This summer has brought with it a ton of really good records. Almost every noteworthy pop artist has dropped something worth turning up and getting lost in the sound. As I struggled to figure out which one spoke the most to me, I found myself coming back to a particular title. Sure, people have praised Billie Eilish and Charli XCX for making some top shelf entertainment. They’ve enjoyed pointing out how we’re living in the age of the messy pop star, the one who drops confessionals within dance tracks. The embrace of imperfection is refreshing and speaks to how 2024 is a year of complicated feelings.
I was listening to a recent episode of Switched On Pop and found one anecdote (or maybe it was a joke) that stuck with me. As the hosts praised Charli XCX’s “Brat,” they took a moment to point out the seeming misfire of Dua Lipa’s third release “Radical Optimism.” This isn’t to say they hated it, but the response had been lukewarm. Towards the end of the segment, they compared it to Lorde’s “Solar Power.”
The comparison was painful due to accuracy. I would like to believe that Dua Lipa’s latest outshines Lorde’s infamous pandemic hangout record. However, both feel lost in an era where the tides are turning so much against clean production. Who wants “Radical Optimism” in a year of great global uncertainty? If anything, it feels absent of this greater depth. Who needs to hear the star of the third most popular song from Barbie (2023) having a good time? Much like Janelle Monae’s record last year, it’s not exactly something you want to put on when guilt is running through your bones. At least Eilish is still ruminating on the ever-changing world.
Here's the truth. I loved “Solar Power.” For as much as it’s not “Melodrama,” it captures the melancholy that one experiences when alone on a beach. Everything could be peaceful, and yet it’s the moment where every terrible thought comes rushing forward. To me, it’s one of the most misunderstood records of the decade.
Looking at reviews a few months in, I don’t necessarily believe that Dua Lipa’s latest needs an active defense. However, “Radical Optimism” doesn’t have nearly the esteem that I think it should. To get one thing out of the way, I think the original cut is really good. The one that most people have probably heard works as serviceable radio versions. It feels slight, where everything is a bit too calculated. There’s a sense of committee trying to whittle everything down to its core essence. As a result, it’s maybe lacking the draw of what pop music is supposed to do. There’s very little atmosphere. Whereas Eilish’s latest feels cinematic and amorphous, “Radical Optimism” felt like a throwback to a more concerted era of pop.
Which isn’t to say that what was there was bad. Had that been the only cut released to the public, I’m confident that it would’ve made my Top 25 of 2024 easily. The hooks are infectious and for whatever’s lacking in lyrical depth it more than makes up for with hypnotic rhythms. The disco throwback still works to get the body shaking. Her harmonies feel more accomplished than ever before. While I liked “Future Nostalgia,” I find myself more charmed by “Radical Optimism” being a record that searches for joy in an ocean of melancholy. During the summer months, it’s the record I put on when I just want to let go and not think about the world for an hour.
Dua Lipa mentioned in reviews that she set out to be intentionally positive. It’s there in the title and baked into the aura of every piece. However, I think that what’s misunderstood is that 2024 is a very cynical year. Nobody wants to revel in happiness when there’s so many real threats out there. I get them. I live with that dread almost every single day. However, I think pop music works just as much as a form of venting as it is escapism. Maybe because “Radical Optimism” isn’t commenting on the political divisions or any mental health crisis that it suddenly feels hollow. However, I think that’s what draws me to the album the most.
Which brings me to the extended version.
It’s hard to explain, but this fixed my problems with “Radical Optimism.” By making every track a few minutes longer, the album locked itself into my Top 5 for the year. By allowing every track to stretch out, I feel like there’s room for the mood to become more interpretive. Like disco itself, it’s often the bridges and breakdowns that give purpose. With some phenomenal instrumentation, I was left in awe of the many changes. The intros were longer. The choruses were a bit fuller. This is what pop music has been missing. This is maximalism at its finest, and perfectly complements Dua Lipa’s confident vocal performance.
