Dua Lipa is a London-born singer who has been making music since 2015. Even before the release of this album, she was featured on the Sean Paul song “No Lie,” which is a track I really like and I wish charted a bit higher here in the states. This album made her a pretty hot commodity over here, however, thanks largely to decent-sized singles like “IDGAF” and “Scared to Be Lonely,” though none have been bigger than “New Rules,” which has thus far peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. I missed this one last year and, with news that Dua Lipa has started working on material for her next album, I figured that now would be a better time than ever to take a look at her first album. So, let’s do it!
Genesis: Starting things off, we have a track that talks about love, but through a rather biblical lens, comparing her relationship to the beginning of the universe. I…honestly don’t really know what to say of this song. It’s got a snappy beat, sure, and Dua’s vocals are nice and all, but…I don’t know, I can’t really think of too much to talk about with it. It’s a fine track with a rather interesting concept, but it doesn’t necessarily excite me or beg me to come back to it. Maybe there’s something I don’t get about it and I’ll have to come back to it in the future? I’m not too sure.
Lost In Your Light (ft. Miguel): A track about being carelessly in love with someone, this one’s got a very funky beat, and I like the vocal interplay between Dua Lipa and her guest vocalist Miguel. It’s a very easily danceable song that also doubles as a good showcase of the talents of its vocalists, and while I wish the song didn’t really end so suddenly, I can see this getting some replays. It’s definitely some good, catchy pop that doesn’t feel like every other song out there.
Hotter Than Hell: A song that sees Dua Lipa embrace more of her dark, bad-girl side, I have to say that I like how this one works around some of the typical bland tropes that electronic songs tend to carry. A lot of them just feel too generic, and this one does have some of that formula to it, but it’s able to transcend those negative tropes because it’s so easily catchy, and it really showcases Dua Lipa’s very confident, exciting vocals. Really like this track a lot!
Be The One: The first single to release from this album, Dua talks on here about wanting her lover to return to her. I like the very bright, fast-paced instrumentals on this one, and I think the hook is pretty solid on this one. Dua once again sounds very confident on this track, and her vocals are quite beautiful. Again, I wish it didn’t end as abruptly as it does, but it’s got a good vibe to it, it’s very head-noddy and fun, and I definitely dig it.
IDGAF: One of the bigger singles from the record, Dua talks about an ex of hers that seems to be creeping on her and trying to come back as a result of her fame. I like the guitar plucking on this track, and I really love the very confident tone as well. From Dua’s vocals to the catchy hook that literally says “I don’t give a fuck,” this one just drips confidence and just seems to throw the middle finger high in the air. It’s a really breezy, fun track that I think I’ll come back to quite a bit in the future.
Blow Your Mind (Mwah): Dua talks here about a relationship that seems to be staying alive because of one-night stands. Work that out. Either way, I really find this one to be one of the most infectious tracks on the album: it’s catchy, upbeat, and punchy, and I love Dua’s vocals as always. And while I personally am not all that big on “mwah” sounds (honestly, they kinda make me shiver a bit), I can stomach them here because the song is so energetic and enjoyable. Figure that out, Dua Lipa made a song that I like even with a sound that typically bothers me. That’s something right there.
Garden: Another more biblical-song, this one referring more to the Garden of Eden and focusing on themes of reminiscing and paradise, I really love the more slow-paced feel of the song. It’s another very impressive showcase of Dua’s very real vocal talents, and even when the beat gets a little bit heavier, it still remains a very beautiful song with a really captivating hook. I really like this one a lot!
No Goodbyes: Another somewhat slower, ballad-esque track (I use the term “ballad” somewhat lightly here), this one talks about a couple that’s soon to be breaking up. Even if it’s a little slower than some of the earlier songs, it’s certainly not lacking in power, as it features a very booming instrumental with a very bright sound to it. It’s a very beautiful-sounding song that once again showcases Dua’s incredible vocal abilities. And I can also appreciate this song because it takes some interesting twists and turns as an electronic track, instead of feeling like everything else out there. Great song.
Thinkin’ Bout You: Hmm, a pop artist makes a song called “Thinkin’ Bout You,” and it’s an acoustic jam? I wonder who Dua got her inspiration from...OH HI, ED SHEERAN! Okay, no, in all seriousness, while you might think there is some correlation, they are two far different tracks with two different vibes. This one’s got a bit of a faster pace to it and less of a “wedding song” feel to it. It’s still a pretty fun track with a cool guitar groove, a great hook, and strong vocals from Dua. Another potential replay-button breaker in the future.
