Quarantunes #1: Dua Lipa Delivers
We are all tired of cancellations. Almost every time I check the news, a movie or a concert or some sporting event was postponed. Dua Lipa however, blessed us all and changed up this pattern. Not only did she release her sophomore album, but she actually moved up the original release date from April. And Dua delivered. The 11 songs on Future Nostalgia are works of art. Chock full of pure talent. The quarentunes we all needed.
The opening title track was released a few months ago and it wasn’t something I really listened to at first. However, the song hits different in the album’s context and is the perfect start. Dua introduces herself as a “female alpha”, which if she wasn’t before, she most definitely is after this record. She tells listeners they “can’t handle [her] sound.” Future Nostalgia the song sets the scene of her incredible combination of 80s, 90s and 2000s music and introduces Dua as one of the pop icons of the 2020s. “I wanna change the game,” is a fitting goal for Dua, as she does it times a thousand with the rest of this album.
Don’t Start Now, the second song, is one we all know well. And while TikTok can make or break a song, this one is untouchable. The energy of this song radiates freedom, something we all need right now. And it’s empowering whenever you hear it, as the song talks about moving on and coming out stronger. “I’m not where you left me at all,” Dua sings. Hopefully this foreshadows us all after the current situation. I feel like this will be a timeless song, like New Rules.
Cool is the next hit off the album. The lyrics, the production and the vocals basically scream “song of the summer.” The chorus is roll-your-windows-down while driving down the coast level. I don’t know if she used any effects or autotune or whatever, but the way Dua’s voice sounds on this is just incredible. It seems very breathy and natural. When Dua sings “I’ll show you heaven, there’s nothing better,” she was talking about the production of this song, I have no doubt about it.
Physical is another one that was released before the album, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t really hit me until hearing it with every other track. I love love love how it brings back Olivia Newton-John’s hit while also making a brand new bop. The exercise-themed music video Dua created for this song fits it perfectly and Physical definitely makes you want to move. This is definitely a great song to run to, if I went on runs.
Levitating. Wow. Let’s talk about this one. It really does take me to another galaxy let me tell you. Dua herself called this song “otherworldly” and I 1000 percent agree. The way the chorus sounds in this song is just incredible. I want to scream it and dance around my room. The production on this also just hits different, with the different beats and sounds she combines. And she raps during the bridge and it simply makes the song get even better. Dua sings: “I’m feeling so electric, dance my ass off,” as if I’m not already raving to this song. I also just stan the space theme.
Pretty Please comes next. As this track is about needed reassurance and attention in a relationship, I may relate to it. A lot. This is definitely a different mood than Levitating, a “full 180,” as some may say. It has a chill vibe and I feel like this is another summer song I would listen to while lying on the beach or something. I get more early 2000s than 80s vibes from this, but it still fits the album so well. Dua really snapped with sonic cohesion.
Hallucinate however, screams 80s and 90s and music festival all in one. I still don’t understand how Dua can bring every recent decade into one song and make it absolutely new at the same time. While this isn’t one of my absolute favorites off the album, I love her vocals. This does make me want to dance though, another theme from this album.
Next we reach Love Again. This track sets the tone for the rest of the album: smash hits. I don’t even know how else to describe this one. Dua said this was her favorite song on the album and I see why. It’s about new beginnings, and the nerves that accompany meeting someone new, and coming back to life after heartbreak. The lyrics really capture these feelings too, Dua singing ”I never knew I had it in me to dance anymore” and “I’d rather die than live in a storm like before.” And how the production flows through the song reflects the message perfectly. Less at first, the really vamping up at the end.
Okay. Break My Heart. Okay. Dua released this before the full album. You can hear by the second beat that this song is a hit. A work of art. The way the beat drops in the first part of the chorus and then comes back even stronger? Genius. The lyrics? Beautiful. Not only do they reflect how people are supposed to be acting right now (“I should’ve stayed at home”), but they capture the feeling of nerves of being with someone you are crazy about perfectly. “I wonder, when you go, if I stay on your mind, two can play that game, but you win me every time,” hits the insecurity spot-on. Dua describes Break My Heart as “dance crying.” If that isn’t a perfect way to describe a perfect song.
Good in Bed is the second to last song on the album. This probably has the funkiest sound on the album, and again, still fits perfectly. I wish I was at school, because I 1000 percent envision my roommate and I blasting this constantly.The beat and the repetition really add to the chorus. Overall, this song is just fun and makes you smile the way Dua casually drops the f-bomb in the bridge. This is what we all need right now.
So at this point, there is only one song left and 10 songs that have set the bar incredibly high and seem impossible to top. Then we hear Boys Will Be Boys. Instant class. The breathy chorus that also gives me gospel vibes. The lyrics every single woman hearing this song will relate too. Dua throws attidue into this new feminist anthem as well. “I know that there will be a man around to save the day, and that was sarcasm, in case you needed it mansplained,” she sings. This one closes out Future Nostalgia PERFECTLY.
If you couldn’t tell, I absolutely adore this album. It will go number one because of the number of times I’ve streamed it alone. These songs have brightened up my quarantine. It gives me energy and is one of the only things besides snacks that can get me out of bed. If you are looking for the perfect soundtrack to take your mind off this terrible time, this is for you. We all deserve something to be able to dance abut right now and Future Nostalgia gives us just that.