By Kenzel Williams
After being leaked a week early, Dua Lipa’s sophomore album is being praised by critics and fans alike.
‘Future Nostalgia’ couldn’t have been released at a better time. With COVID-19 and social distancing becoming the temporary norm, it can be hard to escape from life and have fun.
But, this album is the perfect solution.
Dua Lipa delivered 11 retro-esque tracks to help you jam out at home during self-quarantine. With her new music, Dua Lipa reminds everyone that it’s okay to have fun and dance during these worrisome times.
Future Nostalgia
Dua Lipa starts off the album with the title track, instantly transferring you to a retro-futuristic world. This track shows that Lipa knows how to have fun. With experimental sounds and fun lyrics referencing female empowerment — “I can’t teach a man how to wear his pants” — Dua sets the scene for the rest of the album. The title track is the perfect introduction to this album.
Don’t Start Now
“Don’t Start Now” reminds me of glow-ups that people have after someone breaks up with them — “Though it took some time to survive you, I’m better on the other side.” Lipa provides a groovy disco beat to vibe out to all while embodying the happiness and self-confidence that she portrays.
Cool
“Cool” is one of my personal favorites off of the album. Lipa sings about a first love that I’m sure is relatable to many –“Guess I never had a love like this, hit me harder than I ever expected.” It makes me want to have a movie-worthy summer love in the 1980s.
Physical
This 80’s workout song seems somewhat of an homage to Olivia Newton-John’s 1984 song of the same name while still being completely original. “Physical” gets you whipped into shape with its heartbeat-raising tempo and intense melody. Just listening to it makes me sweat because of how fast it is, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Levitating
This song gives off Daft Punk vibes and radiates positive, fun energy. It’s a mood-lifter with its out-of-the-world lyrics — “If you wanna run away with me, I know a galaxy and I can take you for a ride — and bubbly melody. The song provides a great way to explore the universe from the comfort of your own home.
Pretty Please
Pretty Please takes a break from the aggressively powerful tunes and dives into a slightly more vulnerable side of Dua Lipa. The bass-heavy melody enhances the chill, teasing lyrics — “I know that I seem a little bit stressed out, but you’re here now and you’re turning me on.”
Hallucinate
Taking inspiration from 90s dance music, Lipa compares love to a euphoric feeling. Another fun song, Dua Lipa transports you to a dance club with strobing lights, resulting in a fun time when listening to this song.
Love Again
Some listeners of this song are reminded of the 1997 song “Your Woman” by White Town. Both this song and “Love Again” sample a trumpet piece by Al Bowlly from 1933. By sampling this, “Love Again” creates a sense of comfort and nostalgia by encompassing the feeling of finding love after not experiencing it for the longest time.
Break My Heart
In this song, Lipa describes the feeling of falling in love with someone that you probably shouldn’t be getting involved with. She combines questioning lyrics like “I would have stayed home ‘cause I was doing better alone, but when you said hello, I knew that was the end of it all” with an upbeat tempo to create a sense of indecisiveness: Should you leave him now or let him break your heart?
Good in Bed
“Good in Bed” talks about having fun under the covers despite not being the best at communicating. The bubbly melody and innuendo lyrics –“I dedicate this verse to all that good pipe in the moonlight” — make this song a very laid-back tune with no specific intent behind it.
Boys Will Be Boys
The final song drops the retro aesthetic to focus on the message of toxic masculinity and female empowerment. “Boys Will Be Boys” talks about the fears that women have to go through because of the toxic masculine traits that society teaches men. She ends the album with a powerful statement: “Boys will be boys, but girls will be women.”
“Future Nostalgia” just might be the album we need to get through the current social guidelines of social distancing. With this record, Dua Lipa ensures us that even during this time, it’s okay to dance around, let loose and have fun.
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