Transitioning from nu-disco to psychedelic dance-pop, Dua Lipa still finds enough space for her sonic pivot to land effectively. Despite the brisk compositions and dull sonic decisions placed upon ‘Radical Optimism’, there is joy found in Dua Lipa’s subtle writing and expressive vocals contained within Kevin Parker and Danny L Harle’s consistently warm production.
With the release of ‘Future Nostalgia’ that may perhaps started off the nu-disco trend that overwhelmed the year 2020 and its lack of physical dancefloors that instead took the groovy rollick in everyone’s own isolated compartments, it is a natural refinement of Dua Lipa’s brand of pop - carrying an attentive, effortless charisma that Dua Lipa does have, a characteristic that allowed her fitting really well within the disco flair that she embraced. While the overall result may also come with the aftereffect of her leaning a bit too close on that disco sheen since then, there is no denying that with her performances and songwriting, she manages to fit well within that space. The recent crop of interviews showed that Dua Lipa is willing to shift to another kind of sound once more, a willingness that eventually led up to her newest project this year, ‘Radical Optimism’.
From the singles rolling over to the entirety of the album, the presence of Danny L Harle and Tame Impala’s very own Kevin Parker in producing the album is a boon for Dua Lipa delving within the specks of 90s psychedelia and breezy acoustic pop, as the inclusion of more organic instrumentation amidst glossy synth textures does interlock together smoothly due to the production that has enough warmth and punch to let the melodies sound full. Of course, Dua Lipa brings her expressive alto vocal timbre that she modulates wondrously, sounding assured in Danny L Harle and Kevin Parker’s production. With this, they allow a lot of these songs to reach great heights. The shuffling drums amidst surfing guitar lines and vocal overdubs on ‘These Walls’, the gleaming disco groove of ‘Whatcha Doing’ that has shimmering synths to accompany the slick main melody, the galloping western tones of ‘Maria’, ‘Falling Forever’, and especially ‘Training Season’ from the bass and drum melodies that let their catchy compositions snap even more, and ‘Happy For You’ where the rumbling drums and chiming keys lead to the evocatively glorious chorus that Dua Lipa can deliver exceptionally.
The shift in the sound also shows up within the songwriting, opening up a different emotive flair for Dua Lipa. Unlike the past few projects where there is a sense of empowered cool in exploring relationships amidst party hookups, there is a sense of optimism contrasted with vulnerability in the overall narrative. Despite the hopeful viewpoint toward making this relationship work, she still keeps her eye narrowed on this partner on whether or not they’ll be able to assure her that the relationship will indeed work - it’s a realistic attitude that she has learned from her past romantic experiences, where now, she has to be more careful and attentive on the possibility of finding new lovers. Yet as much as Dua Lipa tries to ensure that the romance is working, that eventual love fades as she gets more reflective on this heartbreak, where instead of saying goodbye, she quietly leaves so that she doesn’t have to think about the ache even longer. But at the very end of that arc, there is a maturity coming through her optimistic viewpoint, finding happiness in the fact that her ex has found love once more, ending the arc with a sense of joy. It’s an arc that is carried through more subtlety this time around, a factor that stems from Dua Lipa growing more as a songwriter and as a person that’s reflected further within the more vulnerable details of her lyricism.
As much as the shift still allows quality to shine through, the project is a bit less impressive when it comes to the overall execution of the sound. Despite the lovely warmer textures in the instrumentation, the decision to lean on the breezy acoustic sound palette could have been treated with more special flair as it comes off less stellar and less fascinating when they’re played in a straightforward fashion, with cuts like ‘End Of An Era’ and ‘French Exit’ eventually falling flat because of it. And as subtle as the writing can be, the melodic progressions don’t exactly manage to translate that subtlety well due to the brisk bluntness that some of the melodies carry - even if the immediacy is intended to emphasize the optimistic flair of the writing - and could have a bit more focus on slower tempos to accentuate the tone of the writing, or that they come off really dull in its compositions like on ‘Illusion’ where the elongated hook could have been tweaked for a sharper, stickier rendition to match the tame but still swirling house beat with the sharp grooves and piano chords and ‘Anything For Love’ where it could have shaped into a ballad rather having that opportunity ruined once it switches to a tepid synth beat.
Switching the coolness for brightness, ‘Radical Optimism’ doesn’t exactly push Dua Lipa into a space where she’s able to make something dynamic and potent, instead lingering upon the psychedelic and acoustic dance pop flourishes that she can make it effective, but not exactly allow her to treat them with a unique flair. Even still, there is a kinetic aura with Dua Lipa’s vocals and writing that pairs well with the consistently wonderful production from Danny L Harle and Kevin Parker, leading to songs that pop off, just not ending up mindblowing. Despite the troubles Dua Lipa has faced before, as long as the optimistic viewpoint is cherished and embraced, growth and joy will come to her afterward.
Favorite Tracks: ‘Training Season’, ‘These Walls’, ‘Whatcha Doing’, ‘Falling Forever’, ‘Maria’, ‘Happy For You’
Least Favorite Track: ‘Illusion’