Everything there is to know about Dua Lipa's third album 'Radical Optimism'
It's the follow-up to 'Future Nostalgia'
Dua Lipa's highly-anticipated third album was a long time coming, but the singer delighted fans in May 2024 by releasing 'Radical Optimism'. And in 2025, the album, which features hits such as 'Houdini', 'Training Season' and 'Illusion' was nominated for the Mastercard Album of the Year at the 2025 BRIT Awards.
The album is the follow-up to her 2020 hit 'Future Nostalgia', and it's safe to say that fans were eagerly awaiting the record for quite some time.
Back in March 2024, Dua shared the album's cover art on her Instagram page, in addition to revealing the album's tracklist. Captioning the post, Dua wrote: 'RADICAL OPTIMISM MY 3RD STUDIO ALBUM OUT MAY 3RD 2024 SHOT BY @tyronelebon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!' (sic)
What is Dua Lipa's third album called?
Dua's third album is called 'Radical Optimism'. She previously told us that she had the name of the album before she started writing. She said: "The album title was just something I really... felt like I really resonated with, I wasn't 100% sure it was going to end up being that.
"I think it was just like the more I wrote, the more it just made sense. And I just feel like it just keeps being much more connected to everything that's happening."
Where did it come in the charts?
The record debuted at Number 1 in the UK upon its release before dipping to Number 3 the following week. It was certified Silver by the BPI only three weeks after its release, meaning it had seen over 60,000 sales in the UK alone, and in July 2024 it was certified Gold with 100,000 sales. Cor!
2025 BRIT nomination
In January 2025, it was revealed 'Radical Optimism' had been nominated for the Mastercard Album of the Year at the 2025 BRIT Awards, going up against Charli XCX, The Cure, Ezra Collective and The Last Dinner Party.
The awards took place on 1st March, with Charli XCX taking the trophy on the night, for 'Brat'.
When was Dua Lipa's third album out?
Dua's third album 'Radical Optimism' was released on 3rd May 2024.
What is the tracklist for Dua Lipa's album 'Radical Optimism'?
- 'End Of An Era'
- 'Houdini'
- 'Training Season'
- 'These Walls'
- 'Whatcha Doing'
- 'French Exit'
- 'Illusion'
- 'Falling Forever'
- 'Anything For Love'
- 'Maria'
- 'Happy For You'
What does Dua's third album sound like?
Now that the album is out you can hear it for yourself, however before the release, fans were keen to hear what the singer had said about her new album.
In an interview with New York Times magazine, the singer previously revealed that her new music will have a different sound, moving away from disco, however, not wanting to alienate her fans, it will still be in the pop genre.
In January 2023, Dua revealed a bit more about what we could expect from her new music. Appearing at the ESNS23 festival in The Netherlands, where Dua picked up The Excellence Award, she revealed her album was 'more mature' and had a 'lyrical theme'.
As reported by Pop Crave in January 2023, when describing her album, she also said: "It has a lyrical theme, more so than sonic. It’s still pop so I’m not getting away from that. I still want to dance and have fun, and do another crazy tour. It’s like a bit more mature in some ways."
"The album is different – it’s still pop but it’s different sonically, and there’s more of a lyrical theme. If I told you the title, everything would make sense – but I think we’ll just have to wait."
It was back in September 2022, speaking to Vogue Australia, that Dua said she felt more in control of her third album: "As I'm writing my new album, I feel even more liberated in a completely different way, and even more in control than I thought," she explained.
These comments are similar to what she told Vogue earlier in 2022, when she said: "I’ve definitely grown up. Overall, whether it’s sonically or in terms of the themes, I’ve matured. It’s like I’m coming into my power and not afraid to talk about things. It’s about understanding what I want."
At the time, the singer also opened up about performing music from 'Future Nostalgia', which included hits such as 'Don't Start Now', 'Break My Heart', and 'Levitating' saying: "For two years we were frozen. I didn’t get to really do these songs in the way that I’d envisioned them, and now that I’ve been able to put a show around it, it feels new to me."
She continued: "But there are also ways I feel I’m moving on a little bit. Especially now that I’ve started writing again and working on new music."
