Review of Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' Album (Extended Versions)

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This Barbie is a mermaid! After listening to the main album for a while now, I realized that there is one song that annoys me. Dua Lipa is one of my favorite artists, someone who moves the music industry in a new direction every time, but making 'Anything for Love' so short (2:21) is an absolute crime. And this damn intro of the song is half of that length. Finding the extended version of the whole album on Spotify made me realize how business-savvy she is. Not only does she have an ear for music, but she also has the ability to pick the right people around her. Let's be honest, she may be on the cover of the album, but behind this project are a lot of gays and pop culture athletes. 

In this fast-paced world, the marketing team and Dua Lipa had the nerve to extend the promotion for this album for months. After they delivered 'Houdini' in November, we got the album many months later in May of the next year. The extended version of the album seems to have been out since June, a brilliant move considering that I fell in love with every extended version we got before that date. The other day, I discovered the longer version of 'Anything for Love' and, being in love and hopeful for the past couple of months, I completely lost it. The album has around 20 minutes more and is better in almost every way. Not to dismiss the shorter one, but like in real life, longer length brings authority and notability.

The way these songs extend their presence and power speaks volumes about the supremacy of this album. It is so nice to see this different pop-psychedelic direction gain prominence and dominion over the fans. Dua Lipa, a now-proven artist, does it with every album, carving her own lane in the industry is not an easy thing to do, especially when you are so commercial and mainstream. The road to the main stage is narrow and it's easy to be distracted and lose the path in the crowd. For a second, I thought that this album was a niche experience, although I loved it from the first listen. And in some ways, I feel like it never caught up to the success of her previous two projects. Nevertheless, the wave of 'Radical Optimism' is still going strong, and being part of the niche, I still enjoy this artistry almost daily. The extended version just provided this newly fresh energy that will keep the album alive for a while. I am amazed at how well-developed these versions are, making every song upgraded in the best way possible. Not missing a beat, every track fully harnesses its potential, sounds better and richer without overshadowing the original. This wave really needed more length, and now we’ve got it.

Iliya Badev

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