Dua Lipa just released her sophomore album, called “Future Nostalgia.” The album was set to release on April 3 but was leaked before that, leading the label to change the release date to Mar. 27. 

She describes herself as a ‘female alpha’ on her title track, “Future Nostalgia,” and she follows through with that title. There is a nostalgia in her songs that reminds us of past pop music, and in these times we just may be looking to go back to how things were in the past . Dua Lipa’s album follows a very disco-synth sound that has just started to become popular in today’s pop music, and she’s risen to the top of the list of female pop-stars. Her album feels very colorful. Most of the tracks are upbeat and positive.  She seems to be trying new things with her sound than her first album, and it’s clear that she’s learned a great deal from her debut album.

The 24 year old artist’s inspiration stems from an era of music that took place a little before she was born. There are references to an older type of pop or disco music. While her fans are probably too young to remember an era like that, Dua Lipa still manages to send those vibes across with her use of bass. She’s been called someone who is ‘re-inventing’ pop music, and looking at her strong voice and the catchy chorus that she had a hand in writing this time, the praise rings true.

It’s a very feel-good album in an upsetting time. The spread of COVID-19 has made many businesses and artists delay their releases. Dua Lipa allowed her fans to enjoy what she had to say. While the songs may all sound a little similar on the first listen, the timelessness of her album doesn’t allow for her songs to fade too far into the back of your mind. The catchy choruses and witty one liners peppered throughout make you replay the album until you begin to love every song.

While most of the songs on the album seem to be about relationships, she takes a sharp turn with her last song on the album, titled “Boys Will Be Boys.” It was the one that interested me the most. Adding itself to the number of songs that serve as a call-to-arms for people to take responsibility for their actions, it is also a call-out for those uncomfortable with women in power. The song highlights what has become the norm for girls today. It mentions the need to walk home before it gets dark, to laugh when you’re feeling harassed so things don’t go south, and says that if we don’t do anything about it and brush of these actions as ‘boys will be boys,’ then girls will have to grow up that much faster to keep themselves safe in today’s world. She is pulling no punches with her lyrics. The artist doesn’t hesitate to say things like they are.

Ending in a beautiful chorus, the last song then circles back to the first track, where Dua Lipa calls herself the female alpha. She mentions that we are, indeed, still trying to figure her out. Dua Lipa’s album has a certain quality about it that makes me certain it will last long. The artist seems very open to trying new things with her sound and her style, and I’m eager to see what she has coming next.