In countries like South Africa, femicide rates are among the highest globally. These aren’t abstract numbers. They’re lived realities for many women behind closed doors.

So when a chart-topping artist publicly decides that alleged or convicted abusers don’t get space on her personal soundtrack, it hits differently.

Celebrity, accountability and the “halo effect”

Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2009 after physically assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanour assault in 2014 following an altercation in Washington, D.C., and in 2017, his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a five-year restraining order against him.

Brown’s repeated legal troubles reflect a broader pattern: studies have shown that individuals accused or convicted of assault, particularly those in the entertainment industry, often face multiple allegations across their careers.

Larsson has been vocal before. In 2016, when asked about his music, she admitted: “I don’t like him. I do like his music, to be honest. I think he’s a really talented person. He can really dance and sing. But he’s not a nice person.”

That tension between talent versus morality is where culture finds itself today.

Hollywood and the global music industry have long operated within what psychologists refer to as the “halo effect,” where fame and talent tend to soften public judgment.

Celebrity culture can blur lines of accountability. But when a young, globally successful woman says she won’t separate the art from the artist, she disrupts that protective shield.

This isn’t cancel culture soundbite feminism. Celebrities shape values, especially for young fans. For teenagers discovering identity through playlists and TikTok trends, what their idols endorse often becomes what feels acceptable.

Larsson, who rose to fame at 10 after winning “Talang”, Sweden’s version of “Got Talent”, and later delivered global hits like “Lush Life” and “Never Forget You”, understands the weight of influence.

She is currently riding high with multiple songs charting while preparing for the US leg of her “Midnight Sun Tour”. Yet she chose to centre accountability in her narrative.

Silence, especially from powerful voices, is never neutral. When public figures avoid uncomfortable truths around domestic violence, it can unintentionally normalise harm. Conversely, when they speak, they humanise survivors and remind audiences that abuse is not gossip, it’s trauma.

Gender-based violence is not confined to red carpets or headlines. It exists in homes, workplaces and campuses.

The World Health Organization continues to call it a global public health emergency. Advocacy organisations stress that cultural change requires visible role models willing to confront the issue directly.

In an era where algorithms decide much of what we consume, choosing differently is radical.

Larsson’s comments also resonate with younger fans navigating morality in a digital age. Celebrities aren’t just entertainers; they are cultural blueprints.

When someone at the top says, “I don’t separate the music from the man,” it permits fans to do the same or at least ask better questions.