During her interview with Vogue Australia, Dua told the publication: "I get to see it take on a whole new lease on life. Once I’ve sung the first line of the first song, there’s a feeling of almost being invincible, of joining forces with the music… and just having fun."
In November 2022, Dua posted photos of herself in a studio with The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger calling it a 'sweeeet weeeek 🍒' . (sic)
When is Dua Lipa on tour?
Dua is taking her album on tour, with two dates in the UK at Wembley Stadium - both of which sold out in minutes! She has also announced one more UK date, taking place in Liverpool on 24th June 2025.
Now take a look at Dua Lipa's incredible career:
Career beginnings
As a child, Dua took cello lessons when at primary school, as well as doing singing lessons at Sylvia Young Theatre School. After moving to Kosovo with her family in 2008, she then came back to London when she was 15, later completing A-Levels in Politics, Psychology, English and Media Studies whilst also doing weekend classes at Sylvia Young and modelling for brands including ASOS and Topshop.
2013 - The X Factor advert
As a young singer, Dua shared videos of herself singing covers on SoundCloud and YouTube. In 2013, she appeared in an advert for The X Factor, singing the song 'Lost In Music' by Sister Sledge. Dua then went on to sign a record deal with Warner Records.
2015 - Dua begins releasing music
Dua released her debut single 'New Love' in August 2015 and was credited as one of the song's writers. She has said that the song is about 'facing the fear of losing the only thing that matters to you'. Dua then released her second single 'Be The One', which included a video starring actor Ansel Elgort. The song reached Number 9 on the UK charts and is certified 3x Platinum.
2016 - First tour and 'Hotter Than Hell'
Dua embarked on her first UK and Europe tour in January 2016, commencing in Bristol and finishing in London. She released her third single 'Last Dance' in February, and her fourth song 'Hotter Than Hell' in May. 'Hotter Than Hell' reached Number 15 on the UK charts and is certified Platinum. Then in August, Dua released the single 'Blow Your Mind (Mwah)'. In November 2016, Dua collaborated with Sean Paul on the song 'No Lie', with the single reaching Number 10 in the UK charts and going on to become certified 3x Platinum in the UK.
2017 - Debut album and 'New Rules'
The biggest moment of 2017 for Dua was the release of her debut album 'Dua Lipa' in June 2017. The self-titled album produced eight singles and includes collaborations with Miguel and Chris Martin and reached Number 3 on the UK charts. 'Dua Lipa' is certified 4x Platinum in the UK. The super deluxe reissue in 2018 also featured the song 'Scared To Be Lonely', on which Dua teamed up with DJ Martin Garrix. It reached Number 14 in the UK and has since been certified 2x Platinum in the UK.
Another major milestone was the song 'New Rules'. It featured on her eponymous album and was released in July 2017, becoming a huge hit for Dua as her first UK Number 1 and going on to be certified 5x Platinum in the UK. The song was also nominated for British Single of the Year at the 2018 BRIT Awards, but lost out to Rag 'n' Bone Man's track 'Human'. However, Dua did scoop the awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act at the ceremony. Dua was nominated in five categories at the 2018 BRIT Awards – more than any other artist.
2018 - 'One Kiss' with Calvin Harris
Dua teamed up with Calvin Harris on the song 'One Kiss', which was released in April 2018. The song was a huge success and topped the UK charts, winning the award for British Single of the Year at the 2019 BRIT Awards. 'One Kiss' spent eight weeks at the top of the charts and is certified 5x Platinum in the UK.
In September 2018, Dua teamed up with Silk City on the track 'Electricity'. The song reached Number 4 in the UK and is certified Platinum. 'Electricity' won Best Dance Recording at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards.
2019 - GRAMMY Awards
2019 was a huge year for Dua at the GRAMMY Awards - as mentioned, 'Electricity' scooped the gong for Best Dance Recording, but she also took home Best New Artist. These were Dua's first GRAMMY Awards.
In October 2019, Dua released the single 'Don't Start Now', the lead single from her second album 'Future Nostalgia.' The song reached Number 2 on the UK charts and is certified 4x Platinum.
