Dua Lipa Explains How ‘Radical Optimism’ Album Taught Her to ‘Relax in Instability’
Dua Lipa is embracing the “happiness and joy” of her new album, Radical Optimism.
Lipa, 28, released her third full-length album on Friday, May 3, and she penned a lengthy message about how making the LP left her irrefutably changed for the better. “In 2021, a friend of mine told me about the term ‘radical optimism’ and said that’s what the world collectively needed. That term has stuck with me for these past three years and has become more and more relevant to the way I view every day,” she wrote in a message posted on social media.
“Nothing is ever linear, and sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches,” she continued. ”These past years have taught me exactly that. I found my ground while relaxing in instability. I found happiness and joy in the unknown. I find optimism in the toughest days and look to them for growth. Embracing the power of words to be a catalyst for hope, I try to find beauty and meaning even in the midst of chaos.
Lipa said that making Radical Optimism, the follow-up to her 2020 smash Future Nostalgia, helped her grow as an artist and person. “I’m definitely not the same person I was when I started writing this album, and I’m grateful for every song that’s helped me be the person I am today,” she wrote. “It has shifted my perspective with every song and made me stronger. I couldn’t have made this record without some very wonderful people who have guided me and held my hand through it all.”
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From there, Lipa thanked her collaborators and loved ones, including her father and manager, Dugi, for being her “right hand, my best friend, my eyes and ears.” She added that “getting to do this with you for the past two years has been one of my life’s greatest joys.”
“I want to express my sincere love and gratitude to my amazing fans,” concluded Lipa. “Your unwavering support has allowed me to be authentic at every turn. This album is no longer just mine. It now belongs to you. I hope you discover a sense of belonging within it. You guys gave me the confidence to dig a little deeper and I will forever be grateful to you for that courage.”
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Lipa also commemorated the launch of Radical Optimism by partnering with Instagram to launch a new sticker in IG stories: Add Yours Music. This sticker turns your story into a music template, allowing you to easily share your favorite songs with friends. Lipa’s inaugural Add You Music IG story asked fans to collaborate by sharing their favorite songs from Radical Optimism (with the chance of reposting their story to hers).
Lipa told T Magazine in August 2023 that her new music would be “different sonically” than the neo-disco sound of Future Nostalgia. While the album is still full of dance and pop music, singles “Houdini,” “Training Season” and “Illusion” showed Lipa embracing a more modern dance/Euro-pop sound.
