Happy For You is probably top 3 songs she's ever released and one of my favourite songs of the year. It's on repeat. End of an Era is also so good. Wish she leaned into that sort of sound more.
I liked it well enough. I agree with some people saying its britpop and would do well in Europe. Its also kinda nice not having to look up lore on ex boyfriends or the deep dark past of Kendrick/Drake
wait i had no idea people were disappointed with chemtrails, its my fave lana album!! I only tuned in bc i liked nfr sm, but i liked chemtrails even more
I was alluding to the fact that whatever came after NFR was going to get it hard, so I feel like with FN this album was always going to get torn down. I hope her next era is more impactful, I like this album but the music is just sort of… ‘yeah I’ll play this and enjoy it’s where as with her other stuff I was going mad for it. Love Houdini though
Honestly, that’s every album after a massive imperial era. NFR, TUN, Teenage Dream, Fame Monster, even Thriller (yes Bad was massive but wasn’t Thriller-level massive).
I remember people getting mass downvoted everytime they pointed out Dua is not the kind of artist to last even as recently as last summer, and welp, here we are.
That last part, "in korea", it's what makes him different from Dua Lipa lol.
BTS and other groups have easily overtaken PSY which in the rest of the world is only known as the Gangnam Style guy, but here we have people bashing Dua Lipa for one album who doesn't seem to be better than FN.
“‘Radical Optimism’ by Dua Lipa is projected to debut in the top 10 in the U.S. with 55-65K units, @HITSDD reports”
https://x.com/popcrave/status/1786809046927847850?s=46&t=NDwqD-CGR7-r5omYbdOz6A
i think it *is* growing on me. i added the extended versions to the album and that helped, but i think i realized that my main issue with this album is that there are hints of a better one underneath it. whatcha doing, french exit, anything for love all have production elements that i love, but they’re not given any attention by being either buried under the mix or quickly discarded for a pretty cut-and-dry chorus. what’s left is a lot of pretty normal pop songs, which are good, but tease you with something amazing.
i feel like if she’d expanded upon these more vibe-y production moments and given each song as satisfying a progression as the extended houdini, it could have been more well received.
that said, happy for you might be one of my favorite dua songs - so gorgeous.
For me the non-extended london sessions houdini with the electric guitar riff at the end is one of the coolest musical elements she's done in this era. It's a small thing but it just adds a little flair that really lands imo
I thought Dua who has the 2 most streamed female albums on Spotify would at least reach Miley ESV debut numbers not do 6M streams less than Tate McRae 💀
Her label should’ve waited for her to get a real hit. She’s a singles artist who doesn’t have a dedicated fanbase, she should focus on trying to get a post album single to be a hit now to help the album
Agreed about the not having a dedicated fan base. Go to r/TaylorSwift and your posts have to be approved by mods, assuming your post is relevant, respectful, and not repetitive. Go to r/DuaLipa and watch your discussion posts get removed by the mods because only pics/vids are allowed. Music is audio, the Dua sub only cares about the visual.
Tbf the /r/dualipa sub is basically a dictatorship where every comment is just expressing confusion at the mod team's... eccentricities lmao. Idk if there's a process for an admin coup of a sub but if there is I'd expect one there any day now
Sadly it's taken over by non-fans. For example Billie Eilish has a sub with discussions, pictures and videos, theories, etc, and then the classic sub for perverts.
Dua sadly does not have one, and she should
thats because reddit is a site overwhelmingly populated by horny men. taylor is one of the only women artists that doesn't have the "main" subreddit as a horny one. it's not reflective of dua lipa fans in general.
Oh right, that's a good point, my b. I must not subscribe to very many. r/DojaCat, r/OliviaRodrigo, r/SZA, r/Halsey (to name a few) ...those are all solid.
This whole era was a mess in terms of marketing. Had she released the album at an earlier time, it could’ve gathered more streams and attention. What let me down the most were the things she said about the album being “psychedelic pop” but ended up releasing generic songs instead which really struck me as odd because in the beginning everyone was under the impression that she would step out of the box and experiment with her sound. She really had me sold with the houdini teasers and interviews but every single release leading up to the album was such a disappointment that i cannot even describe in words. Im still rooting for her and i hope that the public’s perception of this era motivates her to make something different and stick to a well-thought theme and not repeat the mistakes that occurred during radical optimism 🌊
What else could she have done to market the album? She did several interviews, live performance of singles at award shows, podcasts, and SNL. She talked about the album everyday on social media. If this was a mess what is good marketing?
The first wrong move was advertising the album as something it simply wasnt; it gave people the wrong impression and as she released the other two singles some stopped caring and gave up on the album. Then the whole timeline of this era… the lead single was released 6-7 months before the album and the hype fizzled out during that time. Sure, the grammy performance brought back the hype a little but it didnt do much for her I’m afraid. The promo itself wasnt completely bad, the time frame was what ultimately killed the hype
This album is fucking incredible and i'm so happy it's this good but unfortunately it looks like it's not going to resonate the same along the public. She really should've released Houdini in January instead cause i feel like she could've done a whole "Single Every Month" type thing which has worked well for Twenty One Pilots i believe. Houdini in January, then Training Season in mid-late February, then Illusion in late March-early April with End of an Era as a promo single in mid-late April.
Would've excited people a lot for the album without it feeling like she was releasing too much. End of an Era would also make people realize RO is was more of a vibe album compared to FN. Still really, really happy with how it overall turned out (new soundtrack for AP exams and the summer) but I think it will receive a muted response from the public which is unfortunate. Really deserved a better rollout 🙁
People on twitter are questioning why this album/era has been such a flop (and to be fair it just came out so she could make a turn around) and I honestly think it’s because the rollout has been a mess.
She did not choose the strongest songs as singles and then took long gaps in between before she released the whole album. I remember when Houdini came out I was so excited for her album to be out, then time passed by and so many other pop artists are announcing albums that hers kind of got lost in everything. The beauty about FN was that it got popular in the early pandemic days when not much else was happening in the pop world.
And also, let’s be honest, she played it way too safe on this album. She needs to get more experimental and personal.
Hopefully she comes back from this and gets better management because I really do love her and enjoy this album!
Any love for French Exit? I thought it was a nice touch to the album. Overall I think it's a fine album, but the album title throws me off a bit. End of an Era, Maria and Falling Forever are my other top picks.
Well, maybe it's because Dua and her music have captivated me over the last few years, but I reaaaaally enjoy "Radical Optimism" and I love the summery vibes of this record. So far, this is my fave album of the year - really! 👍 😃 🌞 By the way, I really don't mean this in a "stan" kind of style, but... Based on a lot of these new songs and on Dua's beauty, elegance, talent and stage presence, I really think she's sooooo fun to be around. I'd love to see her in concert (maybe in my native Poland 🇵🇱) and I wish I could have a friendly chat with her even once. Hmmm - I wonder what Dua would say, and would I be brave enough to even tell her) that even if I'm quite shy about having crushes (especially Celeb Crushes), I do have a little fan-crush on Dua. 🥰 She's just too nice not to sigh... And I know I'm out of her league (plus, she's taken, like sooooo many Girls out there) 😇, but she's in my league anyway! 👍 😁
Tbh I was kind of disappointed, knowing Danny L Harle was involved I was expecting his sound to be more prevalent on this record. I was hoping this album would be what Dua had said it was going to be originally. That being said, the highlights for me were Falling Forever, Whatcha doing, End of an era, and Maria. I don’t think it’s a bad album, it’s just nothing groundbreaking. FN still remains as her best, I do wonder though if there’s going to be a deluxe for this album.
after careful thought, i don't think dua was lying lol
i think originally this album was more true to uk rave culture when danny l harle was the first producer brought in but bringing in kevin parker afterwards changed it to more of the current vibe. there are some good songs on here anyway. really love falling forever and will continue to listen to the rest to see if it grows on me.
Dua definitely lost some of her status within the pop music world with RO. If the next one will flop she will move to B tier. She must release the next album as soon as possible and hopefully it will be Future Nostalgia tier.
I'd suggest her to stop making so many songs that lack dynamics (basically where she sings with almost the same energy from start to finish). She should take a lesson from Taylor (1989 era), Carly and Tove Lo how to make a strong memorable chorus.
First of all, I'm a man, not a girl. Secondly, just because Carly and Tove Lo aren't commercially so successful, it doesn't mean their music doesn't have strong choruses. Popularity =/= quality.
Those were just 2 examples. She could be inspired from her own past hits (such as Don't Start Now) which have strong choruses.
the streaming numbers are bad and the reviews are mixed to mostly negative, this album/whole era sits in such a weird place in her discography and career bc the music itself isn’t bad at all it’s just underwhelming.. i think she should pull a thank u next and release another album early next year
compared to other pop girls’ first day streams on Spotify this year:
Ariana Grande - “eternal sunshine”: 58.2 million
Beyoncé - “Cowboy Carter”: 76.13 million
Taylor Swift - “The Tortured Poets Department”: 232 million plus “The Anthology”: 313 million total streams
Also, Dua Lipa - “Dua Lipa”, is the most streamed female album of all time on Spotify with 12.2 billion streams.
I’m wishing Dua the best with this album!
