Dua Lipa felt like she was in a band working on her new album, ‘Radical Optimism’.
The 28-year-old pop star has given fans a “deep dive” into the process of her eagerly awaited follow-up to 2020’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ and shared how she she listened to the songs “over and over” again to ensure she knew exactly how she wanted to tell the story.
Previewing the record in a behind-the-scenes video clip shared on social media, she said: “It’s the beauty of the chaos and trying to stay calm through it. Listening over and over and feeling like, ‘How do I want to tell this story?’
“I always go for the most upbeat ones to introduce people to the record.
“I can just keep on dancing and keep people dancing.
“We’re trying to create a world in a different way, and sonically it was about experimenting. Thematically, it was always about resilience.”
Dua worked with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Caroline Ailin in a secluded cabin on the record, and said it very much felt like a band mentality.
Announcing the LP, which is out on May 3, she said: “A couple of years ago, a friend introduced me to the term ‘Radical Optimism’.
“It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life.
“It struck me – the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm.
“At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip-hop, and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”
The album cover sees Dua in the ocean as a shark swims nearby.
Tracks on the record include ‘French Exit’, ‘Maria’, and ‘Falling Forever’, as well as the previously released singles ‘Houdini’ and ‘Training Season’.
Dua previously explained her new record “captures a period of major changes in her life, including the end of a relationship and her forays into dating.”
She told Rolling Stone magazine: “This record feels a bit more raw.
“I want to capture the essence of youth and freedom and having fun and just letting things happen, whether it’s good or bad. You can’t change it. You just have to roll with the punches of whatever’s happening in your life.”