charts discussion Radical Optimism leaves the Billboard 200 after 15 weeks

[Stunnah]

1 minute ago, glitch said:

Not sure what any of that has to do with what I said but pop off I guess

 

Radical Optimism is the Witness of the 2020s. That was the point.

[Malkuth]

Isn't the problem that she changed label or Management or something to get more creative freedom? This happened to loads of other pop stars before and usually leads to less success.

[YouSmellLikeHospital]

Dua is my absolute favorite, but she fumbled so bad this era... everything was so half assed after the initial rollout of Houdini. i was so excited when I got the Houdini promo in the mail, but effort like that was not put into the rest of the era. It's like she froze up for some reason in the middle of the album cycle and didn't know what to do so she just didn't do anything.

 

 

I don't think the GP will take to any of the remaining songs... if these low effort songs somehow became hits, it might tarnish her reputation in the long run too. Watcha Doing has a great instrumental and opening, but the chorus is so half baked and underwhelming and sounds like a lazy rehash of her previous hits. At least the extended version makes it a little more tolerable. The opening screech of Falling Forever could possibly be turned into a joke leading her to not be taken seriously. The second verse of that song especially is amazing, but it is giving Radio Disney. These Sharts is ok at first and was one of the standouts on first listen, but the more you listen to it, the more it sounds annoying and whiny and cringy, especially in the verses. It's like an Ed Sheeran song. Maria is too simple and generic, and the flute just leaves me asking why??? I guess she thought it could catch Tik Tok's attention and become a meme? It sounds so bad and grating and ruins the replay value of the song.

 

I love Happy For You, but that would flop immediately. The lyrics are clunky and vapid though and are kind of giving Life by Des'ree. I didn't like it at first but it has really grown on me.

Spoiler

Especially when it comes on shuffle after Cardinal by Kacey Musgraves with the birds chirping 

Maybe End of an Era could be a surprise hit like how New Rules was (not to that magnitude of course). She ate with that song, but idk if it is single material. The main version of French Exit sucks, its so crammed together and is a struggle to finish. The extended version however, is becoming one of my most played from RO. It gives it much needed room to breathe.

 

The studio version of Training Season should have been more like it was in the live performances. Especially with the synths in the opening in the Grammy performance, I was so disappointed when those were not in the studio version. The guitar is way better in the live versions too. It should have been released before she debuted it at the Grammys too. I love Illusion, but I heard it on the radio and I can see why the GP said no. It doesn't really go anywhere and there is too much silence in the verses with such a simple instrumental. The bells are great though and should have been more prominent. The muffled bridge in the extended version slaps.

 

She also really went all out with the cursive singing on some tracks. She was not so bananies and avocadies, Quissmoiss on her previous albums.

 

Wtf was the point with Anything For Love? What a waste of space and slap in the face on such a short tracklist. 

 

How the hell was this tracklist greenlit by her, let alone the record label? She has an ear for hits, but this album was so thrown together and not of her caliber, even if it is still a decent album. She needs to have people that will give her constructive criticism instead of yes men along for the ride. Some of the songs feel like demos, there is potential, but it needed more honing and perfecting before release.

 

Forgive my COVID rant lmao. I know she can turn it around, she just needs to put more effort in, play it smart, and deliver quality bops consistently like she is known for. Fire your dad and do something!!!

[imalinduh]

2 hours ago, Stunnah said:

Billboard 200:

 

Witness: 21 Weeks

Radical Optimism: 15 Weeks 

 

It's been a colossal bomb. All that money wasted! Radio payola, Youtube ads, TikTok influencers, HUGE play-listing, a Times Square concert.

 

 

At least Radical Optimism has good songs and dua isn't desesperate to cope with the tankery, actually she is in her 78th day of vacations in Ibiza 

[kellebrity98]

the gang is back together

 

[Kimi]

this is a colossal flop 

[40000000000000]

training season still the best pop song released this year

[liquiddiamonds]

The album was two years too late with its sound and production. Had it been released in 2022 with TAP backing it up, it'd probably end up as a platinum album at least in the United States and United Kingdom. 
 