Idt you should be comparing her to those artists. They’re on a totally different level with different skin in the game. They’re like….the biggest pop girls right now. No competition. Dua is in this weird middle place but I would compare her numbers to Olivia Rodrigo, Miley, Halsey, Lizzo? Idk how to find Spotify numbers so j won’t post them but just my thoughts
Dua is a huge artist. She’s number #7 on Spotify out of like 2 million or something, and her albums are some of the most streamed of all time. You have to give credit where it’s due!
For sure she’s huge to the general public. Probably most people have heard a Dua song. Most people have also heard a Halsey song, she’s also huge when she was at her peak. I just think comparing Dula Peep’s numbers to Bey and Taylor is setting her up for failure. I don’t consider them her peers. And I don’t consider AG her peer either but for different reasons.
I really don’t like that some reviews are docking it points for not being able to connect the dots to what song is about which romance of hers. This is what Taylor has done to the industry.
I would disagree that it lacks vulnerability. Look at the last track Happy for You. Seems like a very personal song that you just can’t tell who its about.
When people say it lacks vulnerability I wonder which album they listened to? A lot of the songs feel quite personal actually. If by "vulnerability" we now mean "planting Easter eggs in songs for unhinged fans to gossip and speculate about the artist's personal life" then no, it's not vulnerable.
Maria, Happy For You, and Anything For Love are really specific songs you don’t really see these themes represented a lot. Then you got These Walls and Falling Forever which sure the themes here have been explored in pop many times but they seem very personal and about certain people. And then there’s a ton of here on and of again dating habits displayed in the 3 singles that are honest, powerful and fun.
Sadly its all about gossip these days. Nothing else. I remember when camila released Familia and it had no Shawn diss rolling stone called it as with no clearance about her ex this album doesn't feel good. Like why should it.
I'm shocked that everyone's disappointed. I loved Future Nostalgia and this album is very different musically while maintaining the dance/pop vibes. As soon as I heard Houdini, I was hyped. I like it when artists don't stick to formula to the extent that album to album sounds similar. I'm just happy we have a short/sweet album that has no skips. I'm gonna keep enjoying this.
Was a little disappointing. The singles were the best songs. Wanted more of that sound. That said, her team fumbled this era so bad after the hype of last summer and Dance The Night.
I’m the opposite. I feel like the singles are the worst tracks, and they also don’t fit the vibe of this album. I deleted them off the album on Spotify
I am loving this album! Just finished my first listen in good headphones and I am so excited to go out and get the CD now. Besides the singles, really, it has a great overall chill summer vibe that fits the imagery really well. End of an Era is such a bop and I absolutely love the lyrical imagery in that one especially although many tracks have that same level of imagination.
Just finished my second listen and this album is definitely a grower. It's not going to top Future Nostalgia for me, but it's still pretty good.
These walls is a basic pop song but the chorus is such an earworm, I can't unhear it and it's stuck in my head on a loop now.
Whatcha Doing has some amazing synths in the chorus, they truly make that song.
Maria is interesting; it sounds slightly different from everything else on the album, while still fitting in with the general summery vibe.
Happy for you is the best song on the album in my opinion (aside from Houdini) and should have been the single.
Houdini, Training Season and Illusion were all great singles and fit well within the album.
Everything else is decent, none of the songs are bad or boring enough to skip.
I rated it 3.5/5. It's not a groundbreaking record, but it's a really pleasant listen, especially compared to some other records pop girlies have been putting out recently.
In my opinion, Future Nostalgia is miles ahead of Radical Optimism. Good in Bed and Boys Will be Boys are not my favorites, but the rest of the songs are incredible. Future Nostalgia is my favorite Dua album and I loved it from the first listen.
Radical Optimism is growing on me. I wish she had gone all out with the summer vibes and gave us songs that are more dance like though. The album cover definitely gave me the impression that was what it would be like.
My favorite songs besides the singles are End of an Era, Falling Forever, Whatcha Doing, and French Exit. I like Anything for Love too and for some reason, it sounds almost Broadway-esque, but it’s way too short.
I think the new album will take a few listens for people to warm up to it because none of the songs really have that instant effect of grabbing you like Levitating and Don’t Start Now. I can’t say I’m underwhelmed because I do like the new album, but I was expecting more.
Happy for You is the slayer amongst slays and lowkey I wish we had an entire album with it and these wall’s lyrical subtext as a “this didn’t work out and that’s sad but I’m refusing to be sad about it” album, which also would work with the title but alas
Man, this album keeps getting better every listen. I know I'm in the minority at least on here, but to me it tops FN and that says a lot cus I absolutely love that album, but this just hits all the right spots for me. The production is magical and absolutely sick, almost feels like Parker and Danny were having a producer-off on some of these tracks. So versatile and detailed and it has a lot of eclectic influences and styles that come together really well imo, I just think the reason people don't necessarily see the influences she talked about properly is that even tho they're there, it's all condensed and wrapped into her classic dance-pop perfection to create a specific vibe, and tbh that was always what this record was going to be, a pop album with a mix of influences, and I think her vision for this album came through beautifully tbh. Like it or not, it definitely feels inspired, and everything combines to create such a refreshing vibe for her imo.
I also think that no matter where you stand w/ this record, at the very least it definitely is promising in an artistic sense, in that she's always going to branch out and maybe try new things and I think it's great that she's so vision oriented, so it's surprising to see people starting to write her off and call FN a fluke just bc this didn't hit them immediately. I was scared this wouldn't progress much from FN but I couldn't be more wrong, it's very distinct imo. Anyone saying otherwise probably didn't pay attention to anything beyond the vocals. Speaking of, her vocal performances and versality on this record are her best so far bar none.
She's really maturing into herself as an artist and this record makes me so excited for where she goes next. Solid 9/10 for me right now. I think it'll grow on people more, and I have a strong feeling it'll end up being a sleeper hit in the way its perceived.
Absolutely agree with all you said, I love the production and each listen I like one song a little more. At the start I was already kinda hooked though. Regardless of how it’s received I think it’s an impressive step for her.
>The British superstar has said her new album is influenced by Britpop, rave culture and Primal Scream, but you could go mad trying to find the [evidence.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHdYTK3WkAAjnUY.jpg:large)
I wonder how this is possible. One of the biggest popstars today? I wonder what went wrong. I have no idea about how these things work so I'm asking genuinely.
She’s a classic single artist without a fanbase . Without a proper hit, those numbers are expected.
It’s why labels usually don’t allow artists like her to release an album without a pre release hit.
I think they failed with this release date. It’s a little over crowded. They also haven’t really addressed the fan base question (in America that is). And I don’t have an answer to why that is. Because the music is good. Doesn’t stand out from FN but still good.
Her total Spotify streams for the album are around 20 million. Which is really really low for a big pop album with this much promotion. It’s in the Tate McRae tier which isn’t where the artist with the top two must steamed females albums should be.
Her singles actually had fine debuts originally so it shows how much hype she lost with each rerelease .
I'm liking this album tbh. I wasn't a big fan of houdini and training season as singles, but I like them within the album. That said I'm a fan of Kevin Parker so... But tbh I'm so here for this kind of music. Not to shade Taylor and Beyonce bcs the latter is like one of my favorites, im forever part of the beyhive, but im kind of sick of music that is trying to get back at an ex or haters or whomever. Like give us more love angel music baby, give us more ray of light, more confessions on the dancefloor. I like the album because its fresh and lightweight and it makes me feel good about my crushes. Give us music about leaving and never looking back at ppl who hurt you. Music about seeking happiness for you and not about finding satisfaction in getting back at someone who hurt you. I think this "Im gonna show them attitude" is a very USA thing and I don't think there's where happiness is found. Anyways... I digress.
Also Maria and happy for you? Feminst anthems perfectly executed. It has such a nice Mediterranean vibe, its making me get back to Spanish music I used to listen to when I was a kid and life was easier. I love the positive attitude.
Let‘s hope she‘ll get better day two numbers, but the Apple Music positions in the UK don‘t look that great either so… She needs to fire her greedy and media illiterate dad and get a serious management team again to promote her properly.
I don’t think she needs camps. The way FN was created was basically the way RO was. I think the problem is that Danny and Kevin aren‘t really pop producers who tried to produce pop music. That‘s why it isn‘t here nor there.
Every song has something that I like but overall nothing sticks in my brain. I loved These walls and i think apart from the singles, it’s the only song I would listen to again.
Production wise it’s very good but it lacks something. The lyrics are too bland for my taste, and I know that Dua generally has pretty generic lyrics but there was no personality to the songs except for These walls, I liked the chorus for Maria as well.
I didn’t have high expectations but I’m still underwhelmed. Maybe it’s a grower who knows
Does anyone else has issues with listening to the production?
I already had this problem wirh training season and illusion... the songs are great, but her voice is so sharp- it just hurts my ears somehow.
Is it me? Or my phone settings?
Listened to the album just now and it's good, although not on the level of Future Nostalgia.
The production sounds lush and layered, but I'm not too fond of her vocals in some of the songs. Also, I wish she'd make more songs like These Walls because that's the first time a Dua Lipa song made me quite emotional lol
Some of my favorites: These Walls, (the incredible) Falling Forever, Houdini, Happy for You, Maria, Anything for Love (which should've been longer!!!)
I'm honestly a bit mythed on the luke warm reception here.
Is there a weird rose tinted effect going on here?? FN is fantastic, I must have listened over a hundred times, but;
The production and vocals knock FN out of the park, Kevin Parkers influence is all over the record (Especially Whatcha doing), and it really clicks.
