Dua Lipa’s album “Future Nostalgia” Welcomes Pop-Groove and Funk in All the Right Ways

Brigitte Onorato/Staff Writer

The start of Dua’s musical career began five years ago when the female British singer and songwriter cultivated her musical presence when she released “New Love” followed by a melodic tune, “Be The One.” 

In 2016 Lipa became a worldwide pop icon with the success of her singles such as “New Rules” deriving from her first album, “Studio Album,” becoming number six on the top 10 charts and becoming a multi-platinum hit. The Eurodance summer anthem “One Kiss” released in 2018 was favored on every radio station and nightclubs which helped to land it at number one.  

All her effort and musical creativity landed her an award in 2019 as “Best New Artist” at the 61st Grammy Awards, while also receiving recognition for her collaboration with Diplo and Mark Ranson for “Electricity” as best dance recording.

Throughout these last two years, Dua’s been working diligently to deliver her true self and love within the new album, but she gave fans a taste of what her upcoming album would sound like by releasing her swift and intricate lead single “Don’t Start Now,” which shortly after reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Her latest album, “Future Nostalgia” was scheduled to be released at a later date. “I know I would be doing a disservice holding it back, when maybe now is the time we need music,” Dua said. The long-awaited album released during a pandemic lockdown is a mood booster, with a mix of funky disco beats intertwined with Dua’s passionate, bold lyrical vocals. 

The track opens up and transports you to a feeling of a 1990’s roller skating era, leading you to the renown “Don’t Start Now” and melodically slowing down with “Cool.” It describes a different type of emotional connection and the synth-pop track makes you reminisce over your long-lost love that never worked out. 

As we get halfway through the track, the familiar chant from the 1980s hit song “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia John-Newton is heard on Dua’s ”Physical” track but reinvented melodically along with its pulsating drum like beats. As the album makes its way to “Levitating,” it opens up with a slow but striking repetitive clap, growing into its choral cosmic intensity.

Dua’s whispering soulful voice guides you into a passionate bass rollercoaster with “Pretty Please.” The track creates scenarios in your head that make you want to flirt with a stranger across a bar. The desire proceeds as Dua sings “put my mind at ease, pretty please I need your hands on me”- it’s subtle and rousing at the same time.

The instrumental violin heard in “Love Again” sets a classical wistful tone, and samples the 1990’s UK hit “Your Woman” by White Town that sets the framework for the track- a combination of an orchestral triumphant journey of falling in love again. Picking up the beat with “Hallucinate,” produced by SG Lewis, Stuart Price and Lauren D’Elia, the electronically-eccentric track is perfect for those late night outings.  

The album represents the stages of a romantic relationship beginning with the honeymoon stage and everything afterwards. It’s emotionally fitting and blends percussive-funky beats with gritty soulful vocals. It’s everything we need and more. 

Rating: 9/10

Have a story? Think we should look into something? Know a person or club that has a story worth telling? Let us know. You can remain anonymous. Email editor@fiusm.com