“Re-invention” strikes fear in the hearts of record companies, especially when it involves one of their stars. Once artists reach a certain point in their careers, they ache to expand their creative control and to experiment. Managers lament, ‘Why mess with success?’
To say Dua Lipa is ‘reinventing’ herself on her new album Radical Optimism is an overstatement. Reports of her shunning her trademarked ‘Nu Disco’ sound are unfounded. Instead, we have Madonna moving past her 1983 disco-infused debut album, transcending her Like a Virgin period, and settling into the True Blue era. The early sound is still there, but Lipa is experimenting artistically. And for the most part, it works.
According to her collaborator Mark Ronson, the scene in the Dance The Night Away video where the giant disco ball crashes to the floor foreshadowed the end of Lipa’s disco era, bringing 2020’s now classic Future Nostalgia era to a close. But to paraphrase Mark Twain, “Reports of Dua Lipa abandoning the Future Nostalgia sound are greatly exaggerated.”
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Ahh, Future Nostalgia. That blockbuster release kept some of us sane during the pandemic. It propelled Lipa into stardom and sparked a disco resurgence (Nu Disco) in the pop universe. Despite the grimness COVID saddled the world with, Future Nostalgia reminded us that the best was yet to come in this party we call life. Lipa’s highly-anticipated new album, Radical Optimism, is here four years later. The cover art finds her chilling in the ocean, even though a great white shark looms nearby. Lipa says the album’s title embodies “the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm.” During its creation, she drew inspiration from her childhood days of listening to Brit-pop icons like Blur and Oasis on the radio. That sound influenced her so much that she enlisted Tame Impala‘s Kevin Parker as a co-writer, co-producer, and musician on several tracks.
Radical Optimism Expands on Dua Lipa’s Nu Disco Sound
The result? Radical Optimism doesn’t wholly abandon Ms. Lipa’s flirtation with classic dance music, but it does manage to put it in check. “End of an Era,” a Nu Disco banger that could have been a single from her previous album, is one example. “These Walls” is the earworm that stays with you for weeks, the mark of a great pop song.
Of course, Radical Optimism also includes “Houdini,” the club banger that kept us dancing throughout last winter. What else can be said about this aggressive and bold track that hasn’t been said before?
Lipa’s vocals are at their strongest on this new album. The sleek, Kylie Minogue-inspired “Training Season” is an uptempo track where the singer warns a potential lover that she doesn’t want to train him to please her.
Are you somebody who can go there?
‘Cause I don’t wanna have to show ya
If that ain’t you, then let me know, yeah
‘Cause training season’s over
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‘Whatcha Doing,’ a chill R&B track, shows Lipa’s progression as an artist, tackling myriad shades of rhythmic music. “French Exit” modernizes the folksy sound popularized by Jewel back in the day. “Illusion” could have easily incorporated the sounds of Future Nostalgia (it’s structured like ‘Love Again’), but Dua opted for more of a club/house sound.
The closing track, “Happy for You,” finds Lipa gracefully ending a relationship with a mature acceptance of her ex-lover’s new significant other. Although you can still see the remnants of glitter from the disco after party here, this track has more in common with early 90s Electronic/Synthpop than the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. This is easily the album’s standout track, a timeless slice of pop music.
I must’ve loved you more than I ever knew
(Didn’t know I could ever feel)
‘Cause I’m happy for you
(Now I know everything was real)
I’m not mad, I’m not hurt
You got everything you deserve
I must’ve loved you more than I ever knew
I’m happy for you
Sometimes, Lipa’s laid-back vibe here gets a little listless, almost a watered-down version of Future Nostalgia. Or maybe her sophomore album was just too hard of an act to follow. On the other hand, we want to see our favorite artists grow. And grow Dua Lipa does on Radical Optimism.