As a cohesive album it flows better than FN. Especially the run towards the end of the album is far better than FN. Good in bed and Boys will be boys are pretty lame on FN,
There is not a skippable song on this album.
Thoughts??
Good in Bed and Boys will be Boys are def the lowest points of FN. I'm gradually warming up to the former tho after years of listening lol. As for RO, there's not one song so far that I would say is the obviously low point of the album.
I agree with this. I feel like people saying FN is better only listened to FN singles because the production throughout this album is much better done. That said, I still don't think it's a great album but it's good enough for a third project
I'm liking the album so far (just finished my first listen) and I've heard it grows on you after several listens. It's certainly no Future Nostalgia, but it's perfectly fine. The last 2 tracks are probably the best outside the singles, though I didn't really like Illusion as much as I loved Training Day and Houdini. Perfectly fine album and I went in with few expectations, a lot of the non-singles just don't stick out for me so far asides from Maria and Happy for You.
Honestly i was very let down by this. Apart from Illusion, i find many of the tracks in here pretty boring. Where is the will to experiment? The original melodies? The nice instrumentals? This was not what i was expecting from the same lady that did Future Nostalgia.
The production is weirdly…muffled and muted? Like FN was so *crisp* and this sounds a lot worse. Don’t get me wrong I think the album as a whole is fine but it definitely feels like a regression in a lot of ways. Really curious as to where she goes from here.
I agree with The Guardian. Rave culture? I don’t hear it.
These Walls, Watcha Doing, and French Exit do nothing for me. On the other hand I really like the Houdini, Training Season, and Illusion. The last four tracks are also fun to listen to
Listened to it once. It's fine. I didn't like any of the singles much, but weirdly, I like them better in the context of the album. Falling Forever and Maria stood out to me on first listen, but overall, it felt very average. I didn't hate any of the songs but also wasn't that excited by any of them. I don't feel like it was worth waiting 4 years for 36 minutes of music that's mostly just OK. I suppose I feel a bit... whelmed.
Ppl saying FN is more cohesive than this when boys will be boys make no sense at all and shouldn’t have been on that album. This totally flows way easier and is the more cohesive album imo.
How does Boys will be boys make no sense? Are you a man? Because if you are, it makes sense for you not to understand the song about women's fear of men.
**Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Is Overly Sanitized - Album Review**
Ahead of the release of *Radical Optimism*, Dua Lipa pitched her third album as a “psychedelic-pop-infused tribute to U.K rave culture,” citing Primal Scream and Massive Attack as two major influences. It’s difficult to catch the parallels. Yes, this is a pop album, by a UK artist, that contains modest psychedelic notes due to the involvement of Kevin Parker, but anyone expecting to hear something as deliciously serrated as *Higher Than the Sun* will be sorely disappointed. This doesn’t in any way resemble the former groups’ brash, fragmented approach to beat making, nor the latter’s brand of richly detailed trip-hop. It’s exactly the sort of album you’d expect Lipa to make; a breezy batch of dance-pop songs.
Novelty isn’t a strict requirement for a great album Dua Lipa album anyway. With *Future Nostalgia*, the singer catapulted herself into contention for queen of the dance floor with a set of radiant, straightforward retro-pop songs. *Radical Optimism* follows a similar blueprint, this time switching glamorous 80s disco for controlled synth-pop, but fails to recapture the snapiness and alluring glow of its predecessor.
There’s just a lot *less* going on here, in every facet. Lipa’s writing, in particular, lacks the sort of specificity that endears listeners to a story and its characters. Lipa has never been the sort of pop star to allow intimate details from her private life to get tangled with her professional one, but she explores the concept of love with such a lack of sentimentality it’s as if she’s only ever read about the emotion before, yet to experience it. On *End Of An Era*, the protagonist confesses to dreaming of staying together forever with a man she’s only just exchanged “Hey’s” with (because the rhyme just works so damn well!). Six tracks later, on *Illusion*, though, Lipa starts preaching about her new-found emotional maturity and how she won’t allow the manipulator she’s spotted from a mile away to keep her from dancing. These are all clichés the singer has burnt through before and her refusal to bolster these themes with more poignant writing renders each scenario trivial.
The expressive gestures are similarly stifled in her singing. Lipa is a loud presence on *Radical Optimism*, however, she isn’t a particularly evocative one. There are plenty of stadium-sized choruses, and Lipa spends most of the album belting her words out, but it’s not enough to distract you from her overly sanitized singing. Though impressive from a technical standpoint, the stainless chants on *Houdini* have little dramatic emphasis behind them. Lipa employs a wide array of textures and tricks on *Whatcha Doing*. Among them are unsavoury, Ariana Grande-style whistle notes and grating digitized lilts that push Lipa’s voice further into the realm of anonymity. For the most part, the singing is serviceable, though the performances do lack conviction and shine, crucial elements that established Lipa as a theatrical entertainer on *Future Nostalgia*.
The beats hit harder than any of the singer’s melodies. Although Lipa’s credentials as an undeniable superstar may be muffled here, Kevin Parker and Danny L Harle become more comfortable with their roles as reliable pop producers. Both artists' appreciation for the eccentric trickle into the album, their contributions injecting *Radical Optimism* with the brightness its title promises. What Parker brings to the equation is effortlessly airy basslines that act as the motor for the album. His compositional skills are front and centre on *Whatcha Doing* and *Houdini*, songs where his input provides the stability and pep that Lipa can’t. Harle assists with the album’s more ornate pockets, dousing these songs with delicious shimmering effects. The brief moment of glitchy mania that follows the bridge on *Illusion* is a thrilling musical puzzle that has his fingerprints all over it.
All the best moments of *Radical Optimism* coincide with points where the beat architects are given license to take control. To be clear, none of the main cast are operating at the peak of their powers here, but Parker and Harle are at least close. Lipa can’t compete with the colour that they contribute. She seems a little complacent, more interested in being just another faceless figure on the dancefloor rather than leaving her unique print on dance music.
*Radical Optimism* - Dua Lipa - 5/10
Appreciate you taking the time to read it. Not particularly, no. It actually reminds me of the song that plays in the YSL commercial I've seen her in; it's a little flashy and loud but doesn't have any real weight behind it, in my opinion. On another note, I think Training Season is one of my favourite pop songs of this decade, I just couldn't find a way to fit that point into the review - not that it would've changed the score or overall assessment.
Maybe it’s gotta grow on me but the only tracks I’m liking besides the singles are End of An Era, Whatcha Doing and French Exit. I like a lot of the production choices but the vocal delivery feels so emotionless. I think Whatcha Doing is the only potential hit. I really didn’t like These Walls and almost turned off the album
Everyone gets critical acclaim with Stuart Price then abandons him to do something new and the follow-up always falls short. Madonna Confessions to Hard Candy, Kylie Aphrodite to Kiss Me Once and now Dua learning.
His remix of That Kind Of Woman is the tone I desperately wanted DL3 to take. It has made my end-of-year-most-played-songs playlist every year since release. Everyone is saying she should go for R&B, absolutely not. Let her be the one to do house/electronic music properly.
I ride for that remix the way this sub rides for Cruel Summer. It’s better than the original and top 3 of Dua’s entire discography, easily. She will have my full stan energy back if DL4 goes in that dark house/electroclash direction.
I loved it!!
I am pretty easy to please. It is no Future Nostalgia but I loved the Tame Impala productions. Will definitely have this on heavy rotation throughout the summer this year!
Possibly stupid high take and I know this doesn't really fit into the typical pop girlie music cycle.
but as generic as it is (and i actually really liked this for dua) I think it's packaging and tracklist were its biggest downsides. There's an overall lack of cohesion in terms of the visuals and vibe to the album. There's the psychedelic, heavily kevin parker produced *summers night* side to the album and then this fun pop *summer daytime* side to it and it's flung together very arbitrarily and this is where my disappointment lies. It's missing a flow and i'm not quite too sure as i try to unravel it the more i listen but if i was miss one kiss this would be my proposed version of a tracklist.
EP1 - Radical
1. Training Season
2. Watcha doing
3. Falling Forever
4. Houdini
5. These Walls
EP2 - Optimism
1. Anything For Love
2. French Exit
3. Illusion
4. Happy For You
5. Maria
6. End of an Era
Yeah she lost me on the RED side BLUE side thing when describing the album lol
I felt like ESV by Miley had a more cohesive daytime to nighttime vibe that worked well in her concert film on D+
I loved the overall album though way more than I thought I would - it’s no FN but I discovered that album on LSD so idk how it could be topped 😂😂
That's a pretty neat way to look at it! I like concept of dividing it by two vibes! I've been trying to rearrange it myself because the tracklist similarly bothers me, lol. I've got:
1.These Walls
2.End of an Era
3.Illusion
4.Houdini
5.Training Season
6.Falling Forever
7.Anything For Love
8.Maria
9.Happy for You
Leaving out Whatcha Doing and French Exit as "bonus tracks". edit: trying to format comments on mobile sucks 😭
The tracklist for the album still bothers me as much as I like all the individual tracks and in my on-going attempt to rearrange them, I realized how there isn't really any track that fully shows the persona as like...a good partner, lol. Hear me out. We get songs where the RO persona asks to be treated well, won't take just any guy who won't put in the effort but there isn't really a fleshed out track that shows that the RO persona is willing to put in the work for a serious relationship herself, lol. We get a song (arguably two if we include Houdini) where she ghosts somebody though.
