Why 'zara' is Trending in India: Zara Larsson's White House Controversy Explained

The search term zara saw a sudden spike in India around September 19, 2026, not due to the fashion retailer, but because of a political clash between Swedish pop star Zara Larsson and the U.S. government. The trend followed Larsson's public condemnation of the White House for using her music to soundtrack a video about mass deportations.

The Controversy: 'Midnight Sun' and ICE Deportations

On September 18, 2026, the White House posted a TikTok video captioned "never ending deportations," which featured footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting and handcuffing men. The video used Larsson's song "Midnight Sun," playing on the lyrics "never-ending midnight sun" to frame the enforcement raids [2].

Larsson responded via a TikTok reaction video, where she flashed an "L" sign and called the administration "losers" for using a song that celebrates Scandinavian nature to promote what she described as "dehumanising" content [1]. She specifically highlighted that the detainees appeared to be regular workers, noting, "There’s a f---ing guy in there with construction wear" [1].

Outcome and Impact on Social Media

Following the backlash, the audio from the White House video was removed, resulting in the message "This sound is unavailable," although the visual content remained on the account [1]. This incident mirrored a broader pattern of artists resisting the Trump administration's use of their music for political purposes.

Artists Who Have Opposed White House Music Use

Artist	Context of Dispute
Ariana Grande & Sabrina Carpenter	Issued warnings against using their music in social media content [2].
Olivia Rodrigo	Condemned use of her music for "hateful propaganda" [2].
Taylor Swift	Her track "August" was removed from a White House reel in August 2026 [2].

Why it Trended in India

While the dispute is centered on U.S. immigration policy, the global reach of TikTok and Larsson's 12.5 million followers drove international interest. According to Google Trends data observed on September 19, 2026, searches for "zara" in India grew by 100% within a 24-hour window, reflecting the viral nature of the pop star's rebuke [3].