Review: ‘Future Nostalgia’ brings wistful times back

Dua Lipa impresses listeners with new album

Courtesy of Warner Records.

Courtesy of Warner Records.

After her album was leaked on Sunday, March 22, Dua Lipa decided to move up the release date a week earlier. “Future Nostalgia” was released on Friday, March 27 instead of April 3. She announced the news during her Instagram live where she became emotional talking about the album. After the album was released she decided to take a break from Twitter as it was becoming too toxic for her, but that didn’t stop her from promoting her album on Instagram and radio stations.

The single “Don’t Start Now” was released on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 with a different vibe than her last album, “Dua Lipa,” which was released on Friday, June 2, 2017. What ultimately intrigued fans was how unique it was from other songs released at the time. Though the song had an electro-disco pop impression, she kept it interesting with the piano and drums. Her vocals were chill yet complicated as she messed with effects on her voice and the phrasing of the lyrics. The song is about how she’s moved on from a breakup that was challenging to get over, but it changed her life. It also explains how now that the guy knows she’s successful, he wants to start caring for her.

Track four, “Physical,” could be considered the album’s top energetic song as she even released a workout video for it. The melody is upbeat, focusing further on the electric-dance pop, giving it an ‘80s vibe. Throughout the song, her vocals are unique and fit well with the beat, which she changes during the bridge to keep listeners intrigued. The song is about getting physical with her certain someone and the happiness she feels when he’s with her and not someone else.

In “Levitating,” fans start getting a ‘60s pop vibe with disco influence, but at the chorus, listeners get an ‘80s feeling and then it switches again to R&B, yet the song doesn’t sound chaotic. The melody of the lyrics also changes from phrasing to singing really fast, where her English accent starts appearing. The line “My sugarboo I’m levitating” doesn’t add up to the other creative lines in the song, only bringing attention to the beat at that moment. The moral of the song is she is in love and how every time she is with her guy, she feels like she’s in the stars and how she’s lucky to have him. 

The track “Hallucinate” was the only one to give off influence from a past song of hers called “One Kiss” from the album “Dua Lipa;” it begins as dance-pop to later on in the song exploring the ‘90s. Instantly the listener falls into the beat of the song and starts dancing along. When the fans started paying attention to her vocals, the tone of her voice and her range, it excelled expectations. From the lyrics “But I’ma love you like a fool, breathe you in till I hallucinate,” the listener can assume she is talking about how her love for this man is basically her drug because she can’t have enough of him.

The album ends with “Boys Will Be Boys,” an empowering song with lyrics like “Boys will be boys but girls will be women” and “I know that there will be a man around to save the day and that was sarcasm.” She wants women to know they could have the same power a man possesses and how men are the only ones who receive recognition for their achievements. The track is soft throughout the end and her vocals stay the same until the chorus where she starts sounding like Katy Perry. During the bridge Dua Lipa sings “If you’re offended by this song, you’re clearly doing something wrong,” expressing she wants both genders to finally be equal.

“Future Nostalgia” gave fans what Dua Lipa promised, a nostalgic vibe. Going into another stage in her career, she refreshed many listeners’ ears by giving them something unique. As she delivered with the production and vocals, the album deserves 4.6 out of 5 stars. While fans stream the album, Dua Lipa can’t wait to perform those songs on stage later this year.