Dua Lipa’s New Album Has Some Magical Song Names
Her new era is surprisingly... different.
Dua Lipa’s changed the rules, levitated, and danced the night away in Barbieland. Now, she’s embracing her Saturn Return to create more pop magic — specifically, her third studio album. In October 2023, fans noticed Lipa would repeatedly post photos on Instagram and delete them soon afterward. That cryptic approach excited fans, and it wasn’t long until the singer released two singles, “Houdini” and “Training Season.” It’s clear these psychedelic gems were the start of a new era, and now, DL3 has an official name: Radical Optimism.
On Mar. 13, Lipa shared details about her new record on Instagram. “RADICAL OPTIMISM OUT MAY 3RD 2024,” she wrote on the post, which revealed the album’s cover art: her wading in the ocean as a shark swims nearby. She shared the album’s tracklist in the second slide, and it features her two lead singles in a swarm of other hopeful song titles.
As a final touch, Lipa also shared a brief clip honoring the journey of creating the album. The video begins with her seemingly in the studio, before multiple clips of different eras of her career cut in. It then ends with her tying in her speech from the 2021 Grammys — where she won Best Pop Vocal Album — to the album’s concept, which seems to be about finding happiness in the midst of chaos.
Radical Optimism’s oceanic aesthetic feels specific to Lipa, who’s been crowned the “queen of vacation” in the last year. However, even with that connection, some fans believe this summer-y approach is a stark contrast from the visuals for her new singles. In “Houdini,” Lipa heavily relied on trippy effects, which fed into the track’s disco-funk sound perfectly. Meanwhile, “Training Season” has a dizzying sway that’s reminiscent of a pulsing club anthem. Not to mention, the single’s cover art sees her dangling from a dance pole.
While the visuals may vary, it appears the concept of the album title has been brewing for some time. In a recent press release, Lipa revealed a friend introduced her to the term “radical optimism” several years ago. “It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life.”
Here’s everything we know about Radical Optimism, so far.
Radical Optimism Might Be The Album Of The Summer
Radical Optimism will release on May 3, right on the cusp of summer. This season has been defined as a moment to be free in every aspect of life, especially in the romance department. It seems Lipa’s aware of that tradition, as some of the tracklist sees her welcoming and bidding love farewell.
- “End Of An Era”
- “Houdini”
- “Training Season”
- “These Walls”
- “Whatcha Doing”
- “French Exit”
- “Illusion”
- “Falling Forever”
- “Anything For Love”
- “Maria”
- “Happy For You”
She’s Embracing Familiar (And New) Sounds
In the same press release, Lipa revealed she found a bond between the definition of Radical Optimism and the musical freedom in genres such as psychedelia, trip-hop, and Britpop. “It struck me – the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm,” she said. “It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”
It’s Got A Very Buzzy Producer
Many fans believe Lipa worked closely with Tame Impala frontman, Kevin Parker, in producing the new album, especially after it was confirmed that Parker produced “Houdini.”
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