Ariana Grande dropped Eternal Sunshine last week. Now Dua Lipa has announced her similarly themed third studio album, Radical Optimism. Enter the Spider-Man meme. Lipa’s announcement came on Wednesday afternoon, March 13. Radical Optimism is due out May 3 via Warner Music UK.
So, why that title?
Here’s The Meaning Behind Dua Lipa’s New Album Title Radical Optimism
“A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term ‘Radical Optimism,’” Lipa said in a statement. “It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life. It struck me — the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm. At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip-hop, and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”
Lipa also shared an album teaser on YouTube. The 81-second video captures behind-the-scenes footage of the album-making process with her collaborators: Carolie Ailin, Kevin Parker, Danny L. Harle, and Tobias Jesso Jr. At one point, Lipa says, “You know what the world needs is, like, the idea of being endlessly happy.” Elsewhere, she explains, “Every song does have that kind of, like, through the struggle, you kind of make it something optimistic.”
Then we briefly go underwater with Lipa before she revisits her acceptance speech when Future Nostalgia won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2021 Grammys. “I said something just in the midst of panic, being like, ‘Yeah, the world just needs happiness,’” Lipa recalls. A clip of Lipa’s speech takes over, showing her past self saying, “Happiness is so important. Happiness is something that we all deserve.” Lipa adds, “Radical optimism is always something that was on top of my mind.”
Watch the teaser below.
Radical Optimism is out 5/3 via Warner Records UK. Find more information here.
Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.