Dua Lipa, the review of Radical Optimism

From its first minutes, Dua Lipa’s third album of unreleased songs Radical Optimism, released Friday May 3, is clear and fascinating. Listening to the first track of the album, in fact, you feel the promise of a wonderful journey together with the star, between shades of pop and its feelings.

The first song, in fact, is titled End Of An Era, the end of an era. It’s about an ironic push towards the futurein which the artist says to himself: «I feel like we will be together. This could be the end of an era».

With a carefree attitude, in fact, Dua Lipa (fresh from the success of Dance the Nightcreated for the soundtrack of Barbie) he immediately lays himself barebringing his own into focus fear of being alone and deciding to believe in what he hopes for. What if this relationship is the right one for me? As he sings it there is no desperation; the mood is relaxed, positive, colourful.

The tracklist, then, makes room for two songs already released as singles: Houdini And Training Season. The first of these songs (released on the anniversary of the famous illusionist’s death) was the one that officially inaugurated this new era by Dua Lipa. An era that focuses everything on a sound that recalls the Britpop, to dance pop and above all to Seventies psychedelic pop. But also on a defined imaginary characterized by an exasperated freedom. Houdiniamong other things, was the international song in Italy most played on the radio for 9 weeks (including four at #1).

Then, Training Seasonthe second single from his third album of unreleased songs: a song that shows the image of a woman who is capable of even play it alone. Without the need for external approval or validation.

Presenting this project, the artist declared. «A couple of years ago a friend introduced me to the term Radical Optimism. It’s a concept which struck me and intrigued me more and more when I started playing with it and incorporating it into my life.”

And he added. «I was struck by the idea of ​​crossing the chaos with grace and feeling capable face any storm. At the same time, I found myself looking at the music history of psychedelia, trip hop and Britpop. He always seemed so confidently optimistic to me and this attitude and honesty are feelings that I brought into my recording studio sessions.”

The central point of this album, in fact, is precisely its ability to give back the portrait of a woman who knows how to dance on her own “chaos”. Dua Lipa – first female artist to have four songs with over two billion streams on Spotify – transforms every reference to his past into an incentive for push on the accelerator. He invites everyone to turn up the volume and not indulge in self-pity.

In fact, in her six-year career, Dua Lipa has been able to build a sound and credibility that few artists can say they have. The choice to return with an album by is interesting eleven tracks (of which three have already been published), lasting a total of 37 minutes: the tracklist has no songs used as crutches, to support the so-called hits. Every song by Radical Optimism in fact it is a potential success. That’s it.

The only song in which Dua Lipa seems to put aside her energy in favor of a delicate admission of guilt and responsibility is Anything for Love, a song in which he remembers what a relationship was. And in which she reiterates that things, as they are, are no longer good for her. The piece ends with a his sincere laugh. Because even in that case there couldn’t be too much room for melancholy.

In short: Dua Lipa (283 platinum records, 3 Grammys and 7 Brit Awards) seems to feel the need to remember that everything is still to be discovered. She does it in Mary, in which he reflects on the failure of previous relationships, but in which he ends up transforming them into an opportunity to fix (for the better) future ones. He does it in These Walls, in which he jokes about a situation in which even the walls of the house could have suggested the solution (cut off the relationship and leave). And she does it wonderfully Falling Forever.

Here he brings his together heartbreaking desire that everything that lives beautifully can last forever. Can we continue to fall in love forever? Who knows. But this seems like it perfect way to find out.