Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism - Album Review

For this album review, Dua Lipa swerves into a new nostalgia window for a more subdued, frustrated, but no less intriguing album.

Best Songs: 'Houdini’, ‘Whatcha Doing’, ‘Falling Forever’, ‘Maria’, ‘Training Season’
Worst Song: ‘Illusion'

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Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism - Album Review (pop / nu-disco)
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Spectrum Pulse is a music review / commentary channel, like colleagues Anthony Fantano of TheNeedleDrop, ARTV, Dead End Hip Hop, Rocked, Deep Cuts, Crash Thompson, Brad Taste, and plenty others, known for discussions of music, movies, art and culture.

Spectrum Pulse, music, review, 2024, album, album review, react, reaction, On The Pulse, Dua Lipa, Dua Lipa review, Dua Lipa album review, Dua Lipa reaction, Dua Lipa Radical Optimism, Dua Lipa Radical Optimism review, Dua Lipa Radical Optimism album review, Dua Lipa Radical Optimism reaction, Radical Optimism, End of an Era, Houdini, Training Season, These Walls, Whatcha Doing, French Exit, Illusion, Falling Forever, Anything For Love, Maria, Happy For You, Pop, Nu-disco
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[Timur_aka_Tamerlane]

Great review Mark, I really appreciate your nuanced and sensible take in comparison to all the hate I am seeing Dua get this era. This is easy listening and while it is definitely not as strong as Future Nostalgia, I still think it has some merit

[juzrusty]

Totally agree with you here. It was always going to be tough to follow Future Nostalgia but I didn't expect a pivot

[TheBlackPanther]

0:08
Same. Girlie has been so underrated this era and it's a shame.

[beatoriche]

I gotta say, Radical Optimism sounds like a fantastic title for a more subversive album leaning explicitly into commentary on the current political moment. Guess this trail of thought shows how much I've been craving that.

[twintimeproductions]

Its pretty good! Its no Future Nostalgia, but there are some good tracks here.

[tylerhackner]

Disappointing in comparison to future nostalgia and expectations for the album itself (she said it’d have a psychedelic sound and it didn’t) but it is solid as a Dua lipa album. I think people are too negative on it based on the disappointments I just said, but I think people could turn around on it.

[hyperionnova]

of the new songs, These Walls and Whatcha Doing have been on repeat on my end, along with Training Season

[sirumn]

Illusion as the worst is funny for me… it’s by far my favourite here alongside Falling Forever and These Walls

[jchmusic]

I don't see how "Illusion" is bad, but I don't love it as much as the other two singles

[Timothyrpiano]

Here’s my thoughts on Radical Optimism:

This is the best vocal performance I’ve heard from Dua thus far. This is also the best album I’ve heard so far this year despite it not being spectacular. “End Of An Era” was honestly a disappointing opener for me. It didn’t really hit, especially as an intro to the album. “Anything For Love” was another disappointment. I would’ve preferred it to have just stayed a piano ballad the whole way through instead of switching up the production halfway. “Whatcha Doing” was the first song that really hooked me while listening to the album. I love the groovy vibe to it. “Falling Forever” is my favorite song on the album. Her vocal performance was amazing and the production was really good. You can really see Dua’s artistic growth with this specific song. What a beautiful track. Overall, I thought the album was good even though I don’t think it’s as good as Future Nostalgia. Future Nostalgia is a hard album to top though.

[TalenClaw-pgsk]

I find Houdini to be a little too abrasive in its retroism and pastiche and overall that's where the album falls flat for me. But, I like the more wry and self possessed moments when she leads the song not the other way round.

[nasanoir]

The thumbnail is exactly how i feel about this album.

[ElectricOutcast]

Do you think that this album would've been better if it had a more Synthwave-based sound? Like with The Midnight or Nina Boldt for example. Like I heard this one remix of Houdini that I think was better than the original studio version because of how late 80's it sounded and I think Dua Lipa is missing an opportunity to be the person to bring Synthwave to the mainstream.

[TheBlackPanther]

My Opinions on Radical Optimism:

Overall, not as Great or absolutely Iconic as Future Nostalgia (I mean, that was inevitably going to be hard to top regardless LOL) but I still had a lot of fun with this! This is going to be Dua's most underrated album and it's a shame, cuz it's pretty damn good!

8/10

Best Songs: Houdini, Falling Forever, End of an Era, Training Season, Happy For You, Illusion (I feel like I'm the only one who really likes this one), Whatcha Doing, Maria

Worst Song: French Exit (not bad tho)

[Tpffan]

On first listen, I thought this was completely mid and disappointing compared to Future Nostalgia, but listening to some reviews, maybe it's growing on me

[DangerousPython]

I really liked it but I’m not sure if it’ll stick with me like future nostalgia did

[meepswag]

I don't think this album ended up how she wanted it to sound, I think she wanted to swerve more into the houdini route, and just ended up with mid

[th_shard]

It was underwhelming for me. I wish I liked it more. Most songs I won't return to.

I loved Houdini and liked Happy for You though.

[sleepdeprivedpikachu]

i haven’t listened to this let, but i will get around to it after i listen to anniversary

[xinyuning]

Every reviewer (pitchfork fantano and you) is trying to talk me into liking Maria, but I really don’t get the hype, the chorus is too corny and probably not gonna age well😢