Dua Lipa’s new album Radical Optimism has arrived, and though it’s been met with mixed reception from critics and fans alike, it has debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 2.
Featuring a neo-psychedelia-inspired sound with significant contributions from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Radical Optimism is Lipa’s first full-length release since 2020’s Future Nostalgia. As Consequence’s Mary Siroky wrote in her review, the album’s 11 songs show that Lipa is “ready to soak up the sun and dance,” though the album as a whole “might not be quite as radical as one might have hoped.”
Nonetheless, the album has performed pretty well, debuting at No. 1 on the UK Official Albums Chart with the biggest week of sales for any British female artist since Adele’s 30 in 2021. Likewise, earning the No. 2 slot on the Billboard 200 marks Lipa’s highest chart debut to date, after Future Nostalgia debuted at No. 4.
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The solid chart performance of Radical Optimism follows a week of high-profile appearances, which saw Lipa host and perform on Saturday Night Live and attend the 2024 Met Gala. According to Billboard, the record earned 83,000 equivalent album units in its first week, in part due to its being available in 20 different physical variants.
Still, the album wasn’t able to pry Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department away from the No. 1 position, where it’s been sitting since it debuted itself last month.
Lipa has a number of tour dates coming up, including a recently-announced set at Austin City Limits 2024, plus appearances at Rock Werchter 2024, Glastonbury 2024, and more. Grab tickets for her US shows here (for her European dates, secure your seats here).
