On paper, Dua Lipa is the perfect popstar. She's got the perfect vocal tone for pop music like Rihanna, the beauty that straight men and women and gays fawn over, and a plethora of catchy pop songs and hits. Future Nostalgia was a massive era but just a few years later, Dua is now struggling for hits with Radical Optimism. What went wrong and what could've changed her current trajectory? 
 

 

 

 

Releasing an album after 3 singles. Should have been out after Houdini and the Grammys performance. But I'm assuming other artists had vinyl pressing priority etc so the release date had to be pushed back.

 

In saying that, chart performance doesn't really matter these days.

Everything, mostly the music. 

The album.

She cursed the era when she changed her hair, as Katy's pixie cut taught 

red haired albanian curse (see: Ava)

Houdini is a great song, and I'm not gonna sit here and pretend it's a super experimental or innovative pop song, however I will say I don't think it's a song that is gonna click with everyone. You are either gonna love it for what it is or totally skip it, few and far between. Houdini makes me think of a sweaty dingy nightclub in Berlin, not something your Aunt Martha is gonna shimmy her shoulders to in her minivan coming home from Wegman's, which is the type of appeal DSN had in comparison. Houdini is for the clubgoing crowd. 

 

Training Season was fighting a losing battle following Houdini and it wasn't strong enough to turn things around. Its release was also handled quite horribly.

 

Illusion sounds like a FN reject and was never gonna turn things around either.

 

The sound and imagery of Radical Optimism sounds/looks nothing like we were being lead on to expect prior to album release, so I think some fans feel thrown off.

 

Here's to hoping These Walls is a surprise hit!

 

 

 

 

she's always destined to become katy perry 2.0. she skipped some steps but here we are 

the music is not as good as in future nostalgia

Edited May 30, 20242 yr by Strawberry Bubble

1 hour ago, Kukai said:

On paper, Dua Lipa is the perfect popstar. She's got the perfect vocal tone for pop music like Rihanna, the beauty that straight men and women and gays fawn over, and a plethora of catchy pop songs and hits. Future Nostalgia was a massive era but just a few years later, Dua is now struggling for hits with Radical Optimism. What went wrong and what could've changed her current trajectory? 

 

Your own comment explains it: a big part of her appeal was her being young and hot. Dua Lipa is now nearly 30. We call this Katyperryification.

36 minutes ago, liam13 said:

she's always destined to become katy perry 2.0. she skipped some steps but here we are 

She was never on Katy's level to begin with. She is more of a Cyndi Lauper or Nelly Furtado, one massive fluke album and then back to obscurity. 

The music 

The songs aren't as catchy and instant as the hits on Future Nostalgia. I remember I could listen to FN on loop without getting tired but while I enjoy Houdini, Training Season and Illusion (to a lesser extent), I just can listen to them once or twice a day and I'm good.

Edited May 30, 20242 yr by Zaynsus

Americans

ATRL didn't give her a banner. It's our fault. 

 

• releasing Houdini then didn't give it any promo or live performances
• teasing Training Season including performing it at the Grammys but didn't release it until weeks later
• releasing the album way too far, when it should've been released in March the latest

 

if it was up to me, i would do:

• release Houdini as lead and give it tons of promo and live performances during the first two weeks
• release Training Season + album pre order in early January
• album release on 2/2 with the Grammy performance that weekend
• scrap Anything For Love and Maria for something else
• third single would still be Illusion in April
• fourth single would be End of An Era or Whatcha Doin remix

49 minutes ago, Yes, AND said:

She was never on Katy's level to begin with. She is more of a Cyndi Lauper or Nelly Furtado, one massive fluke album and then back to obscurity. 

she has hits and one or two "big" albums, just like katy 

like i said, she skipped some steps 

Just now, Kiss It Better said:

if it was up to me, i would do:

• release Houdini as lead

2 minutes ago, halcyonday said:

he's not wrong

dance the night and too much vacation

A lot. The music just isn't strong let's be honest. 

Radical Optimism

Nothing, the album has a smash hit from a smash Oscar winning movie 

Mediocre music.

 

Houdini, its chorus it's not even catchy.

She should have released Training Season as lead, Illusion right with the album and Falling Forever with tour announcement.

 

The album is fine for a pop record, but it's not cohesive in my opinion (how you can put Houdini and TS with songs like Maria).