New Rules: A song that made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a rather slow crawl (and then seemed to leave almost as soon as it entered), this is a song I’m ashamed I didn’t listen to sooner: it’s a really infectious dance-banger with a really catchy hook, really great vocals from Dua Lipa, and some pretty empowering lyrics about moving on from your ex. This is definitely gonna get plenty of repeat listens out of me in the future, I wish I had listened to it sooner.
Begging: A song about really badly wanting to be with someone, to the point where Dua talks about how her body is “begging her to beg” for another person’s love, this more piano-driven electronic track has more great vocals from Dua and a really catchy drum beat. I’m not all that crazy about the hook on this one, but it’s got a really great sound to it that really works. Not one of my favorites on the album, but it’s certainly an enjoyable track and it might even grow on me in the future.
Homesick: A piano ballad about finding some kind of meaning in your relationship when the other person in said relationship isn’t with you, I definitely love the stripped-back production on this one, and I think Dua definitely has an ear for hooks with this track. And I like her vocals quite a bit, and I also find it fascinating that this cut features uncredited vocals from Christopher Martin (the lead singer of Coldplay), and I think there is a great interplay between the two of them. It doesn’t really excite me, honestly, but I feel like it’s an appropriate end to the “non-Deluxe Edition” of the album, and it’s a really nice ballad altogether.
Dreams: The first of five bonus tracks, I like the very upbeat feel of this one, and I like Dua’s performance and flow on her verses here. I also really like the pre-chorus, where Dua sings “can I get it like that, that, that, let me know,” it’s really catchy. At first, I was not all that crazy about the hook itself, but it definitely became catchier when I heard it back a couple of times. Overall, it’s got a really cool vibe to it and I'm happy to say it’s grown on me a lot with repeat listens.
Room for 2: Another far more stripped-down, somewhat minimal track, this one consists of a light instrumental, as Dua’s vocals are front and center here. I love her passionate and expressive performance on the verses, and I also like how it changes up on the hook when things begin to feel a bit more eerie and mysterious. It’s far different from what a lot of the album has to offer, but Dua really sticks the landing on this one and creates a really good track!
New Love: Another more eerie-sounding track about heartbreak, this one is also not lacking in energy, as it has a pretty pounding, really interesting drum beat and a very powerful performance from Dua. I also found myself really liking the hook on this one, it’s very energetic and, even for a more downbeat song, pretty danceable, and it also once again shows us Dua’s strong vocal range. Definitely feel like I’ll be coming back to this one in the future!
Bad Together: A song about two damaged people finding love for one another and hoping it will fix their problems, this one also has something of a dark edge to it sonically before exploding into something brighter on the hook. Said hook is really catchy and memorable, and the song as a whole is led by a pretty cool 808-drum beat and more very beautiful vocals from Dua. For as danceable as it is, it’s a track that also feels pretty emotional and, overall, really likable.
Last Dance: The final song on the Deluxe Edition was oddly released as the album’s second single, but excluded from the standard tracklist. Wonder what went wrong there. Either way, the song has a darker, somewhat more downbeat feel to it (well, before the breakdown on the hook), and it talks about wanting to love someone like it’s the last day you two will be together. I like said darker feel on the verses, and luckily, the breakdown has a cool vibe to it, too. It’s a very emotional track that’s powered by Dua’s beautiful vocals, and it’s a really great end to the Deluxe Edition of the album.
Overall, I don’t really have much to say in my sum-up to this, but Dua Lipa’s debut album is a very infectious and fun collection of neat electro-pop songs. It’s a good showcase of Dua’s incredible vocals, and it takes some neat twists and turns on the typical electronic/pop song. Even if her vocals sound somewhat familiar throughout the album, she still oozes expression and confidence throughout the album. Sure, a lot of the songs seem to circle back to the same topics, but she manages to keep them interesting with her solid ear for production and strong hooks. Is it one of my personal favorite albums ever? Probably not. Did I love a vast majority of the album? Yep, and I’m sure you guys will, too.
Favorite tracks: Lost In Your Light, Hotter Than Hell, Be The One, IDGAF, Blow Your Mind (Mwah), Garden, No Goodbyes, Thinkin’ Bout You, New Rules, Dreams*, Room for 2, New Love, Bad Together, Last Dance
Least favorite tracks: Genesis (if I had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
(*An asterisk next to a “favorite track” indicates that the track wasn’t initially one of my “favorite tracks” when I first wrote the review. If a track has an asterisk next to it, it means the song wasn’t initially a favorite of mine, but it grew on me, and the text for the song may have been edited to more properly reflect that.)
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