“Highly-anticipated” is a chronically overused phrase in reference to pending music releases, but Dua Lipa’s third album, ‘Radical Optimism’, has had us on the edge of our seats. Does it live up to the hype?
Lead singles, ‘Houdini’, ‘Training Season’ and ‘Illusion’ all seemed deeply promising. Three club-ready bangers that had each indicated another no-skip record from the British-Albanian pop superstar. Social media commentary has levelled that the tracks are sonically interchangeable, but when all three hit so hard, and artists are often begged by fans to give them more of the same, it seemed as if Lipa was saying, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
However, when presented with the rest of ‘Radical Optimism’, it’s hard not to feel like the lead singles live in their own sonic universe. The remaining album tracks, while lyrically co-ordinated, lack sonic cohesion.
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Lipa had forecast psychedelic and Britpop influences for the album, which, when Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker – well known for his psychedelic sound – was announced as one of the record’s key producers (alongside Caroline Polachek collaborator, Danny L Harle), Lipa seemed good to deliver on her word. Yet confusingly, the aforementioned influences are rarely felt.
‘Radical Optimism’s opening track, ‘End of an Era’, establishes a clear theme for the record, as over a sunny pop beat, Lipa sings sweetly of a promising new relationship and the welcome end of the tiresome dating age that had shaped the album narrative thus far. It’s not unlikeable, but feels worlds away from the gritty tone that had been previously set, and throws the rest of the album into question.
‘Houdini’ and ‘Training Season’ follow, acting as more grounded, self-assured counterparts to Lipa’s googly-eyed opener. Not only are the beats darker, more textured and sexier, but the lyrics have more purpose, bringing us back to the strong and confident pop star image Dua Lipa has long portrayed.
Lipa ventures into emotional territory on ‘These Walls’, lamenting a fractured relationship that needs to end. Yet given the hopeful storyline sketched out on the album thus far, it feels like a strange placement in the track order.
‘Watcha Doing’ is a palatable number about being scared to let yourself fall for someone, one that after several listens, is more likely to stick in your head thanks to the foot-tapping funk bass lines. Unfortunately, like much of the album tracks, it’s still rather forgettable at the end of the day.
‘French Exit’ delivers on Lipa’s comment that the album would involve more live instrumentation, as it includes prominent drum patterns, flute and acoustic guitar.
‘Illusion’, the third and final pre-released single from the record, brings us back to the dance-pop Lipa does best. With an oscillating club beat, it is arguably the record’s stand out track. In classic Dua Lipa fashion, the well choreographed music video did most of the work in building hype around the track.
80s ballad-inspired ‘Falling Forever’ shines a spotlight on Lipa’s powerful vocals, but in the middle eight, Lipa is suddenly cut off mid-belt in quite a random manner for a switch down in tempo, before hitting the chorus again. It feels like a production error, despite being a deliberate move. Again, the track feels out of balance sonically with the rest of the record.
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Dua Lipa strips things back on ‘Anything For Love’, which starts with a soundbite of the singer messing around amiably in the studio with her collaborators. Accompanied only by a piano for the first half of the track before upbeat pop production is introduced half way through, it feels authentic but again, fails to leave much of a mark.
Things take another baffling turn on country-leaning ‘Maria’, where Lipa thanks her lover’s ex for moulding him into the man he is now: “Grateful for all the love you gave/ Here’s to the lovers that make you change.” When speaking about the track in a video interview, speculation online has been that the track is referring to Lipa’s current boyfriend Callum Turner’s ex Vanessa Kirby, although Lipa has not engaged with this discourse.
Album closer ‘Happy For You’ is a contender for the strongest album track epic, as Lipa maturely acknowledges her happiness for an ex who has since moved on over a soaring, anthemic chorus.
After the success of ‘Future Nostalgia’, which spent four weeks as the UK number one, Lipa could have dabbled in more experimental territory, dipping her toe further into the psychedelic and Britpop realms she claimed would be present in the album. Instead, it could be argued that Lipa has become ever-so-slightly risk-averse in an effort to cement her place in pop’s upper echelons. It will be interesting to see which tracks from ‘Radical Optimism’ will make their way into Lipa’s Glastonbury headline slot next month, outside of the three lead singles.
Admittedly, I can’t see ‘Radical Optimism’ sliding in straight to number one in fans’ affections, but if the slow-burn of ‘Future Nostalgia’ is anything to go by, Dua Lipa would have grounds to be, as her latest project suggests, radically optimistic about the album’s future. Who knows what will happen; Dua’s not afraid to play the long game.
6/10
Words: Aimee Phillips
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