Zara Larsson has earned more than $1 million by selling merchandise on the video game platform Roblox

The blonde beauty told the BBC: "My jaw dropped when I heard."

Zara actually hosted a virtual "dance party" within the game in May, which gave fans the opportunity to hang out with the singer and watch her perform.

But the 'Lush Life' hitmaker admitted that the merchandise was nothing more than an afterthought to begin with.

She said: "I didn't really think much about it. It wasn't really the motivation for the concert. I just wanted to connect with fans."

Zara actually thinks that in-game concerts and virtual merchandise could become a major income source for artists in the coming years.

She added: "We all know this - streaming services don't pay the most."

Zara also explained that some of her new fans actually heard her music for the first time through Roblox.

She said: "A lot of young people are commenting on my social media, 'Oh my God it's the Roblox girl!'

"It's incredible. That's how they found out about me even though I've been doing this for 10 years."

What's more, the singer noted that virtual concerts are actually more environmentally-friendly.

She reflected: "Imagine how many flights it would take to reach four million people? Or how many trucks it would take to bring a pink lake house with me everywhere?

"And then having a couple of hundred people on a payroll, who also need accommodation and food and somewhere to sleep. Going online saves so much in carbon emissions."