Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism ALBUM REVIEW 

This review was not radically optimistic

These Walls by Kendrick Lamar being your least favorite song on a Dua Lipa album is pretty crazy

Turns out "Future Nostalgia" was a prophecy about how people would view that album compared to this one

If Dua had a song over the "BBL Drizzy" beat you would've given this a 10

Unfortunately for Dua Lipa, melon has radical pessimism 😔

The extended mixes of the singles were WAY better, richer, fuller and more complete sounding, with that slight edge of psychedelia & experimentation that she’s been talking about for months. I feel like every song on the album actually has an “extended mix” and the versions we got as the album are all just edited down versions. Really hope she releases an “extended mixes” version of the whole album.

It’s disappointing compared to not only the expectations she set for the album (she said it was going to be a psychedelic or Brit pop type album and it wasn’t) but also compared to future nostalgia. But if we take it as a standalone standard chill pop Dua Lipa album, I think it works pretty well. I like it more than others seem to, tho I get why the general reception to this is meh.

honestly i’m not really sure what went wrong with this album. i have no clue what happened to the “psychedelic” angle she was going for because i didn’t get that from this album. it just barely scratches the surface of what it was trying to do in almost every aspect. it just felt like a plain piece of white bread.

After everything that was teased from this album (before illusion), this feels very off from what Dua was originally teasing. Training Season and Houdini somewhat underperformed for her standards (even tho dua is known for sleeper hits), thus she or more likely her label got scared and the album was changed/rearranged in a way that would appeal to a broader audience and for the summer vibe. Even the visuals for the first two singles are incredibly different from the albums visuals.

So you’re telling me you had tame impala produce the whole thing just to make mostly bland dance pop?

Tbh, my expectations for this album were pretty high, given the fact that Kevin Parker and Danny L. Harle had production credits on the majority of the record, and that "Houdini" was such a strong lead single, but it kind of felt like a letdown. I feel like I only hear Kevin's fingerprints on "Houdini", while the rest of the album sounds like it could've been produced by the same producers on Future Nostalgia. There are still some bangers on this album, but I'd take FN over this anyday.

Based off of Houdini I think they’re original intention was to go in the more psychedelic/ rave/ trance direction but because it wasn’t a wildly successful single her team panicked and reverted to plan B which is her golden formula- dance pop. Only problem is you can repeat a formula so many times before it becomes redundant. If Sabrina was to continue making songs like Espresso it will become stale at some point. RO is reminiscent of her earlier work but less impressive

The problem of this album for ME is not just her, but midia said that it was going to be a psychedelic album with british rave influences and there were nothing like that, but the singles. I don't think it's a bad album, each time I listen to it, it gets better but its just a bit disappointing that she didn't went that way

She was never going to top Future Nostalgia. That album was the herald of a real golden age of mainstream music for me, so I only hoped this album wouldn't suck. I'm enjoying it a surprising amount and think her vocals on certain tracks are the best they've ever sounded. Happy For You and Maria get me surprisingly emotional, and I still do think even though she can't clear the bar she set for herself, this album is still leagues ahead of most mainstream pop and I'd give it more flowers than this.

Kevin Parker saying that he’s never been more proud of an album he’s worked on than this one is crazy

I stand in the camp that the album was reworked after Training Season was released. All of the promo and visual for it prior was so much more psychedelic and dark. I wish she had kept more of that sound along with Houdini. Illusion worried me…and then the album did not deliver. Future Nostalgia was all bops no stops (minus the end) but this was so painfully generic.

This record’s mix would be so much cooler if it featured the bass or bass synths more prominently like Future Nostalgia. These songs don’t have the groove.

Dua should have trusted Kevin and let him produce the entire album.

This really is a pretty bland & boring album unfortunately. Matching Future Nostalgia was always going to be incredibly difficult but this is a huge drop-off in quality.

The extended versions of her songs are much better. Makes the instrumentals pop up and the energy of the song linger in a satisfying progression. Hope she releases an "extended" deluxe version.

I liked it, but it feels like this wasn’t meant to be the final album? She was saying how this was a psychedelic record and had influences from Massive Attack and Primal Scream. I wonder if the label made her do some changes? Despite that, I really really do love Happy For You!

She chose the worst time in history to drop a album. Like imagine no one caring about dua lipa's new album

Sure, there are a few snoozers, but I like how chill this album is. Training season, Houdini, Falling forever, These walls, Maria and illusion are enough to make this album worth listening.

so i'm the only person who thought this album was great? this album getting hit with middling reviews left and right? okay

dissapointing considering it took 4 years of waiting

I actually like These Walls and would have preferred it as a single over Illusion based solely on the fact that it's a different sound for Dua - mellower, more vulnerable, and breezier, especially considering the singles that came before it, it would provided a bigger sonic distinction from those harder hitting tracks. Yes, the instrumental is not the best, but at least it doesn't sound as tired as Illusion.

