Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa // 5 Year Anniversary Album Review
"You want a timeless song, I wanna change the game" was the bold declaration that served as the opening thesis statement of Dua Lipa's sophomore album, Future Nostalgia. The release of this album was a defining moment in pop music history, it masterfully embraced the sounds of the past, while boldly stepping into a new era of music that Dua herself would go on to shape. By honoring the iconic artists who came before her and influenced her art, Future Nostalgia simultaneously carved a path for a new generation of musicians to follow.
With it's retro-futuristic approach, Future Nostalgia fused an electrifying and sleek disco sound with something so modern and fresh. The title track, which opens the record, not only introduces Dua's vision for this album but also sets the stage for everything she aspires to achieve in this exciting new chapter of her career. It's powerful, it's independent, and it stands as a testament to one of the defining moments of this decade in music. "I know you're dying trying to figure me out, my name's on the tip of your tongue, keep running your mouth, you want the recipe, but can't handle my sound," she sings in the chorus of "Future Nostalgia".
"I knew I wanted to touch on my childhood influences, and a lot of my childhood influences are really songs and music that my parents listened to," Dua explained in an episode of the Song Exploder podcast. "A lot of Jamiroquai, Prince, Blondie and when those songs are played now, it just brings back such a rush of fun and exciting like emotions and all I want to do is dance, and immediately it takes me back to when I was a kid. And I wanted to play on that emotion and that feeling and those memories, and create something with like a fresh, modern twist." She worked with an incredible group of songwriters and producers to craft this unique blend of nostalgic and modern influences into something all her own. Her core collaborators included Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Monsters & Strangerz, and Koz, among others.
This album was released at a particularly challenging time for the world, just about a week into the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. That wasn't exactly the opportune time to release a dance pop album that was created with the intention of it being performed and celebrated in clubs, arenas, festivals, and dancefloors around the world. Yet, the music's radiant energy of togetherness and its celebration of the unifying power of music allowed Future Nostalgia to take on a life of its own, in ways that might not have been possible under different circumstances.
Future Nostalgia features a string of some of the best pop songs ever written, it really set the new standard for contemporary music in the new decade. Her artistic vision was so clear from the start and meticulously executed, with every track showcasing her growth as an artist from where she left off with her debut album in 2017. Future Nostalgia represented a pivotal turning point in Dua’s career, elevating her artistry to new heights and cementing her status as one of pop's most influential figures. It became one of the first albums in years to compare to the iconic status of legendary modern pop records like Teenage Dream and 1989, both of which are remembered as these benchmarks of greatness within the genre. In a press release alongside the album's announcement, Dua mentioned that she wanted to create something that "...could sit alongside some of my favorite classic pop songs, whilst still feeling fresh and uniquely mine. I was inspired by so many artists on the new record from Gwen Stefani to Madonna to Moloko to Blondie and OutKast, to name just a few."
Everything about this era from the singles to the music videos and visuals, to the performances and the fashion - Future Nostalgia was nothing short of iconic and redefined what a great, modern pop era can achieve. Her dedication to creating something that was as fresh as it was timeless is evident and will undoubtedly go on to be remembered as a cornerstone of contemporary music as well.
The journey into the world of Future Nostalgia began with the album's lead single, "Don't Start Now", which marked the beginning of this bold new era for her as an artist and performer. "Did a full one-eighty, crazy, thinking 'bout the way I was," she sings in the opening lines of the song, "Did the heartbreak change me? Maybe, but look at where I ended up".
It introduced the vibrant, empowered energy that would define not only this album, but also the trajectory of Dua's career from that point forward. At the start of this new chapter, Dua debuted a completely new and evolved look, style, and sound that redefined who she is as an artist. "I chose to put this song out first so I could close one chapter of my life and start another. Into a new era with a new sound! It's about moving on and not allowing anyone to get in the way of that," Dua said in a press release when the song came out.
For what its worth, the timing of "Break Your Heart" being promoted as the third single alongside the album's release felt kind of serendipitous at the time as well. The lyric, "I should have stayed at home, 'cause I was doin' better alone", really struck a chord during a time we were all stuck indoors. The bittersweet sentiment and uplifting sound quickly became the unintended soundtrack to those early days of lockdown.