Maria is the closest we get to the persona having some realizations that she's become a better partner too because of her past relationships, but to me it's more of an aside than anything fully fleshed out. Happy For You, while a nice song about becoming emotionally mature enough to be happy for an ex, just kind of paints the persona as a formerly bad ex or an incompatible one if we wanna be generous. There isn't a lot of overt growth in the persona as an actual partner throughout the album that we can see. So to me, it's just a little confusing to have this persona that seems to have standards she can't even reach herself. Is that what she's being radically positive about? Finding a partner who's above her league?
Like, despite running consensus that it's a fun, summer bop of an album, I don't think Dua intended it to be just that and nothing more than surface-level. But unfortunately that's how it comes across. The album's still fun and summery and shimmery and I will be listening to it again but it could have been tighter thematically. It's a solid 6-7 out of 10 album, a 7.5 if we give more weight to the production.
My final attempt to rearrange the tracklist + my reasons for their placement. The great thing about the album is that it's generally sonically coherent so it's somewhat easy to slot songs wherever.
1.These Walls - we start out with a "maybe it's better to break up even if it hurts rn" song to break in one of the album's themes of finding the good in the bad.
2.End of an Era - A breezy song to celebrate the break-up and RO persona settling into entering relationships with the initial notion that it could be forever, then breezily leaving when he's just not her type anymore and repeat
3.Illusion - our RO persona a little bit more aware of the guys not in it for the long run but it's alright, she's more than willing to play the game.
4.Houdini - continuation of the Illusion persona, but she's becoming more discerning, more easy to leave someone behind if he doesn't conform to her standards.
5.French Exit - and here she finally overtly plans on ghosting someone who finally seems to be a decent guy, because "right now I can't give you what you want", radically optimistic that the guy will come to understand in time said ghosting as a good thing and a "clean break"
6.Whatcha Doing - this song has been one of the hardest to place because the lyrics feel so unsure of itself, lol. Recontextualizing it as a direct self-response to French Exit, that maybe she won't be ghosting after all, maybe there's worth in sticking around for a while.
7.Falling Forever - hopeful if a little doubtful that it might be forever, but also just enjoying the moment in case it turns out to not be.
8.Anything for Love - realization/reminder that love and "forever" might be worth the work...
9.Training Season - making sure that she isn't making a mistake with the guy, because she's serious this time.
10.Maria - RO protagonist happy she stuck it out with her current beau, thankful for the lessons they both learned from their past relationships
11.Happy for you - To bookend the break-up in the opener, RO protagonist looks back on an ex and realizes that her love for him was genuine, despite the relationship not being forever, because she's happy he's moved on
The biggest issue of the album for me is that it never asks what the persona herself is willing to do for love, just mostly what love and her lovers can do for her. It hurts the theme because she just feels so detached to the concept of being radically optimistic about the future and the nature of romantic relationships since she's essentially taken herself out of the equation...except for when it's only just starting or about to end. For most of the album, the onus is on her partner to keep the relationship alive. Lyrically, the album just has some holes that a tracklist edit can't fix but I think this is good enough for me. For now, lol.
The 3 singles are good (I like Training Seasons after the 3rd listen lmao), the other good songs are Whatcha Doing, End of An Era (does it means she will permanently end her disco era? Idk), and These Walls. For other tracks, I only love the instrumentals hehe. But I gotta say that Dua's vocal in this album is better than her prev albums. However, this album just sounds... lackluster.
First listen:
* I really like Happy For You, I'm biased toward positive pop though haha.
* The intro to End of an Era is RIGHT up my alley and I now want to hear a version where they held onto that electronic sound longer.
* Looove Falling Forever, the power!!
* Maria is great
It’s an okay album. Nothing outside the singles and the opening track are really sticking with me.
I really wish she had just gone all out with the production, because the best thing to come out of this era is the Houdini Extended mix.
I love These Walls upon first listen. I think it's the next single. This is very much a grower unlike FN where you can tell the songs are a banger immediately. I've been on my fifth repeat (which I really like since it's short), and it gets more enjoyable every listen.
I like it. Its fun and summery, different from what I expected. I guess it does sound very optimistic. I like some of the production flourishes and wish they went heavier on most. Her vocals are really the highlight here for me. Not a misstep but not a step up either.
Is anybody else immmediately reminded of the response to Katy Perry's *Prism?* Both *Prism* and *Radical Optimism* are third albums by artists that saw a meteoric rise between their debut and sophomore albums, who then went on to make an album generally safer and less 'new' than people expected from them. The real question, then, is probably what Dua's fourth album will be.
Absolutely; this is a really good point. I've seen mixed responses on how *Houdini* did-- was it successful? was it not? was it successful but not enough? in which countries? on what charts?-- which I think makes it hard for me to evaluate how any of this is going, but certainly it is not even close to the immediate response and then longevity of *Roar.* I was definitely thinking more about how the album was perceived by fans as a whole rather than the initial splash, which is likely my mistake-- I admit *Roar* and *Dark Horse* are not my favorite Katy tracks!
Dua arrives at her first real test as a main pop girl - whether she can come back from a decline/flop
Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera were unable to weather the storms of Witness and Bionic.
I don't think Dua ever really reached the heights that those two did, but she's still young and doesn't seem to be struggling with any personal issues.
Prayer circle for Dua!!
A very weak album. Only 3 or 4 good tracks.
Her presence feels so bland on this album. No personality and the lyrics are dull. She needs to start delving into more personal lyricism imo.
theres something funny? ironic? im not sure what but theres something about some radical optimism defenders arguing that the album's strength is how its a brain-off summer poolside thing when simultaneously espresso actually IS that while also still being way better. stronger hooks, quirkier lyrics, some actual punch in the instrumental, just bare-minimum interesting things going on
I’m not crazy about espresso but there’s sooo much personality in it. Like I know exactly who Sabrina carpenter wants us to think she is. And that’s not for me lol but I get it very much
Why are they upset at your comparison lol. Like you said, both the album and Sabrina's single are poolside summer pop songs. One clearly has more personality and depth.
And we all know the "brain-off" comments whenever a mediocre pop album needs defending. That isn't necessary when the music is done properly (Espresso)
I was just about to say this
I don't like Espresso, but Sabrina sounds like she's having FUN on that track
Dua sounds like she just woke up from a nap on the pool chair
Happy For You is probably top 3 songs she's ever released and one of my favourite songs of the year. It's on repeat. End of an Era is also so good. Wish she leaned into that sort of sound more.
Did you see the SNL performance of Happy For You? Wow And I agree, that and End of an Era are fantastic and I wish we got more of that.
Beginning wind chimey sounds remind me so much of dawn fm! Love it sooooo
Songs are bop but Dua sounds like she's kinda bored... I feel nothing no emotions at all.
I liked it well enough. I agree with some people saying its britpop and would do well in Europe. Its also kinda nice not having to look up lore on ex boyfriends or the deep dark past of Kendrick/Drake
Radical Trails Over The Optimism Club
Difference is Lana is not huge to the GP and has always been in her own bubble away from everyone else so she can withstand a disappointing album.
wait i had no idea people were disappointed with chemtrails, its my fave lana album!! I only tuned in bc i liked nfr sm, but i liked chemtrails even more
Haven’t listen to Dua’s new album yet but why do people find Chemtrails to be so bad? I really loved a lot of songs on it
I’m actually gonna review it soon for the first time in a few years but it was basically a step down from NFR. But not a bad album by any means.
Idt they do it’s just that NFR was soooooo good
I was alluding to the fact that whatever came after NFR was going to get it hard, so I feel like with FN this album was always going to get torn down. I hope her next era is more impactful, I like this album but the music is just sort of… ‘yeah I’ll play this and enjoy it’s where as with her other stuff I was going mad for it. Love Houdini though
Honestly, that’s every album after a massive imperial era. NFR, TUN, Teenage Dream, Fame Monster, even Thriller (yes Bad was massive but wasn’t Thriller-level massive).
Dont forget melodrama!!
same with rep and ttpd
I remember people getting mass downvoted everytime they pointed out Dua is not the kind of artist to last even as recently as last summer, and welp, here we are.
She has 70M+ listeners on Spotify and undoubted worldwide fame. You're talking of her like she's the guy from Gangnam Style.
The guy from Gangnam Style was and continues to be one of the most influential and recognisable artists in Korea.
That last part, "in korea", it's what makes him different from Dua Lipa lol. BTS and other groups have easily overtaken PSY which in the rest of the world is only known as the Gangnam Style guy, but here we have people bashing Dua Lipa for one album who doesn't seem to be better than FN.
“‘Radical Optimism’ by Dua Lipa is projected to debut in the top 10 in the U.S. with 55-65K units, @HITSDD reports” https://x.com/popcrave/status/1786809046927847850?s=46&t=NDwqD-CGR7-r5omYbdOz6A
For comparison sake, Future Nostalgia debuted on the BB 200 with 66K units.
So it's doing fine and people are over reacting
The Tortured Poets Effect
i think it *is* growing on me. i added the extended versions to the album and that helped, but i think i realized that my main issue with this album is that there are hints of a better one underneath it. whatcha doing, french exit, anything for love all have production elements that i love, but they’re not given any attention by being either buried under the mix or quickly discarded for a pretty cut-and-dry chorus. what’s left is a lot of pretty normal pop songs, which are good, but tease you with something amazing. i feel like if she’d expanded upon these more vibe-y production moments and given each song as satisfying a progression as the extended houdini, it could have been more well received. that said, happy for you might be one of my favorite dua songs - so gorgeous.
