Album Review: Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
Much of the pop music that adhered itself with gusto to the charts in the ‘80s and ‘90s cannot help but feel antiquated to more modern ears, and not all of that obsolescence can be blamed on mere technological advancement. While it is true that the equipment used to craft many of said synthpop hits was largely rudimentary and unperfected, at least as often do songs from that era feel dated because of the usual pitfalls of popular music: clumsy lyricism, unflattering (if not unlistenable) production, or an uncharismatic presence behind the microphone. For every Take On Me or I Ran (So Far Away) that stand the test of time, there are a dozen new wave abominations that charted for two weeks in 1983 before fading into the abyss of regrettable one-hit wonders. The pop music from that period is rife with missteps and gaffes that have mostly aged like milk, yet somehow the past few years have seen a notable uptick in retro throwbacks to the eras of synthpop and dance-pop that cannot simply be explained by the 30-year nostalgia cycle.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when and why these sounds started to reappear in the mainstream, but the answer to both questions is probably Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2015 album E•MO•TION, the critical and cult darling that underperformed commercially yet went on to revitalize her career and reinvigorate a decades-old sound long forgotten. What Carly did for synthpop and electropop, Dua Lipa on her newest album ostensibly seeks to do for dance-pop and the ‘70s throwback genre known as nu-disco; at least, that is how so many critics positioned Future Nostalgia ahead of its release, a daunting task to say the least. Perhaps the most startling aspect of this album, however, is that these early adopters were entirely correct in their preliminary assessment. Future Nostalgia is far from the most original record, but still stands proud as one of the most compelling examples of an artist digging into pop music’s back catalogue, finding a style or subgenre seemingly forgotten, and reinventing it until one can’t help but miss a sound that has never before been done this well.
The New Rules singer has evidently progressed astronomically in the three years since that song’s explosive debut jump-started her career, and the title track to her new album (which kicks everything off) more than demonstrates this for anyone who doubted her talent going in. An eerie yet exuberant instrumental (think Thriller with more lively synths) forms the backbone for a feminist anthem that double as a powerful statement of the album’s intent: “You want a timeless song, I wanna change the game”. The swagger she displays in calling herself “a female alpha” is undeniable, reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s previous attempt to invert gender roles on her song The Man; Dua Lipa, fortunately, actually possesses the charisma to pull such a parody off. The artist who once fumbled awkwardly at double entendres (“And if you’re under him, you ain’t getting’ over him”) now croons out “I can’t teach a man how to wear his pants” punctuated by a sardonic chuckle at her own cleverness; not only has Dua Lipa's lyricism improved drastically, but her newfound allure as a singer holds the track together where lesser personalities might falter.
In fairness to those who forecasted this album’s success, the tracks dropped ahead of its release certainly exhibit the record's quality, particularly Physical and its upbeat instrumental that evokes perfectly the energy of the A Flock of Seagulls classic mentioned earlier (while also being a direct nod to the Olivia Newton song that shares its name). Opening with a driving combination of synths and percussion, Dua Lipa enters boasting of her and her figurative partner’s singular romance (“Common love isn’t for us/We created something phenomenal/Don’t you agree?”) before the song explodes with energy and electronics, transforming instantaneously into the dance anthem it was always meant to be: “All night, I’ll riot with you/I know you got my back and you know I got you/So come on/Let’s get physical”. The true genesis of Dua Lipa’s new era, though, can be found in the form of Don’t Start Now, a flawless recreation of disco’s unique groove driven by echoing keyboards, a slick bass line, and the need to move on past a devastating breakup.
Levitating marries this ‘70s aesthetic with a healthy dose of electronic noise and synth stabs to create something as gorgeous as it is danceable; in a sense it is the most original song on the album, in that it borrows as much from acid house and Daft Punk as it does from Blondie and their contemporaries. There are even more blatant examples of Dua Lipa reinterpreting other dance-pop tracks, however; Love Again samples prominently the same muted trumpet melody used in White Town’s Your Woman, and Break My Heart lifts its bass line directly from Need You Tonight by INXS. The former is a notably more dynamic cut than its '90s counterpart, pairing the sampled brass with a variety of string lines to create something entirely fresh. Still, the verses have enough sense to pull back and let Dua Lipa’s singing shine as she rues the loss of her previous relationship while simultaneously sighting a new love on the horizon, her regretful mourning always yielding to the playful bite in her voice she sings “Used to be afraid of love and what it might do/But goddamn, you got me in love again”. Break My Heart, meanwhile, bounces between a somber pre-chorus and the undeniable groove that forms the backbone of its refrain, the singer’s backing vocals crooning out a delicious countermelody as she painfully asks, “Am I falling in love with the one that could break my heart?”.
Save for the last two tracks, Future Nostalgia is an immaculate revival of forgotten sounds and subgenres from decades past, and a captivating ode to the glory days of disco and dance-pop. Dua Lipa might seem on paper to be an unlikely candidate for such a convincing throwback, but it is clear from the care put into her lyrics and performances on this record that her infatuation with pop music’s history is entirely genuine. It is this that makes her imitations of these styles so flattering, and the talent on display across the album leaves no doubt as to why her variations on the pop formula almost entirely work to perfection. For as many dated musical experiments as are strewn about the charts of yesteryear, enough timeless material has survived so as to show why such trends became popular in the first place, and it is these paragons of pop which Dua Lipa innovates upon to create her masterpiece.
8.5/10
Favourite Tracks: Physical, Levitating, Break My Heart