2020 - Second album 'Future Nostalgia'
Dua released her highly-anticipated second studio album 'Future Nostalgia' in March 2020. The album produced six singles, including 'Break My Heart', 'Levitating' and 'Hallucinate', which has since been certified Platinum. 'Future Nostalgia' was originally meant to be released on 3rd April 2020, but the release date was moved forward to 27th March after it was leaked. The album won the BRIT Award for British Album of the Year in 2021 and won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards. It was also nominated for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs, but lost out to 'folklore' by Taylor Swift. 'Future Nostalgia' reached Number 1 on the UK charts and is certified 3x Platinum.
Later that year, Dua teamed up with Miley Cyrus on the track 'Prisoner'. The song reached Number 8 on the UK charts and is certified Platinum.
2021 - Dua collaborates with Elton John
Dua collaborated on Sir Elton John's song 'Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)' in August 2021 - and it's safe to say it was a monumental hit! The song was produced during the COVID-19 pandemic and reached Number 1 in 12 countries – including the UK, where it's certified 3x Platinum. In June 2023, Elton performed the song during his epic Glastonbury set, but Dua unfortunately didn't join him.
2022 - 'Future Nostalgia Tour'
After initially preparing to go on a tour in 2020 which was cancelled due to the pandemic, Dua embarked on the 'Future Nostalgia Tour' in February 2022, starting in Miami. The tour ended in Tirana, Albania in November 2022, having visited the UK in April and May. Dua performed 91 shows in total whilst on the incredible tour!
Dua also teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion on the song 'Sweetest Pie', with Megan previously expressing interest in working with the singer. Dua brought out Megan during her 'Future Nostalgia Tour' show in Denver, Colorado in March 2022. The track is certified Silver in the UK.
2023 - 'Dance The Night' for the Barbie movie
Dua released 'Dance The Night' in May 2023, which featured on the soundtrack for the Barbie film. The song was a huge hit, reaching Number 1 in the UK and being nominated for two gongs at the 2024 Grammy Awards. 'Dance The Night' is Dua's fourth UK Number 1 single and is certified 2x Platinum. Not only did she contribute to the soundtrack, but Dua made her acting debut in the Barbie movie too, playing the role of Mermaid Barbie. The highly anticipated film, which was directed by Greta Gerwig, was released to cinemas on 21st July 2023.
Later that year, Dua released the single 'Houdini' in November 2023, in addition to dropping a music video for the track. The song features on her third album 'Radical Optimism', which was released in 2024. 'Houdini' was certified Platinum by the BPI in July 2024, translating to 600,000 sales in the UK!
2024 - Third album and Glastonbury debut
Dua Lipa was announced as the first performer at the 2024 BRIT Awards, additionally being nominated for three awards: Artist of the Year, Pop Act and Song of the Year for 'Dance the Night'. She took home Pop Act and opened the show with a brilliant performance of 'Training Season'.
Her highly-anticipated third studio album, 'Radical Optimism', was released on 3rd May 2024. It features her hits 'Houdini', 'Training Season' and 'Illusion', and debuted at Number 1 in the UK where it's also been certified Gold. The following month, she made her Glastonbury debut on the Pyramid Stage at the iconic festival in June 2024, headlining the Friday night. She then performed a huge show at Wembley on 20th June 2025, as an extension to her 'Radical Optimism' tour. Tickets sold out within minutes, so a second Wembley date was added... Which also sold out super quickly!
On Sunday 8th December 2024, Dua's very own one-off concert special aired on ITV/STV called An Evening with Dua Lipa. The special showed the singer's incredible performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, recorded earlier in the year, and along with Dua's hit songs, viewers got the chance to hear intimate interviews with the singer, where she reflected on the pivotal moments of her career. The one-off special also saw guest performances, including the likes of the legendary Elton John.
2025 - BRIT Awards and tour documentary
In January 2025, it was announced Dua was up for no less than FOUR awards at the 2025 BRIT Awards with Mastercard. She was on the shortlist for Pop Act, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year with Mastercard (for 'Training Season') and Mastercard Album of the Year (for 'Radical Optimism'). Unfortunately, she didn't pick up any awards when the winners were announced in March 2025.
In September, Dua released a 'Radical Optimism Tour' documentary with Apple TV, which was shot entirely on an iPhone. The singer shared a preview of the film where fans could see backstage footage from the tour on Instagram, and the full documentary was released on 12th September.
You can hear songs by Dua Lipa on Tay FM.
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