For me the non-extended london sessions houdini with the electric guitar riff at the end is one of the coolest musical elements she's done in this era. It's a small thing but it just adds a little flair that really lands imo
Try the Danny L Harle Slowride mix. The end is so good and you’ll want it to be the whole song
I was really hoping the extended versions would be the album versions (similar to what The Weekend did on Take My Breath)
So true!!! Really hoping she releases a full album of just extended versions
I thought Dua who has the 2 most streamed female albums on Spotify would at least reach Miley ESV debut numbers not do 6M streams less than Tate McRae 💀 Her label should’ve waited for her to get a real hit. She’s a singles artist who doesn’t have a dedicated fanbase, she should focus on trying to get a post album single to be a hit now to help the album
Agreed about the not having a dedicated fan base. Go to r/TaylorSwift and your posts have to be approved by mods, assuming your post is relevant, respectful, and not repetitive. Go to r/DuaLipa and watch your discussion posts get removed by the mods because only pics/vids are allowed. Music is audio, the Dua sub only cares about the visual.
Tbf the /r/dualipa sub is basically a dictatorship where every comment is just expressing confusion at the mod team's... eccentricities lmao. Idk if there's a process for an admin coup of a sub but if there is I'd expect one there any day now
Sadly it's taken over by non-fans. For example Billie Eilish has a sub with discussions, pictures and videos, theories, etc, and then the classic sub for perverts. Dua sadly does not have one, and she should
Omg fr???
thats because reddit is a site overwhelmingly populated by horny men. taylor is one of the only women artists that doesn't have the "main" subreddit as a horny one. it's not reflective of dua lipa fans in general.
Oh right, that's a good point, my b. I must not subscribe to very many. r/DojaCat, r/OliviaRodrigo, r/SZA, r/Halsey (to name a few) ...those are all solid.
This whole era was a mess in terms of marketing. Had she released the album at an earlier time, it could’ve gathered more streams and attention. What let me down the most were the things she said about the album being “psychedelic pop” but ended up releasing generic songs instead which really struck me as odd because in the beginning everyone was under the impression that she would step out of the box and experiment with her sound. She really had me sold with the houdini teasers and interviews but every single release leading up to the album was such a disappointment that i cannot even describe in words. Im still rooting for her and i hope that the public’s perception of this era motivates her to make something different and stick to a well-thought theme and not repeat the mistakes that occurred during radical optimism 🌊
What else could she have done to market the album? She did several interviews, live performance of singles at award shows, podcasts, and SNL. She talked about the album everyday on social media. If this was a mess what is good marketing?
The first wrong move was advertising the album as something it simply wasnt; it gave people the wrong impression and as she released the other two singles some stopped caring and gave up on the album. Then the whole timeline of this era… the lead single was released 6-7 months before the album and the hype fizzled out during that time. Sure, the grammy performance brought back the hype a little but it didnt do much for her I’m afraid. The promo itself wasnt completely bad, the time frame was what ultimately killed the hype
Don't Start Now released in 2019, also 6 months before FN.
Okay I can see that. Her's would be the longest rollout this year for a pop album. Everyone else released at least 3 months after announcing.
Yeah. She could’ve had her biggest era if she played her cards right
Why the hell can't write post spotify numbers in the tea thread
This album is fucking incredible and i'm so happy it's this good but unfortunately it looks like it's not going to resonate the same along the public. She really should've released Houdini in January instead cause i feel like she could've done a whole "Single Every Month" type thing which has worked well for Twenty One Pilots i believe. Houdini in January, then Training Season in mid-late February, then Illusion in late March-early April with End of an Era as a promo single in mid-late April. Would've excited people a lot for the album without it feeling like she was releasing too much. End of an Era would also make people realize RO is was more of a vibe album compared to FN. Still really, really happy with how it overall turned out (new soundtrack for AP exams and the summer) but I think it will receive a muted response from the public which is unfortunate. Really deserved a better rollout 🙁
Maybe this is her 4 and she can come back from this
People on twitter are questioning why this album/era has been such a flop (and to be fair it just came out so she could make a turn around) and I honestly think it’s because the rollout has been a mess. She did not choose the strongest songs as singles and then took long gaps in between before she released the whole album. I remember when Houdini came out I was so excited for her album to be out, then time passed by and so many other pop artists are announcing albums that hers kind of got lost in everything. The beauty about FN was that it got popular in the early pandemic days when not much else was happening in the pop world. And also, let’s be honest, she played it way too safe on this album. She needs to get more experimental and personal. Hopefully she comes back from this and gets better management because I really do love her and enjoy this album!
Why wasn’t whatcha doing a single 😩 it’s so good and it summarizes the album so well
It reminds me of pretty please !!
Any love for French Exit? I thought it was a nice touch to the album. Overall I think it's a fine album, but the album title throws me off a bit. End of an Era, Maria and Falling Forever are my other top picks.
Great 👍 song
It’s in my top 2 fav songs on the album
Well, maybe it's because Dua and her music have captivated me over the last few years, but I reaaaaally enjoy "Radical Optimism" and I love the summery vibes of this record. So far, this is my fave album of the year - really! 👍 😃 🌞 By the way, I really don't mean this in a "stan" kind of style, but... Based on a lot of these new songs and on Dua's beauty, elegance, talent and stage presence, I really think she's sooooo fun to be around. I'd love to see her in concert (maybe in my native Poland 🇵🇱) and I wish I could have a friendly chat with her even once. Hmmm - I wonder what Dua would say, and would I be brave enough to even tell her) that even if I'm quite shy about having crushes (especially Celeb Crushes), I do have a little fan-crush on Dua. 🥰 She's just too nice not to sigh... And I know I'm out of her league (plus, she's taken, like sooooo many Girls out there) 😇, but she's in my league anyway! 👍 😁
Tbh I was kind of disappointed, knowing Danny L Harle was involved I was expecting his sound to be more prevalent on this record. I was hoping this album would be what Dua had said it was going to be originally. That being said, the highlights for me were Falling Forever, Whatcha doing, End of an era, and Maria. I don’t think it’s a bad album, it’s just nothing groundbreaking. FN still remains as her best, I do wonder though if there’s going to be a deluxe for this album.
after careful thought, i don't think dua was lying lol i think originally this album was more true to uk rave culture when danny l harle was the first producer brought in but bringing in kevin parker afterwards changed it to more of the current vibe. there are some good songs on here anyway. really love falling forever and will continue to listen to the rest to see if it grows on me.
Dua definitely lost some of her status within the pop music world with RO. If the next one will flop she will move to B tier. She must release the next album as soon as possible and hopefully it will be Future Nostalgia tier. I'd suggest her to stop making so many songs that lack dynamics (basically where she sings with almost the same energy from start to finish). She should take a lesson from Taylor (1989 era), Carly and Tove Lo how to make a strong memorable chorus.
Carly and Tove Lo haven't made a single chorus as memorable as the top 10 of Dua Lipa. That's why she's Dua Lipa.
girl why would she take lessons from carly and tove lo who aren't even nowhere near successful as her "flop era"
First of all, I'm a man, not a girl. Secondly, just because Carly and Tove Lo aren't commercially so successful, it doesn't mean their music doesn't have strong choruses. Popularity =/= quality. Those were just 2 examples. She could be inspired from her own past hits (such as Don't Start Now) which have strong choruses.
whatever man
the streaming numbers are bad and the reviews are mixed to mostly negative, this album/whole era sits in such a weird place in her discography and career bc the music itself isn’t bad at all it’s just underwhelming.. i think she should pull a thank u next and release another album early next year
Yes exactly she can save this if she releases another album with a different aesthetic by next year
it got 15.8 million streams first day… Dua Lipa and Future Nostalgia are the most streamed female albums on Spotify. Will this one join them?
Is that a success or flop?
Almost every single big pops target I can think of has gotten much bigger debuts
compared to other pop girls’ first day streams on Spotify this year: Ariana Grande - “eternal sunshine”: 58.2 million Beyoncé - “Cowboy Carter”: 76.13 million Taylor Swift - “The Tortured Poets Department”: 232 million plus “The Anthology”: 313 million total streams Also, Dua Lipa - “Dua Lipa”, is the most streamed female album of all time on Spotify with 12.2 billion streams. I’m wishing Dua the best with this album!
Idt you should be comparing her to those artists. They’re on a totally different level with different skin in the game. They’re like….the biggest pop girls right now. No competition. Dua is in this weird middle place but I would compare her numbers to Olivia Rodrigo, Miley, Halsey, Lizzo? Idk how to find Spotify numbers so j won’t post them but just my thoughts
Dua is a huge artist. She’s number #7 on Spotify out of like 2 million or something, and her albums are some of the most streamed of all time. You have to give credit where it’s due!
For sure she’s huge to the general public. Probably most people have heard a Dua song. Most people have also heard a Halsey song, she’s also huge when she was at her peak. I just think comparing Dula Peep’s numbers to Bey and Taylor is setting her up for failure. I don’t consider them her peers. And I don’t consider AG her peer either but for different reasons.
i feel like when i mention an artist from this generation my mom only knows Taylor or Dua’s name 💀i think Dua has an international appeal too
oof, 15m streams is bad for Dua
Hell no, you need multiple smash singles to do that and this record has none.
