Published by Mason Oldridge, 3 May 2024
Four years after groundbreaking previous release Future Nostalgia and following on from last year’s success with Dance the Night from the Barbie soundtrack, pop superstar Dua Lipa is here with her long-awaited third studio album.
The titular term is referenced in the album’s artwork as it depicts Lipa in the ocean with a shark. Departing the electro pop sound of the predecessor, Radical Optimism incorporates dance and disco, as well as elements of psychedelia, thanks to co-production from Kevin Parker (Tame Impala).
Parker’s influence is heard on lead single Houdini whereas follow-up single Training Season produces flashbacks to her sensational performance at the 2024 BRIT Awards. These Walls features an eerie sound, French Exit ironically sounds like Spanish music matched with an irregular drum beat, Falling Forever showcases Lipa’s prolonged and strained vocal abilities, Anything For Love strips the instrumentation back to piano to highlight Lipa’s talent and Maria is one of the catchiest tracks, matching acoustic guitar with epic feelgood flute sounds, before drum-centred Happy For You closes the album.
Lipa has it all. The image. The moves. The personality. The voice. Dua Lipa is an artist of a generation.
10/10