The record is splited in two : singles produced by tame Impala and rest of songs, which feels like 2 separated projects

Houdini and training season were SO GOOD as singles and their extened versions are supreme, just like the extended version of illusion is actually compelling. Idk what went wrong with the other songs... We need an extended version of the whole album

I actually really enjoyed this album but the expectations and false advertising let people down I'd say.

In a time of great beef, we could use some radical optimism

they really said they wanted to "REVOLUTIONZE POP MUSIC WITH THE MOST RADICAL POP ALBUM EVER MADE" then dropped literally the most generic pop sh*t I've actually heard IN YEARS 😭😭😭😭😭 just INSANE marketing, if it wasn't for it I just wouldn't've I minded it but because of it I actively disliked it, overpromise is an understatement, switch it up next time both the music and the presentation

Its time for cal to freestyle over bbl drizzy

Her BBL Drizzy remix was certainly a late addition to the album, but a welcome one

It’s unfortunate, but maybe this will be a wake up call. I’ve seen artists try to recreate their success and fail and then make something very different and it going down as a hit. Maybe in half a decade will get that Future Nostalgia beater but until then, I’ll be replaying Maria for the 50th time

It's wild that Dua teamed up with Kevin Parker and they produced one of the most mid albums of the year 😢

If it didn’t take 4 years for a 37 minute album, I would give it more grace for being so mid😅

I think most of the negative reviews are based on the insanely high expectations people had on this. Future Nostalgia was amazing, a 10/10 of the genre, but you can't expect her to do a full twist and turn into the Chemical Brothers, she's still Dua Lipa, a pop artist. For me, the album was really fun; a fresh sound, and a bit reminiscent of her first LP. Songs like Falling Forever and These Walls are between the best she has ever done, and the first two singles will survive the pass of time, and become some of the best known Dua songs. Admitedly, it's not a 10, but it's also not a 5 in pop scale... although to each their own.

The drop off from Future Nostalgia to this was...radical alright. This feels like The Dark Knight Rises to the The Dark Knight kinda drop off

I was hyping this album up with all my friends for the past 3 weeks, and apologised after it came out😐

I'm surprised there wasn't more discussion of Happy For You, which I think is one of the most mature and honest pop songs written in the last few years. Lyrically, I love how blatant and honest it is, Dua literally saying to whoever the song's about that his new girl is really pretty and that "together you look hot as hell" - it's not metaphoric, it's not sugar coated, it's comes from a place of such strong mutual understanding to say outright how she feels about an ex's new girl, and I love it. And the chorus? "I must've loved you more than I ever knew" - oh my god don't even get me started. When you've had two prior albums talking about relationships and how well they are/aren't going, how you fall in and out of love, to have the troubles and bumps that Dua speaks of in her songs, to be able to look back at the outcome of a breakup and see that positive side to it for both parties, speaks volumes to how Dua has grown as a person from Future Nostalgia to this record. Happy For You honestly encapsulates the "Radical Optimism" almost entirely within itself, it's by far and away my favourite song on the project, and I'll die happy if it's the next single.

3:10 "Focusing Dua into a musical corner that seems based." I'm glad we agree, Melon.

Yeah this was a bit of a let down. I was wondering why I didn't see any posts about it on twitter, and then i listened to it myself, and understood. I had higher expectations for RO because Kevin Parker worked with Dua on it, but it just really didn't come close to my expectations. Rn my top 2 tracks are Houdini and French Exit.

this is a masterpiece, y'all just want future nostalgia 2, 3 and more, period

I'm not gonna lie, I thought Fantano was going to give this a lower score. Maybe some leftover goodwill from Future Nostalgia kicking it up a bit.

i’d give it a light 7, end of an era, houdini, whatcha doing, french exit, falling forever, happy for you are all great

I felt like 'Illusion' was clearly pulling a lot more from French house artists like Daft Punk and Justice than it was 80s disco tbh, and that influence even feels like a pretty consistent sonic through-line to the album. Overall, this album felt to me like it was consciously moving Dua Lipa's sonic palette out of the 1980s and into the late-1990s/2000s eras of dance and house music. And to me, that move was successful as I really enjoyed a good handful of songs on this album and the level of scrutiny on this feels a little undeserved. Also 'These Walls' is my most played pop song of the year... lmao

sounds like she only had one melody trough the album

does anyone have a clue why the record is so different from the singles? was houdini just a huge bait or did she have to switch it up last minute due to label requirements or some shi

I knew it would be a 5. This was a quick turnaround tho bro! Thought we’d have to wait longer for this

As a major dua lipa fan I can say that this album wasn’t that dope. I feel like she shot herself in the foot with future nostalgia cause that shit was so peak that i dont know how she’ll ever top it.. still love her tho

I think These Walls is the best non single song on the album.

if these walls were a track from to pimp a butterfly, it would have been features in your fav tracks.