The album does kind of end in a disjointed way with the final two songs, neither of which are bad necessarily, but just sound sort of out of place from the rest of the record. If the first nine of the eleven songs weren't as perfect as they are, I think it would be a lot easier to just overlook some of the duller moments of the record. Since so much of this record is as truly perfect as it is, the disconnect from the cohesive tone of the rest of the album becomes obvious. With that being said, songs like "Good In Bed" or "Boys Will Be Boys" don't take away from the magic of the rest of the album but is definitely worth noting the divide between those songs and the rest of Future Nostalgia.
"Good In Bed" in particular stands out as being the most out of place. It reminds me of the cheekiness and irreverence of Lily Allen's music from the 2000's, and despite this particular song being a miss, I would love to hear Dua experiment with this playful sound again one day. It's a very divisive song, but it's almost like it was purposely made to be "bad", if that makes sense, as a way of creating something unexpected. It really strays so far from the polished perfection of the rest of the record, especially with the repetitive chorus, "I know it's really bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, messing with my head, head, head, head, head, we drive each other mad, mad, mad, mad, mad," she sings.
It's sort of like a more explicit version of "New Rules", detailing a cautionary tale of staying in a toxic relationship for superficial reasons, which she described in an interview with Apple Music. "I wondered about changing the title of this, because it's quite in your face. I guess this song does what it says on the tin: It's about when good sex is the only thing that was holding two people together," she sings. "It was very fun to get to make a song like this and to be so carefree and open. Those relationships never last; it's a cautionary tale."
The final song on Future Nostalgia is called "Boys Will Be Boys", which is another sonic outlier on the album but in a very different way than "Good In Bed" is. I will of course always appreciate the sentiment behind this song, but I think it could have been done in a way that featured more poignant and sharper lyricism that was not as reliant on clichés. It features baroque and orchestral instrumental elements that give the chorus a grand, dramatic feel, as she repeats "boy will be boys, but girls will be women".
Its lyrics carry a strong feminist message, as Dua condemns the use of the title phrase "boys will be boys," which is often used to excuse the unacceptable behavior of men who face little to no repercussions for their sexist actions. "It's about the growing pains of what it’s like to be a girl," Dua said in an interview with Vogue Australia. "For me, that was walking home from school and putting keys through my knuckles. So much of the human experience for women revolves around men; how they make us feel, whether that is good or bad." She added, "Girls have to go through so much. You cover up yourself to avoid confrontation from men, avoid sexual harassment, people throwing words or catcalling. We change our ways to fit somebody else's lifestyle. It's sad."
In a livestream following the album's release, Dua talked about the reason why she chose to feature "Boys Will Be Boys" as the final track of the album, as it showcases a different side of the same coin from where we started with the opening title track "Future Nostalgia". "I wanted to start the album with 'Future Nostalgia' and I wanted to finish it off with 'Boys Will Be Boys' just because they felt very empowering and strong," she said, "while also showing two different sides of feminism, I suppose."
From declaring herself a "female alpha" at the start of the album in an ultra-confident and emboldened way, which continues to run throughout the entire album from that point forward. This fearless confidence is one of the reasons I admire Dua as an artist, as she remains unafraid to be overtly feminine in her music, while also speaking her truth and expressing herself authentically.
In the years following its release, Future Nostalgia evolved into one of the most impactful pop culture moments of the decade so far. I absolutely love her self-titled debut album, but Future Nostalgia really solidified her status as one of the most important artists in the industry right now. This album brought back the vibrant, disco pop sound that has gone on to define so much of the music trends ever since.
Thanks for reading! I have written about Dua Lipa's music many times in the past, all of which are linked here and below. Check out my in-depth review of her song "Levitating" plus a rare UK exclusive 12" vinyl, as well as my review of her third album Radical Optimism. ☆⭑
-Melissa ♡
Photo Credit: Dua Lipa, Hugo Comte, Warner Records UK
Radical Optimism by Dua Lipa // Album Review
"One Kiss" by Dua Lipa & Calvin Harris // limited edition vinyl picture disc
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