Dua Lipa - "Radical Optimism"
Reality check inbound
English/Albanian singer/songwriter Dua Lipa returns with her third studio album, Radical Optimism, after a four-year gap following her Disco-heavy sophomore effort. That album, 2020’s Future Nostalgia, left me with an overwhelmingly positive opinion of Lipa’s growing prowess, so I’ve been kind of looking forward to this one.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m running through the 2020 albums again with the goal of finally ranking them, but I can say that Future Nostalgia rated a Blue.
Radical Optimism still leans very much into Pop, Electropop, and Disco sounds, which make up the majority of the foundation and most of the trappings. With the album’s thematic focus on positivity and a glass-half-full mindset, Lipa reportedly researched and implemented Psychedelic and 90s Britpop influences throughout the album. And you can kinda hear it here and there, but it’s very subtle.
The album sounds like it’s been combed and polished relentlessly, and the list of credits on each track reinforces that notion. Lipa is the lead songwriter on each track, but she had a lot of help, and that gives the album a very manufactured feel. Of course, if you like danceable bops, this one has several because of the manufacturing process.
The big downside here is that, between the heavy layer of polish and the thematic focus, the album feels damn near emotionless. I mean, the positive feelings come through at points, such as the raw gratitude in “Maria”, but the sorrow in “These Walls” feels repressed.
And at only 11 tracks and 36 minutes, the album still has difficulty differentiating a lot of tracks. Maybe not quite to the same level as Sia’s newest album, but it’s there, and it seriously impacts my ability to enjoy the album straight through.
With all of that said, I do appreciate the idea behind the album — songs about approaching every situation with a positive mindset, finding the silver lining, etc. It really comes through strongest on the final two songs on the album:
“Maria” is about recognizing the positive influences and growth that your partner’s last ex inspired. And, in some way, finding gratitude for helping to shape them into the person you love now.
“Happy For You” is a clear-cut shout-out to your last ex, and being happy for the happiness they’ve found after you.
Having these two songs back-to-back as the closing sentiments on the album is one of its brightest strengths.
Compared to its predecessor, this one feels like a bit of a disappointment.
Rating: Yellow