After saving the pop world during a global pandemic with her landmark sophomore effort
Future Nostalgia
, settling into a different zone is more than reasonable for
Dua Lipa
. A big fan of
Tame Impala
's
Currents
, she teamed with
Kevin Parker
for her third album,
Radical Optimism
. More than just a reductive "Dua Impala" (or "Tame Lipa"?) formula, this is a seamless collaboration between artists having fun in the studio, where the mutual respect and input blur the borders of their usual territories. Compared to her previous work,
is comfortable in its looseness, a simple set of chilled-out, dance-pop bops that lightens the spirit ("These Walls," "French Exit") and gets the body moving (the sparkling "End of an Era" and the vocal showcase "Falling Forever") as
Lipa
processes solo life and emotional growth with her head held high. While not as immediate as its predecessor,
Optimism
is packed with truly insidious earworms that take a minute to sink in, but then refuse to release listeners, who will be humming "Houdini," "Illusion," and "Training Season" long after the album ends. Along with
Parker
and a team that includes
Tobias Jesso, Jr.
,
Caroline Ailin
, and
Danny L. Harle
, she builds on
Nostalgia
's dancefloor throwbacks with new flourishes that take inspiration from, according to the singer, psychedelia, trip-hop, Brit-pop, and rave culture. For anyone who lived through those eras, the influence might not be apparent, but the spirit -- and
's trademark funky grooves and trippy explorations -- is welcome. As usual, every track of this blissfully concise 11-song LP could be a single, but the final run deserves attention for "Anything for Love" (which starts as a stark piano ballad before morphing into a playful
Stevie Wonder
-esque jam), the pounding, flute-kissed "Maria," and the uplifting showcase of post-breakup maturity "Happy for You," which comes closest to a '90s vibe with its electronica-tinged Y2K feel. An easygoing grower that digs deeper with each successive listen,
doesn't need to be Future Nostalgia 2.0; it's the sound of an artist enjoying life and exploring new directions as she continues to hone her craft. ~ Neil Z. Yeung