Looked at in isolation, I think this is a very strong pop album with lots of bops, but looked at in terms of her career path, this feels like treading water and diminishing returns on the same formula. In other words, if Future Nostalgia and the disco pop trend had not existed already, this would have been pretty damn great.

The music aside, I’m genuinely in love with this album cover for some reason. The composition, the vibes, idk…it’s just perfect and makes me feel satisfied

dula peep dropping this album during the beef goes CRAZY

FanThony Antano been cooking with the thumbnails lately

Poor dua, I completely forgot about her new album until I saw this video. So caught up in all the disses and whatnot

the extended versions of the singles truly are better. hopefully she releases and extended version of the whole album

3:05 What do you mean instrumentally? I think this is the best thing on the album, the beats. I can agree with calling it rather generic but man... this right here didnt make sense.

That Cal bit got me. "you wanted this" 😂

happy for you is one of dua’s best songs ever

I agree with Anthony. Maria and Houdini are the ones that are going to be on my future listens.

When Dua said her next album would be a departure from Future Nostalgia I was HYPED. "Dance the Night" was great but was obviously a continuation of that sound. When Houdini came out I was puzzled because it seemed like a continuation of the late 70s, early 80s sound in Future Nostalgia. Sam goes for "Illusion", her recent single that I thought would be on the album. This album is neither a repeat of Future Nostalgia nor is it a radical departure. I wish she'd just refine and improve the Future Nostalgia sound or do something completely new. I really enjoyed Future Nostalgia and I have to agree, Melon, this album was underwhelming.

Am I the only one that hears literally no departure from the sound of future nostalgia and this album, except for all the things that made FN interesting

Not as grand as I would have liked, especially when compared to the singles like houdini and training season. But Illusion is 100% up there with those tracks

My favorite tracks are the run of songs Whatcha Doing, French Exit, Illusion, and Falling Forever. I rock to those.

Talk about por cesárea by Dilom Melón🙏🏿,it's a pretty short spanish rap album that has very obscure lyrics,it's definetly worth listening to

This album let me down real hard and I actually predicted your score perfectly. But your take on French exit isn’t it, it was the best song on the album with some crazy Ne-Yo and like turkish Pop vibes it went crazy

Honestly, pop albums for me this year have so far been disappointing. Like, I pretty much agree with Fantano that this album is a step down from Future Nostalgia and just not as fun since the production to me is cool, but a bit one dimensional and while I like Dua Lipa’s performance on this album, it doesn’t save it from just being an overall average pop album. My problem with the pop release I’ve listened to so far this year is that they’ve usually been average like with this and eternal sunshine or they’ve been straight up bland with TTPD.

Definitely a grower. I had high hopes of another 10/10 album like FN, but the first few listens to this did leave me feeling slightly underwhelmed too. I enjoy it more and more with each listen though so maybe it'll prove to be a slow burner.

You should look into Have A Nice Life's newly remastered compilation Album "Voids", which is comprised of unreleased demos, that are good enough to be a stand-alone final piece, and earlier versions of songs on other albums with a more moody, darker, ambient atmosphere that really differentiates them from their final counterparts.

I don't get that angle of always comparing to the previous album, music isn't like a test you're supposed to improve on. It just feels like you were hoping for a future nostalgia 2 but she didn't go for that way. Not saying the record is perfect but a 5 is harsh af for what feels like a more matured attempt at portraying those feelings in songs

French Exit is a caroline polachek song sung by dua lipa. Yes it stands out a bit on the album but I still love it

everyone did this album so dirty it’s THE summer album

Da melon king is back baby he neva miss we're eating good today y'all

I agree. Future Nostalgia was totally different from her debut. This one is trying to continue the success of F.N. That album made her a superstar and I guess she was afraid to make a change this time around. I haven't heard much buzz about this album and I highly doubt she will overtake Taylor 3 weeks in.