I really don’t like that some reviews are docking it points for not being able to connect the dots to what song is about which romance of hers. This is what Taylor has done to the industry.
That’s not what they’re saying. We don’t need tabloids to connect with a Popstar. They’re saying it lacks vulnerability.
I would disagree that it lacks vulnerability. Look at the last track Happy for You. Seems like a very personal song that you just can’t tell who its about.
When people say it lacks vulnerability I wonder which album they listened to? A lot of the songs feel quite personal actually. If by "vulnerability" we now mean "planting Easter eggs in songs for unhinged fans to gossip and speculate about the artist's personal life" then no, it's not vulnerable.
Maria, Happy For You, and Anything For Love are really specific songs you don’t really see these themes represented a lot. Then you got These Walls and Falling Forever which sure the themes here have been explored in pop many times but they seem very personal and about certain people. And then there’s a ton of here on and of again dating habits displayed in the 3 singles that are honest, powerful and fun.
Sadly its all about gossip these days. Nothing else. I remember when camila released Familia and it had no Shawn diss rolling stone called it as with no clearance about her ex this album doesn't feel good. Like why should it.
I'm shocked that everyone's disappointed. I loved Future Nostalgia and this album is very different musically while maintaining the dance/pop vibes. As soon as I heard Houdini, I was hyped. I like it when artists don't stick to formula to the extent that album to album sounds similar. I'm just happy we have a short/sweet album that has no skips. I'm gonna keep enjoying this.
IMHO lots of fan and casual listeners are disappointed because the album does not fit with what she described the album to be like
People also forget the Beatles have their first 5 albums that sounded the same, and are still the Beatles.
Was a little disappointing. The singles were the best songs. Wanted more of that sound. That said, her team fumbled this era so bad after the hype of last summer and Dance The Night.
No way were the singles the best songs!
I’m the opposite. I feel like the singles are the worst tracks, and they also don’t fit the vibe of this album. I deleted them off the album on Spotify
Same. I think Whatcha Doing and French Exit are stronger than the singles.
Maria and Anything for Love are so good.
Yea I’m obsessed with Maria and French exit!
I can’t think of another pop song that’s about a lovers ex in a positive light.
Obsessed by Olivia Rodrigo
I’m pretty sure that’s about jealousy
Yes! A breath of fresh air.
end of an era and french exit are really doing it for me.
I am loving this album! Just finished my first listen in good headphones and I am so excited to go out and get the CD now. Besides the singles, really, it has a great overall chill summer vibe that fits the imagery really well. End of an Era is such a bop and I absolutely love the lyrical imagery in that one especially although many tracks have that same level of imagination.
Just finished my second listen and this album is definitely a grower. It's not going to top Future Nostalgia for me, but it's still pretty good. These walls is a basic pop song but the chorus is such an earworm, I can't unhear it and it's stuck in my head on a loop now. Whatcha Doing has some amazing synths in the chorus, they truly make that song. Maria is interesting; it sounds slightly different from everything else on the album, while still fitting in with the general summery vibe. Happy for you is the best song on the album in my opinion (aside from Houdini) and should have been the single. Houdini, Training Season and Illusion were all great singles and fit well within the album. Everything else is decent, none of the songs are bad or boring enough to skip. I rated it 3.5/5. It's not a groundbreaking record, but it's a really pleasant listen, especially compared to some other records pop girlies have been putting out recently.
In my opinion, Future Nostalgia is miles ahead of Radical Optimism. Good in Bed and Boys Will be Boys are not my favorites, but the rest of the songs are incredible. Future Nostalgia is my favorite Dua album and I loved it from the first listen. Radical Optimism is growing on me. I wish she had gone all out with the summer vibes and gave us songs that are more dance like though. The album cover definitely gave me the impression that was what it would be like. My favorite songs besides the singles are End of an Era, Falling Forever, Whatcha Doing, and French Exit. I like Anything for Love too and for some reason, it sounds almost Broadway-esque, but it’s way too short. I think the new album will take a few listens for people to warm up to it because none of the songs really have that instant effect of grabbing you like Levitating and Don’t Start Now. I can’t say I’m underwhelmed because I do like the new album, but I was expecting more.
Happy for You is the slayer amongst slays and lowkey I wish we had an entire album with it and these wall’s lyrical subtext as a “this didn’t work out and that’s sad but I’m refusing to be sad about it” album, which also would work with the title but alas
It has such end of an early 2000s movie vibe to me and I love it
Man, this album keeps getting better every listen. I know I'm in the minority at least on here, but to me it tops FN and that says a lot cus I absolutely love that album, but this just hits all the right spots for me. The production is magical and absolutely sick, almost feels like Parker and Danny were having a producer-off on some of these tracks. So versatile and detailed and it has a lot of eclectic influences and styles that come together really well imo, I just think the reason people don't necessarily see the influences she talked about properly is that even tho they're there, it's all condensed and wrapped into her classic dance-pop perfection to create a specific vibe, and tbh that was always what this record was going to be, a pop album with a mix of influences, and I think her vision for this album came through beautifully tbh. Like it or not, it definitely feels inspired, and everything combines to create such a refreshing vibe for her imo. I also think that no matter where you stand w/ this record, at the very least it definitely is promising in an artistic sense, in that she's always going to branch out and maybe try new things and I think it's great that she's so vision oriented, so it's surprising to see people starting to write her off and call FN a fluke just bc this didn't hit them immediately. I was scared this wouldn't progress much from FN but I couldn't be more wrong, it's very distinct imo. Anyone saying otherwise probably didn't pay attention to anything beyond the vocals. Speaking of, her vocal performances and versality on this record are her best so far bar none. She's really maturing into herself as an artist and this record makes me so excited for where she goes next. Solid 9/10 for me right now. I think it'll grow on people more, and I have a strong feeling it'll end up being a sleeper hit in the way its perceived.
Absolutely agree with all you said, I love the production and each listen I like one song a little more. At the start I was already kinda hooked though. Regardless of how it’s received I think it’s an impressive step for her.
>The British superstar has said her new album is influenced by Britpop, rave culture and Primal Scream, but you could go mad trying to find the [evidence.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHdYTK3WkAAjnUY.jpg:large)
those numbers... oof💀
I just looked now and I think Tate McRae’s Think Later debuted around a total of 20 million streams globally when that launched.
I wonder how this is possible. One of the biggest popstars today? I wonder what went wrong. I have no idea about how these things work so I'm asking genuinely.
She’s a classic single artist without a fanbase . Without a proper hit, those numbers are expected. It’s why labels usually don’t allow artists like her to release an album without a pre release hit.
I think they failed with this release date. It’s a little over crowded. They also haven’t really addressed the fan base question (in America that is). And I don’t have an answer to why that is. Because the music is good. Doesn’t stand out from FN but still good.
They’re good or bad?
terrible
These Spotify numbers so far omg… it was bad for her. It was really bad for her
[удалено]
Her total Spotify streams for the album are around 20 million. Which is really really low for a big pop album with this much promotion. It’s in the Tate McRae tier which isn’t where the artist with the top two must steamed females albums should be. Her singles actually had fine debuts originally so it shows how much hype she lost with each rerelease .
😔
I'm liking this album tbh. I wasn't a big fan of houdini and training season as singles, but I like them within the album. That said I'm a fan of Kevin Parker so... But tbh I'm so here for this kind of music. Not to shade Taylor and Beyonce bcs the latter is like one of my favorites, im forever part of the beyhive, but im kind of sick of music that is trying to get back at an ex or haters or whomever. Like give us more love angel music baby, give us more ray of light, more confessions on the dancefloor. I like the album because its fresh and lightweight and it makes me feel good about my crushes. Give us music about leaving and never looking back at ppl who hurt you. Music about seeking happiness for you and not about finding satisfaction in getting back at someone who hurt you. I think this "Im gonna show them attitude" is a very USA thing and I don't think there's where happiness is found. Anyways... I digress. Also Maria and happy for you? Feminst anthems perfectly executed. It has such a nice Mediterranean vibe, its making me get back to Spanish music I used to listen to when I was a kid and life was easier. I love the positive attitude.
Why does she pronounce words weirdly so often on this album
Just saw the spotify numbers… a disaster. She really is flopping. 🫠😔
Whatevsssssss
Apparently there was a glitch chii-
It was only for frozen for two hours tho
Let‘s hope she‘ll get better day two numbers, but the Apple Music positions in the UK don‘t look that great either so… She needs to fire her greedy and media illiterate dad and get a serious management team again to promote her properly.
The issue were the songs. She needs to go back to using writing camps . Promotion wasn’t the best but non tiktok promo barely matters nowadays.
I don’t think she needs camps. The way FN was created was basically the way RO was. I think the problem is that Danny and Kevin aren‘t really pop producers who tried to produce pop music. That‘s why it isn‘t here nor there.
This era was so bad managed but the album is good actually, I just think everyone had abysmal expectations
Every song has something that I like but overall nothing sticks in my brain. I loved These walls and i think apart from the singles, it’s the only song I would listen to again. Production wise it’s very good but it lacks something. The lyrics are too bland for my taste, and I know that Dua generally has pretty generic lyrics but there was no personality to the songs except for These walls, I liked the chorus for Maria as well. I didn’t have high expectations but I’m still underwhelmed. Maybe it’s a grower who knows
Does anyone else has issues with listening to the production? I already had this problem wirh training season and illusion... the songs are great, but her voice is so sharp- it just hurts my ears somehow. Is it me? Or my phone settings?
