Dua Lipa- Future Nostalgia
Label: Warner
Producers: Jeff Bhasker, Jason Evigan, Koz, Ian Kirkpatrick, SG Lewis, Lindgren, The Monsters & Strangerz, Stuart Price, Take a Daytrip, TMS and Andrew Watt
There was an incredible amount of pressure and anticipation riding on Future Nostalgia, the sophomore release from blossoming pop mega-star Dua Lipa. It followed the immense global success of her 2017 debut album, which officially proclaimed her as one of the most promising breakthrough artists to arrive as the 2010s entered its final sprint. Those worried about a sophomore jinx striking here were quickly put at ease. Future Nostalgia found the English chanteuse building capably on the momentum she entered her next era with, revealing another batch of dizzying and entertaining anthems that showed an astute balance of iconic 80s touchstones, new millennium dance stylings, and her own unique POV and vision for the pop sounds of the future. Disco, 80s and modern pop lovers will find plenty to enjoy here, with influences ranging from Madonna, Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, and Janet Jackson to Kylie Minogue, Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry all detected throughout. But again, Lipa is not simply a revivalist. She’s a creative curator of her own musical identity as well, and she injected each of these tracks with plenty of fresh and unique ideas as well. The title for the album proved to be far more than just daring posturing; it was a confident prophecy that she more than fulfilled throughout the record.
And it’s that bold title track that starts off the album in funky and unapologetically feminine fashion. It’s a dazzling showcase of a young artist who is sassy, determined and convicted in her musical identity. The smooth funk pivots and electronica sensation of the bridge give the song a scintillating climax that is overflowing with early 90s Janet vibes. It fantastically sets the stage for the course of the album it launches, while reasserting Dua Lipa as a sturdy bridge over the gap of all of pop music’s most popular eras. She continued to have one foot squarely dipped in the retro past, while the other one stepping out toward the future.
Like all great pop classics, what unfolds from there is an endless stream of smash-worthy songs. There’s not a single dud to be found in the batch. It’s a throughly consistent and entertaining set that doesn’t miss a beat from start to finish. There was of course, “Don’t Start Now”, the lead single and unavoidable smash of the preceding winter. The intoxicating hit continued to demand your attention even after hearing it relentlessly on the radio for the past several months. There’s plenty of reasons that it was Lipa’s biggest hit single to date: from her husky, intoxicating vocals to the spellbinding disco strings and piano, to the infectiously bopping chorus. That contagious spirit doesn’t let up for a single moment thereafter. “Physical” is a smoldering, spine-tingling ear worm so palpable in the raw sensuality that it unleashes. It’s far beyond flirtatious; it’s downright seductive, and that eerie 80s synth is perfectly placed to elevate the intensity of the performance. Drenched in house influences with just the right dash of Hip-Hop thrown in, both “Levitating” and “Hallucinate” are equally sexy rave-ups that leave ample space for Lipa’s fiery vocals to come unhinged. “Good In Bed” shines as the most light-hearted moment of the album, and is easily the most joyously fun, with Lipa’s snarky sass shining against a backdrop of persistent piano while she gleefully acknowledges that this romance’s absolute dysfunction is the sole key to their chemistry. Another smash, “Break My Heart” perhaps still stands out as the most potently euphoric slice of pop brilliance on the entire album. It’s just so expertly and effortlessly crafted, from the clever INXS interpolation to the crackling pace and the progressive intensity that peaks so triumphantly in the final chorus. It’s perhaps the banger to end all fucking bangers.
As stated above, the entire record plays like an unrelenting hit factory. That however should not be misconstrued as an assertion that the album all sounds the same. Given the high quality of these tracks, that certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing, but there are plenty of moments where Lipa steps outside of her own well-executed box. Two performances in particular stand out remarkably well in this regard. The first, late-blooming single “Love Again”, begins with hauntingly gorgeous strings that seamlessly blend both a classical and disco ambience. From there, it quickly accelerates to welcome in both hyperactive acoustic guitar licks and then a thrilling sampling of the trumpet solo from the Al Bowlly standard “My Woman”. It’s not the first, or even second, modern day record to do so. But it’s no less evocative, and only adds to the general beauty of this gem of a performance. The album’s finale, “Boys Will Be Boys” proves to be even more intriguing, and undoubtedly the most profound moment of the album. It finds the artist confronting the double standards of gender stereotypes, general misogyny, and finally the all-too-often downplayed seriousness of sexual assault. It’s a provocative and important message, and proof positive that this is not just a pop album with a beat and hunger for hooks. It also has plenty of heart and brains behind the gloss as well.
Future Nostalgia soared on many levels, and is arguably the most satisfying pop album to see release during the entire pandemic era. Brisk, entertaining and irresistible, it’s built for endless spins and was destined to become both a blockbuster and a future classic as well. Dua Lipa further solidified herself to be one of the most masterful concocters of pop magic to break through in quite some time, and while the decade is certainly very young, she has moved to the front of the line among the early candidates craving to become the most pivotal pop star of the 2020s.
Track Listing
- “Future Nostalgia” (Dua Lipa, Jeff Bhasker, Clarence Coffee Jr.)
- “Don’t Start Now” (Lipa, Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, Ian Kirkpatrick) *2019 Single Release
- “Cool” (Lipa, Camille Purcell, Shakka Phillip, Ben Kohn, Tom Barnes, Pete Kelleher, Tove Lo)
- “Physical” (Lipa, Jason Evigan, Coffee, Sarah Hudson) *2020 Single Release
- “Levitating” (Lipa, Coffee, Hudson, Stephen Kozmeniuk) *2020 Single Release
- “Pretty Please” (Lipa, Julia Michaels, Ailin, Kirkpatrick)
- “Hallucinate” (Lipa, Samuel George, Lewis Sophie, Frances Cooke) *2020 Single Release
- “Love Again” (Lipa, Coffee, Kozmeniuk, Chelcee Grimes, Bing Crosby, Max Wartellrving Wallman) *2021 Single Release
- “Break My Heart” (Lipa, Andrew Wotman, Ali Tamposi, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson, Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence) *2020 Single Release
- “Good In Bed” (Lipa, Michael “Lindgren” Shulz, Denzel Michael Akil-Baptiste, David Charles, Marshall Biral, Melanie Joy Fortana, Taylor Upsahl)
- “Boys Will Be Boys” (Lipa, Kennedi, Justin Tranter, Evigan)
The 706 
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