British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa releases her third album Radical Optimism. A cheerful album that breathes Dua Lipa from every angle, yet is very different from her predecessors.
In a time when artists are popping up like mushrooms thanks to social media accounts on TikTok or Instagram, Dua Lipa manages to grow a career like a classic artist. From performing at the beginner’s festival Eurosonic Noorderslag in 2016, to releasing successful singles, to album releases. With three albums in seven years, her growth is clearly audible.
On Radical Optimism, Dua sounds more mature than ever. Especially lyrically, she and her co-writers have taken steps forward. Musically, the singer tries to move away from the disco genre that brought her great success with her second album, Future Nostalgia.
The new album is inspired by psychedelic music, trip-hop, and 90s Britpop. However, this inspiration is very hard to hear. Only the psychedelic aspect is noticeable. For example, on singles like Houdini and Illusion. But this is mainly thanks to Kevin Parker, better known from Tame Impala.
Radical optimism
Like many before her, Dua Lipa drew inspiration from her previous relationship. This often creates the best music (just listen to Adele or Taylor Swift). However, Dua Lipa fails to match her best lyrics yet with equally great music.
Positive lyrics about her own future? Yes. Is this presented radically? No. The tracks on Radical Optimism are all good individually, but as a whole, there isn’t one track that stands out. This is partly because some tracks lack a certain inspiration. Something that was present on every track on her previous albums Dua Lipa and Future Nostalgia.
Strong tracks
Overall, Radical Optimism is easy to listen to. With 13 tracks totaling 36 minutes, you’ll get through it quickly. Yet it’s definitely worth pausing for a few tracks. With singles like Houdini, Training Season, and Illusion, the first seeds for Radical Optimism were planted. Singles that, at first listen, aren’t much different from what Future Nostalgia already offered. But keep listening to this latest album and you’ll hear different sounds emerge.
For example, on Maria. A song directed at her partner’s ex. A thank you for the growth her partner has experienced after the breakup with that ex. A less overproduced track where Spanisch guitar and an infectious hook brings this positivity forward. The same goes for Falling, Anything For Love, and Happy For You. These tracks are all strong individually and musically elevate the entire album to a higher level.
