When Dua Lipa mentioned a few months ago that her second studio album was inspired by Madonna’s iconic and magistral Confessions On A Dance Floor and that she was working with Stuart Price, Ian Kirkpatrick or SG Lewis; a massive hype was created around this record especially at that time when “Don’t Start Now”, the infectious funk banger that is about to conquer the USA charts, and “Physical” recently came out at that moment, was creating an explosion in the pop scene. She was really coming for the crown, but we needed the album to be one hundred per cent sure about it.
Sadly leaks are trendy again, especially these quarantines days in which hackers or deep web pop fans have a lot of time to find records. In the case of Future Nostalgia, they found it two weeks in advance. And let me tell that they probably make your quarantine a lot better.
You want a timeless song // I wanna change the game // Like modern architecture // John Lautner coming your way // I know you like this beat ’cause Jeff’s been doin’ the damn thing // You wanna turn it up loud // Future Nostalgia is the name (Future Nostalgia)
Future Nostalgia starts with this statement of self-empowerment and the clear warning that she’s going to change the game, so give yourself a favour and turn up the music. And you better follow the advice for “Don’t Start Now” which is undoubtedly the best lead single in years from a pop girl, a track that for sure has finally positioned a Dua Lipa deservedly into the category of main pop girl. Not a lot of people can create such a needed pop catharsis with a disco track like this.
“Got me losing all my cool ’cause I’m burnin’ up on you // In control of what I do and I love the way you move”
“Cool” was the sound that Taylor swift was looking for Lover, but wasn’t able to produce. Stuart Price and TMS should be proud to have created a silkily beautiful and contagious pop masterpiece with a massive chorus like this one.
Future Nostalgia continues with a killer row of tremendous pop anthems with one of the real monsters of the record, “Physical”. A gorgeous masterclass of what pop music should be, that really got into a new dimension when the outstanding video directed by CANADA came out. No needed for words to describe it.
“Levitating” is taking us for a ride into a roller disco fantasy. The verses and the bridge are such a joyful and playful experience. The audacity that it has to make a record that with only his first five tracks is it still more robust and more impactful than almost every single pop release of the last two years. That is quite main pop girl power Miss Lipa.
The funky groove on “Pretty Please” make the song so warm and seductive while Dua sings “Put my mind at ease // Pretty please // I need your hands on me // Sweet relief // Pretty please.” The tracks is continuously evolving, adding more and more layers to the production which could feel quite stripped at the beginning but ended on a cheerful bridge that sounds like a fucking videogame orgasm—an essential slow down moment before we go for the other holy trinity of Future Nostalgia.
If Confessions On A Dancefloor by Madonna was made in 2020 will sound like “Hallucinate.” Layers and layers of little electronic elements and vocal effects that accompanied by that alluring bass created magic during the whole song until that explosive and catchy chorus appears. If Dua Lipa wants us to dance in the dark with tracks like this, surely we will.
“Love Again”, which samples All Bowlly’s “My Woman” & White Town’s “Your Woman”, is one of the most gorgeous and beautiful tracks that Dua Lipa has ever made. That heavenly intro is just immaculate and recreates the feeling of disco music like perfection; at the moment you heard those strings you now miss Lipa is going to take us on a ride. She seductively sings “I never thought that I would find a way out / I never thought I’d hear my heartbeat so loud / I can’t believe there’s something left in my chest anymore”, before a euphoric and uplifting final explosion.
Sampling INXS’s classic “Need You Tonight”, the next one “Break My Heart” is another amusing disco track with an impeccable pre-chorus and chorus that it’s impossible to resist. This track will slowly make you dance even if you don’t like it at first.
Dua is feeling herself on Future Nostalgia; she’s being relatable in new levels. Someone that drives you crazy and you can even handle, but you have fantastic sex with him? Girl, welcome to the club with “Good in Bed”. These songs really have some funny and joyful elements on it. The chorus can seem stupid but is exceptionally infectious.
“Boys Will Be Boys” started feeling his Enya’s 2020 fantasy, but this female empowerment orchestral ballad which included the lines “If you’re offended by this song, You’re clearly doing something wrong, If you’re offended by this song, Then you’re probably saying, Boys will be, boys will be, boys will be, boys will be boys, But girls will be women”, served for ending Future Nostalgia with a clear statement; the future is female.
10/10
Dua Lipa has been able to capture the essence of disco music and create such a unique and powerful piece of work, that encompasses feelings of desperation and loneliness with love and real powerful statements. Presenting her talent and her message as an artist into eleven diamonds that feels joyful, warm and sensual, but most important are covered by layers and layers of hardworking producers, sound technicians and studio people that have helped on the elevation of Dua’s music, bringing the joyous rhythm of the past into the future.
Future Nostalgia is deservedly one of the albums of the year and the one that will mark a before and after in the unstoppable ascent towards the Olympus of pop music, of which she can deservedly consider herself a main pop girl.
Future Nostalgia is out on March 27th. If you listen to the leak and you like it, buy the record. Is important to remember to support your favourites artists (and all the people involved in their music) so they can create more music. You can find an incredible Future Nostalgia’s boxset on her official store here (we don’t receive commissions for this link).
