Dua Lipa’s new album, Future Nostalgia, comes up short in terms of originality.

Lipa’s Future Nostalgia draws inspiration from `80s hits while mixing in modern pop. The album was crafted to be fun and playful, with a retro feel to each song. 

Listeners are introduced to popular `80’s beats in songs like “Physical” and “Cool,” which still feature modern-day concepts. Many of the songs discuss the feeling of falling in love again, including “Love Again” and “Break My Heart.”

On the other hand, Lipa emphasizes the strength of the modern woman. In the songs “Boys Will Be Boys” and “Future Nostalgia,” she criticizes those who see independent and driven women as intimidating. She also highlights the fact that women do not need a partner to feel complete. 

Unfortunately, the album introduces nothing new to the pop industry. The songs tend to blur together, with all songs essentially having the same idea expressed in different words. The only true standout is “Boys Will Be Boys,” due to its slow and powerful chorus.  

With her first album, Lipa’s fan base grew tremendously due to the uniqueness of her voice. However, the two albums have a similar sound to them, confirming that she is merely another mainstream pop artist. 

Her future seems to be that of an artist with a couple good songs, and a gallery of songs no seems to gravitate towards. The album seems to have strived for a Madonna-type feel, but sadly misses the mark.