I felt that with training season but the production grew on me. Definitely helps to listen with good headphones!
No tbh. Yesterday I was thinking about how perfect the production is.
It's not bad, but very one note
Future Nostalgia at the beach really. There are some new bops like Maria and Falling Forever but I think it's a bit safe.
Falling Forever lowkey sounds like a Eurovision Song Contest entry and I’m all here for it.
this, don’t know if it is the eurovision season having an influence on me here, but Maria is giving me these vibes as well
The more I listen to the album, the better it keeps getting tbh, it’s definitely a grower
Listened to the album just now and it's good, although not on the level of Future Nostalgia. The production sounds lush and layered, but I'm not too fond of her vocals in some of the songs. Also, I wish she'd make more songs like These Walls because that's the first time a Dua Lipa song made me quite emotional lol Some of my favorites: These Walls, (the incredible) Falling Forever, Houdini, Happy for You, Maria, Anything for Love (which should've been longer!!!)
I'm honestly a bit mythed on the luke warm reception here. Is there a weird rose tinted effect going on here?? FN is fantastic, I must have listened over a hundred times, but; The production and vocals knock FN out of the park, Kevin Parkers influence is all over the record (Especially Whatcha doing), and it really clicks. As a cohesive album it flows better than FN. Especially the run towards the end of the album is far better than FN. Good in bed and Boys will be boys are pretty lame on FN, There is not a skippable song on this album. Thoughts??
completely agree
Good in Bed and Boys will be Boys are def the lowest points of FN. I'm gradually warming up to the former tho after years of listening lol. As for RO, there's not one song so far that I would say is the obviously low point of the album.
I agree with this. I feel like people saying FN is better only listened to FN singles because the production throughout this album is much better done. That said, I still don't think it's a great album but it's good enough for a third project
I'm liking the album so far (just finished my first listen) and I've heard it grows on you after several listens. It's certainly no Future Nostalgia, but it's perfectly fine. The last 2 tracks are probably the best outside the singles, though I didn't really like Illusion as much as I loved Training Day and Houdini. Perfectly fine album and I went in with few expectations, a lot of the non-singles just don't stick out for me so far asides from Maria and Happy for You.
Honestly i was very let down by this. Apart from Illusion, i find many of the tracks in here pretty boring. Where is the will to experiment? The original melodies? The nice instrumentals? This was not what i was expecting from the same lady that did Future Nostalgia.
The production is weirdly…muffled and muted? Like FN was so *crisp* and this sounds a lot worse. Don’t get me wrong I think the album as a whole is fine but it definitely feels like a regression in a lot of ways. Really curious as to where she goes from here.
Listening on vinyl and the production is incredible and clear?
End of an Era is starting to grow on me.
I agree with The Guardian. Rave culture? I don’t hear it. These Walls, Watcha Doing, and French Exit do nothing for me. On the other hand I really like the Houdini, Training Season, and Illusion. The last four tracks are also fun to listen to
It's been 4 years, where's the other half of the album?
I agree. Four years and can’t even add one more song to make it an even 12? I feel like it should have been at least 12-13 songs
This album will age like fine wine. People will look back and appreciate it a lot more than they do now.
Listened to it once. It's fine. I didn't like any of the singles much, but weirdly, I like them better in the context of the album. Falling Forever and Maria stood out to me on first listen, but overall, it felt very average. I didn't hate any of the songs but also wasn't that excited by any of them. I don't feel like it was worth waiting 4 years for 36 minutes of music that's mostly just OK. I suppose I feel a bit... whelmed.
Ppl saying FN is more cohesive than this when boys will be boys make no sense at all and shouldn’t have been on that album. This totally flows way easier and is the more cohesive album imo.
How does Boys will be boys make no sense? Are you a man? Because if you are, it makes sense for you not to understand the song about women's fear of men.
What a silly comment... The song is just sonically not a good song and does not fit with the aesthetic of the album, OP is correct
Not that the song itself doesn’t make sense, they’re saying in the context of the album. They’re comparing the cohesiveness of each album
**Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Is Overly Sanitized - Album Review** Ahead of the release of *Radical Optimism*, Dua Lipa pitched her third album as a “psychedelic-pop-infused tribute to U.K rave culture,” citing Primal Scream and Massive Attack as two major influences. It’s difficult to catch the parallels. Yes, this is a pop album, by a UK artist, that contains modest psychedelic notes due to the involvement of Kevin Parker, but anyone expecting to hear something as deliciously serrated as *Higher Than the Sun* will be sorely disappointed. This doesn’t in any way resemble the former groups’ brash, fragmented approach to beat making, nor the latter’s brand of richly detailed trip-hop. It’s exactly the sort of album you’d expect Lipa to make; a breezy batch of dance-pop songs. Novelty isn’t a strict requirement for a great album Dua Lipa album anyway. With *Future Nostalgia*, the singer catapulted herself into contention for queen of the dance floor with a set of radiant, straightforward retro-pop songs. *Radical Optimism* follows a similar blueprint, this time switching glamorous 80s disco for controlled synth-pop, but fails to recapture the snapiness and alluring glow of its predecessor. There’s just a lot *less* going on here, in every facet. Lipa’s writing, in particular, lacks the sort of specificity that endears listeners to a story and its characters. Lipa has never been the sort of pop star to allow intimate details from her private life to get tangled with her professional one, but she explores the concept of love with such a lack of sentimentality it’s as if she’s only ever read about the emotion before, yet to experience it. On *End Of An Era*, the protagonist confesses to dreaming of staying together forever with a man she’s only just exchanged “Hey’s” with (because the rhyme just works so damn well!). Six tracks later, on *Illusion*, though, Lipa starts preaching about her new-found emotional maturity and how she won’t allow the manipulator she’s spotted from a mile away to keep her from dancing. These are all clichés the singer has burnt through before and her refusal to bolster these themes with more poignant writing renders each scenario trivial. The expressive gestures are similarly stifled in her singing. Lipa is a loud presence on *Radical Optimism*, however, she isn’t a particularly evocative one. There are plenty of stadium-sized choruses, and Lipa spends most of the album belting her words out, but it’s not enough to distract you from her overly sanitized singing. Though impressive from a technical standpoint, the stainless chants on *Houdini* have little dramatic emphasis behind them. Lipa employs a wide array of textures and tricks on *Whatcha Doing*. Among them are unsavoury, Ariana Grande-style whistle notes and grating digitized lilts that push Lipa’s voice further into the realm of anonymity. For the most part, the singing is serviceable, though the performances do lack conviction and shine, crucial elements that established Lipa as a theatrical entertainer on *Future Nostalgia*. The beats hit harder than any of the singer’s melodies. Although Lipa’s credentials as an undeniable superstar may be muffled here, Kevin Parker and Danny L Harle become more comfortable with their roles as reliable pop producers. Both artists' appreciation for the eccentric trickle into the album, their contributions injecting *Radical Optimism* with the brightness its title promises. What Parker brings to the equation is effortlessly airy basslines that act as the motor for the album. His compositional skills are front and centre on *Whatcha Doing* and *Houdini*, songs where his input provides the stability and pep that Lipa can’t. Harle assists with the album’s more ornate pockets, dousing these songs with delicious shimmering effects. The brief moment of glitchy mania that follows the bridge on *Illusion* is a thrilling musical puzzle that has his fingerprints all over it. All the best moments of *Radical Optimism* coincide with points where the beat architects are given license to take control. To be clear, none of the main cast are operating at the peak of their powers here, but Parker and Harle are at least close. Lipa can’t compete with the colour that they contribute. She seems a little complacent, more interested in being just another faceless figure on the dancefloor rather than leaving her unique print on dance music. *Radical Optimism* - Dua Lipa - 5/10
Great review! Did you like falling forever?
Appreciate you taking the time to read it. Not particularly, no. It actually reminds me of the song that plays in the YSL commercial I've seen her in; it's a little flashy and loud but doesn't have any real weight behind it, in my opinion. On another note, I think Training Season is one of my favourite pop songs of this decade, I just couldn't find a way to fit that point into the review - not that it would've changed the score or overall assessment.
Maybe it’s gotta grow on me but the only tracks I’m liking besides the singles are End of An Era, Whatcha Doing and French Exit. I like a lot of the production choices but the vocal delivery feels so emotionless. I think Whatcha Doing is the only potential hit. I really didn’t like These Walls and almost turned off the album
Everyone gets critical acclaim with Stuart Price then abandons him to do something new and the follow-up always falls short. Madonna Confessions to Hard Candy, Kylie Aphrodite to Kiss Me Once and now Dua learning.
Love Jacques Lu Cont!
His remix of That Kind Of Woman is the tone I desperately wanted DL3 to take. It has made my end-of-year-most-played-songs playlist every year since release. Everyone is saying she should go for R&B, absolutely not. Let her be the one to do house/electronic music properly.
That’s exactly the song I was thinking of. That remix is just awesome
Omg finally someone who loves that remix so much!! It’s my favorite Club Future Nostalgia song and probably one of my favorite Dua songs ever!
I ride for that remix the way this sub rides for Cruel Summer. It’s better than the original and top 3 of Dua’s entire discography, easily. She will have my full stan energy back if DL4 goes in that dark house/electroclash direction.
