Zara Larsson Addresses Fans Who Tried to Pit Her Against Tourmate Tate McRae: It’s ‘How People Speak About Girls in Pop’

Zara Larsson gives a lot of credit to Tate McRae for inviting her to open on the Miss Possessive Tour last year, a major steppingstone that helped the Swedish pop star reach her still-unfolding breakout moment in 2026. But at the time, some of her fans questioned why she wasn’t the one headlining major arenas instead of the Canadian hitmaker.

On a new episode of Call Her Daddy posted Wednesday (April 22), Larsson addressed those comments. Starting off by calling McRae “incredible” and noting that their pairing was a “perfect match,” the 28-year-old performer speculated that certain people may have pitted her against her tourmate because she’s “been doing this for longer.”

“I’m older,” Larsson continued. “And maybe some people felt like I deserved to be in the arena.”

Her response to those people? “I’m like, ‘Well, buy the ticket then,’” Larsson said frankly. “That’s not Tate’s fault.”

The “Midnight Sun” singer opened for McRae for about two months on the Miss Possessive trek, playing arenas such as Madison Square Garden in New York City, the United Center in Chicago and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. At the very end of the stint, Larsson released what would become her breakthrough album, Midnight Sun, in late September. (She’s now gearing up to drop a deluxe featuring a bevy of guest artists, including Shakira, PinkPantheress, Robyn and more.)

After her final show on the tour, Larsson also shared a photo with McRae on Instagram and wrote, “It’s been strange seeing some people putting us against each other when we’re just two pop girls who love and support each other back stage!”

But on Call Her Daddy, she elaborated, “I think it’s just the nature of how people speak about girls in pop.

“We are similar in the sense that we both dance, although she’s a way better dancer,” Larsson added. “And I do pop, she does pop. I think it’s easier to root for someone who’s an underdog, you know?”

Both performers will be honored at this year’s Billboard Women in Music ceremony, with Larsson set to take home the Breakthrough prize and McRae to receive the Hitmaker recognition.

Watch Larsson’s full interview on Call Her Daddy above.