When Dua Lipa released “Don’t Start Now” back in October of 2019, fans everywhere knew that the singer was releasing new music that would differ from her self-titled debut album, Dua Lipa.
The release of “Don’t Start Now” showed that Dua was still sticking to her dance-pop roots, but she was experimenting with new sounds and those sounds were nu-disco, pop-funk, and synth-pop.
Three months after Dua dropped her first single, she introduced us to her next single “Physical.” Being praised for its 1980s elements, “Physical” captures the intensity and thrill one experiences when listening to music from this time period and her use of synth is perfect.
Then came “Break My Heart,” the third single leading up to her sophomore album, which brought us back to the disco-funk we heard with “Don’t Start Now.” With its clever lyrics and groovy bassline, Dua not only captured our attention but our hearts as well.
Two days after the release of “Break My Heart,” Dua finally dropped her sophomore album Future Nostalgia on March 27th of 2020 and opened up a world to us that would give us an era of music like no other.
Dua Lipa captures her love of pop in her second album Future Nostalgia. While she experiments and highlights the sounds of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Dua maintains to her core as an artist who creates amazing dance-pop records; and she does it flawlessly while paying homage to these eras.
And that homage is further passed down with the release of Club Future Nostalgia (DJ Mix) — which sees the singer collaborating with some of music’s pioneers. Working with artists like Missy Elliott, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Mark Ronson, and more, one can see the inspiration behind Future Nostalgia and how heavily influenced Dua was with their music.
But besides creating more dance-worthy records on Future Nostalgia, Dua finds a way to finish her album with a powerful message with her song “Boys Will Be Boys.” Tackling the subject of sexual harassment in her last track, Dua shared with Vogue Australia that “It’s about the growing pains of what it’s like to be a girl.” In fact, fans hailed this song as a feminist anthem.
~ a couple more FN memories ~ pic.twitter.com/1DHazGkA91
— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) March 26, 2021
Of course, with every great album, some songs are kept in the vault, and when Dua announced that Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition would feature eight additional tracks, the era continued.
This time around, Dua collaborated with Miley Cyrus, Angèle, JID, DaBaby, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Tainy for her songs “Prisoner“, “Fever”, “Not My Problem”, and “Un Día (One Day).” Continuing her theme of woman empowerment through her use of disco, funk, and synth, Future Nostalgia concludes on a high note.
There’s an immense amount of pressure for artists to create an amazing second album. In fact, it’s so difficult that it is an enduring concept in pop mythology. However, there are artists who prove that they can create a great follow-up album and Dua Lipa is an artist who proved just that as we saw her take inspiration from the artists she grew up listening to.
Dua Lipa’s sophomore album Future Nostalgia is more than just an album, it is a love letter to the music from the past, present, and future. Most of all, it will influence the many artists’ to come.
Stream Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa here.
Featured image source.