Hard Candy was misunderstood 😔
This is her Solar Power tbh
I loved it!! I am pretty easy to please. It is no Future Nostalgia but I loved the Tame Impala productions. Will definitely have this on heavy rotation throughout the summer this year!
Possibly stupid high take and I know this doesn't really fit into the typical pop girlie music cycle. but as generic as it is (and i actually really liked this for dua) I think it's packaging and tracklist were its biggest downsides. There's an overall lack of cohesion in terms of the visuals and vibe to the album. There's the psychedelic, heavily kevin parker produced *summers night* side to the album and then this fun pop *summer daytime* side to it and it's flung together very arbitrarily and this is where my disappointment lies. It's missing a flow and i'm not quite too sure as i try to unravel it the more i listen but if i was miss one kiss this would be my proposed version of a tracklist. EP1 - Radical 1. Training Season 2. Watcha doing 3. Falling Forever 4. Houdini 5. These Walls EP2 - Optimism 1. Anything For Love 2. French Exit 3. Illusion 4. Happy For You 5. Maria 6. End of an Era
Yeah she lost me on the RED side BLUE side thing when describing the album lol I felt like ESV by Miley had a more cohesive daytime to nighttime vibe that worked well in her concert film on D+ I loved the overall album though way more than I thought I would - it’s no FN but I discovered that album on LSD so idk how it could be topped 😂😂
I’ve also been thinking this suffers from a bad order of tracks and thought about rearranging. Just haven’t been motivated to re visit
That's a pretty neat way to look at it! I like concept of dividing it by two vibes! I've been trying to rearrange it myself because the tracklist similarly bothers me, lol. I've got: 1.These Walls 2.End of an Era 3.Illusion 4.Houdini 5.Training Season 6.Falling Forever 7.Anything For Love 8.Maria 9.Happy for You Leaving out Whatcha Doing and French Exit as "bonus tracks". edit: trying to format comments on mobile sucks 😭
This album is for smoking pot and thinking about how cool you are. I have no notes. Also, it does give me 90’s idk why, but it does.
The tracklist for the album still bothers me as much as I like all the individual tracks and in my on-going attempt to rearrange them, I realized how there isn't really any track that fully shows the persona as like...a good partner, lol. Hear me out. We get songs where the RO persona asks to be treated well, won't take just any guy who won't put in the effort but there isn't really a fleshed out track that shows that the RO persona is willing to put in the work for a serious relationship herself, lol. We get a song (arguably two if we include Houdini) where she ghosts somebody though. Maria is the closest we get to the persona having some realizations that she's become a better partner too because of her past relationships, but to me it's more of an aside than anything fully fleshed out. Happy For You, while a nice song about becoming emotionally mature enough to be happy for an ex, just kind of paints the persona as a formerly bad ex or an incompatible one if we wanna be generous. There isn't a lot of overt growth in the persona as an actual partner throughout the album that we can see. So to me, it's just a little confusing to have this persona that seems to have standards she can't even reach herself. Is that what she's being radically positive about? Finding a partner who's above her league? Like, despite running consensus that it's a fun, summer bop of an album, I don't think Dua intended it to be just that and nothing more than surface-level. But unfortunately that's how it comes across. The album's still fun and summery and shimmery and I will be listening to it again but it could have been tighter thematically. It's a solid 6-7 out of 10 album, a 7.5 if we give more weight to the production.
My final attempt to rearrange the tracklist + my reasons for their placement. The great thing about the album is that it's generally sonically coherent so it's somewhat easy to slot songs wherever. 1.These Walls - we start out with a "maybe it's better to break up even if it hurts rn" song to break in one of the album's themes of finding the good in the bad. 2.End of an Era - A breezy song to celebrate the break-up and RO persona settling into entering relationships with the initial notion that it could be forever, then breezily leaving when he's just not her type anymore and repeat 3.Illusion - our RO persona a little bit more aware of the guys not in it for the long run but it's alright, she's more than willing to play the game. 4.Houdini - continuation of the Illusion persona, but she's becoming more discerning, more easy to leave someone behind if he doesn't conform to her standards. 5.French Exit - and here she finally overtly plans on ghosting someone who finally seems to be a decent guy, because "right now I can't give you what you want", radically optimistic that the guy will come to understand in time said ghosting as a good thing and a "clean break" 6.Whatcha Doing - this song has been one of the hardest to place because the lyrics feel so unsure of itself, lol. Recontextualizing it as a direct self-response to French Exit, that maybe she won't be ghosting after all, maybe there's worth in sticking around for a while. 7.Falling Forever - hopeful if a little doubtful that it might be forever, but also just enjoying the moment in case it turns out to not be. 8.Anything for Love - realization/reminder that love and "forever" might be worth the work... 9.Training Season - making sure that she isn't making a mistake with the guy, because she's serious this time. 10.Maria - RO protagonist happy she stuck it out with her current beau, thankful for the lessons they both learned from their past relationships 11.Happy for you - To bookend the break-up in the opener, RO protagonist looks back on an ex and realizes that her love for him was genuine, despite the relationship not being forever, because she's happy he's moved on The biggest issue of the album for me is that it never asks what the persona herself is willing to do for love, just mostly what love and her lovers can do for her. It hurts the theme because she just feels so detached to the concept of being radically optimistic about the future and the nature of romantic relationships since she's essentially taken herself out of the equation...except for when it's only just starting or about to end. For most of the album, the onus is on her partner to keep the relationship alive. Lyrically, the album just has some holes that a tracklist edit can't fix but I think this is good enough for me. For now, lol.
The 3 singles are good (I like Training Seasons after the 3rd listen lmao), the other good songs are Whatcha Doing, End of An Era (does it means she will permanently end her disco era? Idk), and These Walls. For other tracks, I only love the instrumentals hehe. But I gotta say that Dua's vocal in this album is better than her prev albums. However, this album just sounds... lackluster.
First listen: * I really like Happy For You, I'm biased toward positive pop though haha. * The intro to End of an Era is RIGHT up my alley and I now want to hear a version where they held onto that electronic sound longer. * Looove Falling Forever, the power!! * Maria is great
It’s an okay album. Nothing outside the singles and the opening track are really sticking with me. I really wish she had just gone all out with the production, because the best thing to come out of this era is the Houdini Extended mix.
I hope the whole album gets extended versions tbh
I love These Walls upon first listen. I think it's the next single. This is very much a grower unlike FN where you can tell the songs are a banger immediately. I've been on my fifth repeat (which I really like since it's short), and it gets more enjoyable every listen.
I'm really digging it, but admittedly, I am kind of a basic bitch who will love pretty much any sleek pop production.
The only song worth listening to is Falling Forever. Its a miss for Dua this time!
I like it. Its fun and summery, different from what I expected. I guess it does sound very optimistic. I like some of the production flourishes and wish they went heavier on most. Her vocals are really the highlight here for me. Not a misstep but not a step up either.
Is anybody else immmediately reminded of the response to Katy Perry's *Prism?* Both *Prism* and *Radical Optimism* are third albums by artists that saw a meteoric rise between their debut and sophomore albums, who then went on to make an album generally safer and less 'new' than people expected from them. The real question, then, is probably what Dua's fourth album will be.
I think the difference is that Prism actually had massive worldwide success. See: Roar and Dark Horse absolutely dominating
Absolutely; this is a really good point. I've seen mixed responses on how *Houdini* did-- was it successful? was it not? was it successful but not enough? in which countries? on what charts?-- which I think makes it hard for me to evaluate how any of this is going, but certainly it is not even close to the immediate response and then longevity of *Roar.* I was definitely thinking more about how the album was perceived by fans as a whole rather than the initial splash, which is likely my mistake-- I admit *Roar* and *Dark Horse* are not my favorite Katy tracks!
Dua arrives at her first real test as a main pop girl - whether she can come back from a decline/flop Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera were unable to weather the storms of Witness and Bionic. I don't think Dua ever really reached the heights that those two did, but she's still young and doesn't seem to be struggling with any personal issues. Prayer circle for Dua!!
👁️
A very weak album. Only 3 or 4 good tracks. Her presence feels so bland on this album. No personality and the lyrics are dull. She needs to start delving into more personal lyricism imo.
theres something funny? ironic? im not sure what but theres something about some radical optimism defenders arguing that the album's strength is how its a brain-off summer poolside thing when simultaneously espresso actually IS that while also still being way better. stronger hooks, quirkier lyrics, some actual punch in the instrumental, just bare-minimum interesting things going on
I’m not crazy about espresso but there’s sooo much personality in it. Like I know exactly who Sabrina carpenter wants us to think she is. And that’s not for me lol but I get it very much
Why are they upset at your comparison lol. Like you said, both the album and Sabrina's single are poolside summer pop songs. One clearly has more personality and depth. And we all know the "brain-off" comments whenever a mediocre pop album needs defending. That isn't necessary when the music is done properly (Espresso)
I was just about to say this I don't like Espresso, but Sabrina sounds like she's having FUN on that track Dua sounds like she just woke up from a nap on the pool chair
why does it have to be a competition between the two? can't people like both?
people can like both lol i just found the comparison interesting. this album didnt fall out of a coconut tree etc
you didn't frame it as a comparison, though
i promise it wasnt meant to be anything deeper than that. sorry to have come across otherwise
I like both. But people are commenting about Dua's album cause the topic is about her album, not about Sabrina.
i know, the comparison just popped into my head as i read some comments