"Ruin My Life" is a song by Swedish singer

Zara Larsson Zara Maria Larsson (; born 16 December 1997) is a Swedish singer-songwriter and dancer. She first rose to prominence in 2008 after winning the Talang 2008, second season of ''Talang (Swedish TV show), Talang'', the Swedish version of the ''Got T ...

. It was released on 18 October 2018 by

TEN Music Group TEN Music Group is a Swedish independent record label headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The label was founded by Ola Håkansson in 2003. History The company was founded by Swedish singer, composer and producer, Ola Håkansson in 2003, in St ...

as the

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from her third studio album '' Poster Girl'' (2021). The single peaked at number two in Sweden, number five in Ireland, and number nine in the United Kingdom and Israel. It is

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Gold or higher in ten countries.

Composition

"Ruin My Life" is a

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song, that has a

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track backed by an electric guitar and

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backed by

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. ''

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'' described the song as "Larsson at her dreamiest with pensive piano breakdowns and cinematic sing-a-long choruses that roll into stadium-sized emotional crescendo after emotional crescendo. Larsson unearths a darker side of herself lyrically, diving into the dynamics of a toxic relationship. With a self-annihilating fatalism, Larsson's refrain of 'I want you to ruin my life/ruin my life/ruin my life' may seem naively reckless but, as the singer explains, taps into a more universal sentiment."

Promotion

Larsson announced the release of the song on

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in September 2018, also sharing the cover art. Larsson later appeared on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

to talk about the song with

Greg James Gregory James Alan Milward (born 17 December 1985) is an English broadcaster and author. He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 1 since 2007, hosting shows including his old drive-time show and the station's flagship breakfast show. Since 201 ...

Critical reception

Natasha Azarmi of ''

Aftonbladet (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish language, Swedish daily tabloid newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lar ...

'' called the song a mix between the two moods of Larsson's previous album '' So Good'', in that it is "quiet in the verses" and then picks up the pace for the chorus. Despite complimenting Larsson's "strong" voice and noting the song's "distinct beats" and "dreamy" sound, Azarmi said that the track "lacks enough sorrow and desperation" to be effective, and said that she hopes Larsson will show more "vulnerability" on her upcoming album.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2018 singles 2018 songs Zara Larsson songs Song recordings produced by the Monsters & Strangerz Songs written by Stefan Johnson Songs written by Jordan Johnson (songwriter) Songs written by Sermstyle Songs written by Zara Larsson Songs written by Michael Pollack (musician) Epic Records singles