More than anything, this is a record that is meant to be celebrated. Beyond the stories of complicated relationships, there is a sense of empowerment that shines through on every song. “Houdini” has a dodge and dive playfulness that can’t help but get stuck in your head. Allowing the accompanying synthesizer to run a little longer allows for everything to blossom. The intensity grows as vocals fade and the instrumentation takes hold. The jam session nature of these moments allow it to feel more organic as a chance to embrace the optimism the title alludes to. It’s jam packed with choruses on tracks like “Training Season,” "Illusion," and “French Exit” that get stuck in your head. Life feels better when existing within the 57 minute running time. It’s pure pop magic.
This is what the record always had going for it. With the shortest track clocking in at four minutes, this is a chance to celebrate the art from in less palatable ways. There is no need to make quick disposable tracks that may feel choppy next to each other. Instead, Dua Lipa’s production feels akin to one fluid listening experience. It’s as if the oceanic imagery that accompanies the record has finally come to fruition. One melody transitions into the next so flawlessly that it locks the listener into a feeling one can only get when not self-conscious of time. Maybe it’s been five minutes or 20, but it doesn’t matter. The continuous feeling allows for the joy to build and grow. The lyrics, even in their simplicity, begin to feel like the richer affirmations that Dua Lipa designed them to be.
In an age where pop stars are being pushed towards transparency and vulnerability, there is something indeed radical about an album like this. For as much as it could hurt the idea of Dua Lipa appearing as interesting as her peers, I’d argue there’s still room for her in the ever-changing landscape. I do believe that she’s still trying to make music that resonates with audiences and does so with the best of them. Yes, I don’t believe anything on here will match the cultural landmark that was “Levitating.” Then again, that track reminds me of a good time in my life of being at public events and the DJ just putting it on while everyone laughs. I don’t know that this summer feels as desiring of merriment.
If anything, “Radical Optimism” is likely to be a record that reminds me less of where I went this summer and more a need to reach inside and find faith to move forward. This is a dark year. Nobody’s arguing that. However, I think that getting too lost in dour pop or artists celebrating imperfections may only make the final outcome worse. As much as this is all essential in building self-acceptance, I think there is room for simply existing. Forcing yourself to enjoy a little optimism isn’t bad. No person is capable of living without light and dark balance, and I think Dua Lipa is the blinding light that few are willing to be right now.
Again, I think the extended version emphasizes that read very well. The original felt too much like a self-conscious summer record. It’s what you send to the radio to get the word out. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I feel it misunderstands the appeal of music to be therapeutic. It’s not just cutting to the hooks. Sometimes the listener needs to sit in a moment and determine what speaks to them. Maybe it seems long to those who weren’t immediately moved by the original, but I’d argue newcomers should start here. Allow the hour to take hold of you and do its magic. Maybe you’ll see what I see in this record.
Either that, or maybe this has all been just a confession about how anxious I am right now. Who’s to say? I don’t know that this reaches the euphoric high of “Solar Power” when I put it on, but it’s nice to have a record that connects me to some deeper feeling that isn’t easy to express. Sometimes the soul just needs to dance, and “Radical Optimism” is the one that has most made me feel connected. Maybe this doesn’t move me to the level that the new Lucy Rose does, but the great thing about music is that I can have Dua Lipa AND Lucy Rose. They’ll both be there to balance out my listening diet.
For now, I choose to argue that “Radical Optimism” is a record that I worry will be ignored when the year comes to an end. Maybe I’m just prone to love albums like this. Even then, I think trying to excuse Dua Lipa for making music that doesn’t feel relevant is wrong. It’s not of the moment. It’s of the self. Like most pop, it’s about how it makes you feel. In a year where dread looms over every piece of news and the world feels like it’s crumbling, there is a need to be reminded that we’re all capable of optimism. Take some time to breathe and remember what makes life worth living. That’s all Dua Lipa is asking of her listeners. Point taken.
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