This time it's not personal

Who exactly is Dua Lipa? On paper, there's not much to question: the 28-year-old Anglo-Albanian is consistently among the world's ten most popular artists, and her relentlessly effective twist on disco pop – perfected on the hit album 'Future Nostalgia' (2020) – has proven as influential as it is instantly recognizable.

It's still difficult to see the essence of Dua Lipa's project, beyond the approved ability to create hit songs. Her third album did little to flesh out her personality – which is disappointing, given the record's inspired title, the corresponding cover art (in which the main character swims among sharks) and early rumors of musical inspiration from psychedelia, Britpop, and trippop.

On “Radical Optimism,” Lipa sticks to a recipe that has worked for her in the past, albeit with some occasional and somewhat superficial eccentricities here and there. ABBA is a clearer reference than ever, and an overall description of the record could be “a bit like Eurovision, only good”. Which of course does not apply to this upper sphere of pop music.

Lipa brings her regular team of songwriters and producers here, including Norwegian Caroline Aelin and Australian Kevin Parker, known as Tame Impala, and as a sparring partner with everyone from Lady Gaga to Kanye West.

They seem to be having a good day at work, especially the beginning of the album, with the fun “End of an Era” and the hit singles “Houdini” and “Training Season”, which are sure to elevate BBQs and life in the parks. In the coming weeks.

Overall, it's hard to imagine a more viable soundtrack for this spring than “Radical Optimism.” It seems expensive, delicate and hardly appropriate to make your day particularly bad. But considering what Dua Lipa has achieved in the past, it's also one of the biggest disappointments of the season.

Best song: “The End of the Era”