Everything to Know About Dua Lipa’s 3rd Album: What She’s Said About ‘Radical Optimism’
The old Dua Lipa may have gone “Houdini,” but fans will have a reason to remain “optimistic” — her third album is on its way!
Lipa started her new era in October 2023 when she deleted all photos from her Instagram account. Shortly after that, Lipa unveiled a new look. “Miss me?” she captioned an Instagram photo of herself with crimson hair instead of her usual jet-black locks.
The style reinvention comes as Lipa shakes up her sound, which she unveiled when she revealed that her third studio album, Radical Optimism, will drop in 2024. On her new music, Lipa has bid farewell to the neo-disco revival sound she championed on her first two full-lengths: her self-titled debut (2017) and 2020’s Future Nostalgia, which won a Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Album. The first taste of this “sonically different” approach came in November 2023 with the release of “Houdini.” Since then, she’s shared more about this album, including when it’ll drop and the songs on the tracklist.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Lipa’s 3rd album:
What Is Dua Lipa’s 3rd Album Called?
Lipa announced on March 13 that her new album is called Radical Optimism and shared the cover art via Instagram. The photo showed her swimming alone in the middle of the ocean at sunset while a fin — appearing to belong to a shark — peeked out of the water nearby.
When Is Dua Lipa’s 3rd Album Coming Out?
When Lipa announced the title, she also shared that Radical Optimism arrives on May 3.
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What Are the Songs on Dua Lipa’s 3rd Album?
Lipa shared the tracklist when revealing Radical Optimism. The songs on the LP are “End of an Era,” “Houdini,” “Training Season,” “These Walls,” “Whatcha Doing,” “French Exit,” “Illusion,” “Falling Forever,” “Anything for Love,” “Maria” and “Happy For You.”
What Will Dua Lipa’s 3rd Album Sound Like?
Lipa told T Magazine in August 2023 that her forthcoming album will be “more personal” than her other releases.
“The album is different. It’s still pop but it’s different sonically, and there’s more of a lyrical theme,” Lipa explained, noting that the new sound will not “alienate” her existing fans, lest they “have a meltdown.”
According to the outlet, the new project draws inspiration from 1970s-era psychedelia as opposed to the disco influences that informed Future Nostalgia.
Mark Ronson, who collaborated with Lipa on her 2023 song “Dance the Night,” which was featured on the Barbie soundtrack, shared a similar sentiment during a July interview with Vulture.
“I’ve heard some of [Lipa’s next album] and it’s incredible. I think that’s why there’s the disco ball that smashes in the video, right?” Ronson said, referring to a moment from the “Dance the Night” music video. “This feels like her triumphant stomp on that era of her music into whatever she does next.”
Who Is Dua Lipa Collaborating With on Her 3rd Album?
Fans have speculated that Lipa worked on the album with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. In November 2022, the “Levitating” musician shared photos via social media that showed her sipping wine in front of banisters that looked similar to the ones at Parker’s Los Angeles home.
When T Magazine asked Lipa whether the rumors were true, she coyly said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” before looking away and laughing.
One year later, ahead of the release of “Houdini,” Lipa shared photos of herself in the recording studio alongside Parker, producer Danny L Harle, and lyricist Caroline Ailin. “Houdini” was a hit, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the U.K. Singles charts.
Harle and Parker also produced the second single, “Training Season,” which debuted on February 15, 2024. The song hit No. 4 in the U.K. while making it in the Top 40 in the U.S.
When Lipa shared the tracklist, no featured performers were named, indicating that her vocals will be the only ones on the album.
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What Inspired the Album?
In February 2024, Lipa discussed how she "wrote 97 songs" for the project in a physical notebook purchased from CVS.
"I started writing for this album in 2021, and I just wanted to write my ideas down," she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! "So, I went down to CVS, and I just bought a random notebook. Had I have known how important that book would’ve been, maybe I would’ve gotten a more fancy one."
She added: "I love CVS. I’m obsessed with it. There’s nothing like a CVS or going in and buying a bunch of stuff you don’t need. It’s got every single song I’ve written for this album. I wrote 97 songs."
