Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa | Album Review

The English superstar’s second LP combines throwback influences and ultra-modern production to create instant classics.

Credit: Warner Records

Of all the musicians to make waves in 2020, English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa might be the first to skyrocket from cult artist to mainstream superstar.

Lipa initially got the attention of the public and critics in 2017 with her self-titled debut album. But while her work was well-received, some moments lacked the finesse and clarity of a seasoned performer. On top of that, the rollout of the record seemed slightly bungled, with six(!) okay singles released before the album, while the obvious smash-hit “New Rules” came out a month after the fact.

On her sophomore project Future Nostalgia, Lipa handily solves that problem and more, creating an extremely tight and focused project containing tracks that will remain classic and timeless well after 2020.

She kicks things off with the title track, which serves almost as a thesis statement of her concept for the record. The opening line “You want a timeless song, I wanna change the game” really says it all, and the song embodies that mission. Sonically, she combines 80s-style synth and bass sounds with modern production clarity to create music that sounds both retro and forward-thinking.

Once she’s established the ideas in our brains, Lipa then proceeds to blow them straight out our ears with some of the hottest songs of the decade thus far. For starters, “Don’t Start Now” combines multiple different flavors of disco to create an absolute bop of a lead single. Plus, there are so many memorable hooks crammed into this thing, in the chorus, pre-chorus, even the verses. Just stellar songwriting on display.

Later on, we get the super-funky “Levitating,” a song that currently holds the record for most weeks on the Billboard charts of any song helmed by a woman, at 77 weeks. It deserved every day of that time, as the fascinating synth textures and rapid-fire melodies never fail to end up stuck in my head after listening.

And she doesn’t stop there. Maybe the smartest song on Future Nostalgia is “Love Again.” Initially, it sounds like a wonderfully fresh mix of modern pop production and string-kissed 70s disco.

But then, Lipa hits us with a sample that I instantly recognized from the 1997 indie pop classic “Your Woman” by British one-man band White Town (YouTuber Todd In The Shadows does a fantastic analysis of “Your Woman,” check it out here). She truly brings three distinct decades together, and they sound like they were always meant to be melded.

There’s plenty more to explore, of course, but I can’t help but stand in awe of this record’s first nine tracks, with one banger after the next. The high-energy chorus of “Physical,” the neon-bright wash of synths enveloping “Hallucinate,” the incredible bass work at the foundation of “Break My Heart.” Each track kills in its own unique way, while still maintaining a cohesive sound palette.

Unfortunately, on track 10, we hit “Good In Bed.” I can’t call it a bad song per se, but while other songs on Future Nostalgia hint at sex in a sophisticated way, “Good In Bed” tries to beat you over the head with overt sexuality. Plus, the doo-wop adjacent style of the instrumental feels a bit at odds with the 70s and 80s vibe Lipa has cultivated up to this point of the album.

Even more baffling is closing track “Boys Will Be Boys,” which has to be one of the most insufferably preachy songs Lipa has ever put her name to. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed when she declared herself a “female alpha” on the title track. However, this song is less empowering and more tacky, with its calls of “the kids ain’t alright” and references to “mansplaining.” I particularly can’t stand the line “If you’re offended by this song/You’re clearly doing something wrong.”

Although not a perfect album, Future Nostalgia signaled an artistic renaissance for a burgeoning star, and heralded the 80s throwback vibe that currently has a stranglehold on pop music. In that way, Dua Lipa achieved exactly what she set out to do: create a timeless sound and change the game.

Production: 8/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Songwriting: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Favorites:

BONUS: The RuPaul’s Drag Race superfan in me can’t resist sharing this phenomenal lipsync performance to “Physical” off this album. Enjoy!

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Thank you for reading! What are your thoughts on this album? Leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll see you in the next review!