Dua Lipa

About

With hindsight, it’s hard to imagine that Dua Lipa’s globe-conquering success was ever anything other than a foregone conclusion. But her breakout smash, “New Rule,” was preceded by <i>seven singles</i> and her debut album was twice delayed, arriving several months after originally planned. Even then, <i>Dua Lipa</i> was something of a sleeper hit, reaching its UK chart peak 38 weeks after release. While her debut LP’s rollout may have been shaky, Lipa herself has never appeared anything less than assured, with a vocal style so cool it borders on aloof. Her rich, sultry stylings here anchor a collection that isn’t afraid to genre-hop, brooding over the tropical pop of “Hotter than Hell” as it boils to its euphoric climax. “Be the One” is similarly summery, with a persistent chorus that drips yearning over a Europop beat—evoking all the wistfulness of a holiday romance—and even “Thinking ’Bout You” morphs from a laidback acoustic jam into something more full-throated. The pace only slows on the closing track “Homesick,” a piano ballad co-written with Chris Martin about those you leave behind when your pop-star dreams come true. .

via Apple Music

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