Would be really nice to see a "funk generation" review

The last albums of Dua didn't really work for me but this one I love it ... Idk it feels light and sunny, it's just clean and perfect as it is. Didn't expected that from Dua

I’m just glad she avoided the red flannel on this one 😅 I like the album, but it’s just nowhere near the last one. Hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice.

Just because "These Walls" didn't have moaning sounds doesn't mean it's the worst on the album, Anthony

You should review Melt’s EP: Waves

Please review Rachel Chinouriri's album What a Devastating Turn of Events

please tell me you’re gonna do willow, i really wanna know you’re thoughts on it

0:43 Knowing this whole bit is something he concocted on the spot instead of doing another take where he doesn’t choke up makes it way better

The singles didn't grab me sadly- seemed like watered down versions of older bangers although houdini was nice -need to give this album a go cos i ooved her last one

When this first dropped I felt like every song needed an extended mix, and now that every song has an extended mix, I find this album significantly more enjoyable

It's a good album I'll give her that. It's very easy passive music though, it's missing a key concept and story and just seems like a singles collection of stuff

Hey melon, please review Por cesarea by Dillom. He is an argentinian artist. I know that it’s in spanish, but it doesn’t disappoint.

Looking forward to your review of the new Lemon Twigs album.

End of an Era is good, no idea why he finds it boring.

Even the Kevin Parker production couldn't save this album

I honestly really liked the album. I can address it as being quite underwhelming compared to Future Nostalgia, and considering that virtually every track on the album has high quality dance pop/nu disco production and influence, and it would be genuinely very difficult to dominate the pop perfection Future Nostalgia held in many aspects of both its music and aesthetic. I'm not even a retro synth pop/disco fan, but I absolutely LOVE Hallucinate, Don't Start Now, Pretty Please and Good In Bed. they were all released over 4 years ago, yet they still hit hard. However, I don't want to compare FN and Radical Optimism as much as it makes sense to. Dua was holding the same 80s tinged nu disco sound for years, and I was happy to hear she's willing to grow as an artist and change a sound connected strongly with her persona. I'm not a fan of either disco our psychedelic pop (my favourite pop subgenres are synth pop, pop rock and indie pop), but I've managed to vibe with both in virtually the same ways, because I like catchy music and Dua served in both albums, regardless of how simple and straightforward the production was on RO, I can appreciate it as a summery chill dance pop album with her typical influence from some sort of pop subgenres iconic to the 80s or 90s (that being psychedelic pop for RO). I can understand why people are avoiding this album - after all, we all know Dua for her constant upbeat, energetic, fun nu disco sound - but she is very versatile and she also sounds great with summer style music. her vocals are shining in every track, and the tracks are energetic, just in a deeper, more relaxing way. I can always appreciate her for standing out in the pop industry, bringing us refreshing dance pop that isn't all about trash pop rap beats and lazy lyrical writing. I really like Maria, Houdini, Illusion (I'm head over heels for house) and French Exit. Happy For You is a highlight. I'm personally very happy with her sound and production change, but I respect your opinion Anthony ❤ 7/10 (imo)

I like the new thumbnails

Was this shot the same day as the beef is over video lmao

maybe this album can be a "grower" w time ... but right now ... if Illusion was on Side A (vinyl talking) i wouldnt turn it to side B !!!! nice ... but i was expecting so much ... from the 3 singles previewing the album release !!!! it seem like those 3 were the best ones ... i shouild be na EP ... a summer EP oh well ... why i keep doing pre-order of album months before its release ... i never learn it !!! Greetings from Portugal FILIPE

such a disappointing album sadly. i genuinely do not really like any track, it is surprising it was almost entirely produced by Kevin Parker.

1:02 that is top tier acting wtf melon i'm impressed

I didn't LOVE the album, isn't future nostalgia level but it isn't bad at all. Houdini and Training season are great songs but I feel like they were a little miss leading to what the album ended up being. I really love illusion and imo should had been the lead single from the album, or 2nd single at least. Maria is the BEST SONG out of the album even better than illusion and houdini. The album over had some VERY HIGHS and some VERY LOWS but the songs that are good, they are really good

This is the first Dua Lipa I've heard, but I mostly agree with Fantano here. I keep returning to it, though, because it's got a vibe that feels kind of unusual within my music library. Can't quite pinpoint what it is. Still, of the albums that released on Friday (that I've heard), it's a pretty distant third for me behind Willow and POD.

As much as I love Dua, I agree with Melon. Since this album followed Future Nostalgia, it had some lofty expectations placed on it, and it simply didn't come close to meeting those expectations. I watched a few album promo interviews, and I got the sense that Dua was worried about that being the case.