Looking at 2024's pop landscape, Dua would have had more success if she had stuck with the psychedelic/trip hop/madchester influenced album that was rumored to be or the Timbaland-infused pop she was hinting in a couple of interviews as an influence before Dance the Night happened for Barbie. Radical Optimism feels very antiseptic, calculated and lacking a heart in comparison to what's blowing up right now. We're clearly entering a new mini-era in pop and I personally think Chappell Roan will be leading the pack…. It's theatrical, but also quite unabashedly honest at heart. 
 

On top of these changes in the industry she mixed family with business and her dad is just not as good as TAP, even if they might be making more money by spending only with indie producers and not having to share a percentage of her music, brand deals and other endeavors with TAP… 

Edited August 28 by liquiddiamonds

[Blue Monday]

I need a deep dive/expose into the making of this album, because there's absolutely no way she was seriously teasing that psychedelic album for as long as she was, got Danny Harle and Kevin Parker in the studio and gave us... this, and I love Houdini; Training Season and Illusion are fun but the math isn't mathing. Everything reeks of bad/last minute/lazy decisions and the only thing that makes sense is the change in management which is disappointing. 

[Matchatea]

On 8/27/2024 at 6:32 AM, Solaria said:

This was just a trial run, real era starts in January

 

This was her arts, not charts era! She was wanting to release music for us fans, and released this EP! So excited for DL3 next year! 

[Thor]

I also think the album title contributed to the absolute bombing, like it's so try hard

[makeme]

Major fumble. The girl I went to a FN tour date with didn't even realize she released RO

[Yes, AND]

On 8/27/2024 at 11:11 AM, KatyPrismSpirit said:

not witness outcharting omfg

 

how tf do you go from 200 woc on your last lp to 15 on the next 

Outselling too. 

[Yes, AND]

On 8/27/2024 at 3:54 PM, mike_int said:

Yet it has been certified gold in UK and France Canada already month ago besides others.

 

You know it is not only about US.

 

DL1 peaked only at no.27 and yet it has been most streamed female album for 7 years (following by FN) up until this summer.

 

 

 

 

This is a completely fradulent statistic achieved by tacking on like 20 DJ collabs that had nothing to do with the original album. IT is one of the biggest scams in music history. 

[Yes, AND]

49 minutes ago, Thor said:

I also think the album title contributed to the absolute bombing, like it's so try hard

This. It doesn't even make sense ! 

 

Of course Dua hasn't had a solo hit since New Rules so the lack of collabs was probably the biggest issue. 

Barbie song was an aberration due to the movie. 

[slw84]

So it's time to reinvent her sound a bit.

[Mariah4life]

It's actually a cute album. Let me go stream These Walls

[lillavend3r]

Fired tap and they took the success away 

 

[gerardsuxx]

She went from Teenage Dream to Smile

[Miss Fortune]

This just came down to a total lack of evolution.

 

It sounded like a worse, watered down version of FN. 

 

I am pretty sure they all convinced themselves it was good because they heard it so much themselves.

[bjorn]

So can we all agree now that it's a flop? And we're not waiting until January

[SugarbooFN]

15 hours ago, Yes, AND said:

This. It doesn't even make sense ! 

 

Of course Dua hasn't had a solo hit since New Rules so the lack of collabs was probably the biggest issue. 

Barbie song was an aberration due to the movie. 

You must be deaf somehow?

[Walk_Away21]

She needed to delete End of an Era, Whatcha Doin, French Exit, and Maria from the album. These songs aren't bad, but they are extremely bland. Those tracks needed upgraded. Then, don't release that album artwork after singles like Houdini and Training Season. Made no sense. Next, how tf Training Season wasn't on streaming after a Grammy's performance is giving Xtina's dumbass team holding You Lost Me after she performed it on American Idol. Finally, she needed to scrap Training Season's video at minimum, and the Houdini video was like an extremely watered down Physical that needed enhanced. Finally, she should have done more festivals this year instead of mainly just Glastonbury. She didn't put any promo effort in at all. Just a major misfire in multiple areas.

Edited August 29 by Walk_Away21

[despy]

b- bu- but what happened to January??? exactly..

see Little Lipsters? go against Miley, it's gon cost ya!

[Orsay]

Going from Future Nostalgia to this in ONE album cycle is almost unprecedented