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Dua Lipa discusses her album "Radical Optimism," exploring themes of growth, vulnerability, and overcoming self-doubt. She shares insights into her songwriting process, creative collaborations, and the importance of emotional maturity and perspective in her life and career.
Published May 1, 2024
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Dua Lipa
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Interviewer: Finally, I'm at a place in my career where I feel really confident. Interviewer: It took me so long to get to this place.
Interviewer: Is that the book? Interviewee: That's the book. Interviewee: The very first page, it says radical optimism. Interviewer: You're kidding? That's the first thing you wrote? Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: Like, what was under there? Interviewer: Yeah, something... Interviewer: That's what I don't want to know. Interviewer: That is something I really don't want to know. Interviewer: That is like... Interviewer: That is like... Interviewer: That is cancelled. Interviewer: That is a thought that has been... Interviewee: That is like, you're never going to see that one again.
Interviewer: By writing these songs, it's a form of therapy for me. Interviewer: It's just such a vulnerable thing to do is write your thoughts down into melody and then have it be consumed by other people. Interviewer: That is the perfect description of what it is to be a true artist.
Interviewer: It's funny when we think about how the world greeted Dua Lipa when she first arrived. Interviewer: The song sounded so big, the performances were so polished and people kept saying things like, she's born to do it, like a ready-made superstar. Interviewer: But what I learned when I sat down with Dua in London recently to talk about her latest album, Radical Optimism, is that this has not been some predestined journey to greatness. Interviewer: Dua has pushed through enormous amounts of criticism and self-doubt where the story can be told. Interviewer: And I think it's going to surprise you.
Interviewer: We're doing a tell-all. This is my first time talking about anything, album title, the record, the songs individually.
Interviewer: It's a collaboration. I always used to think when I first started doing this stuff that it was like I asked the questions and someone answered them and it was a simple trade. Interviewer: And it's not. It's actually a dance. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: When it's done well, it's a dance.
Interviewee: Yeah. It's a give and take, but it's daunting in the beginning. Interviewee: Because I'm like, I want to tell what it's about without... Interviewee: And so much of all the songs connect to the album and the title. Interviewee: And I always said like, sonically, I wanted to experiment and do something different. Interviewee: But what it was really about was the, I guess the theme, which is radical optimism. Interviewer: It's a great album title. Interviewee: Thank you. Interviewer: It feels like a relation to future nostalgia too. Interviewee: It feels like a connection to it. Interviewer: It's a little bit of a connection there. Interviewer: I wouldn't say literally, but it definitely has a feeling, a similar feeling when you say it.
Interviewee: Radical optimism in the way that I see it is this idea of rolling with the punches. Interviewee: Of not letting anything get you down for too long. Interviewee: Of always seeing the positive side of things. Interviewee: Of being able to grow and move forward and change your perspective regardless of what's happening in your life. Interviewee: Whether it's heartbreak, whether it's a friendship, whether it's a relationship, whether it's just growing and seeing things differently. Interviewee: I think it's a big part of maturing and growing up.
Interviewer: For sure, because I went back, I traced your story back in terms of the internet and stuff. Interviewer: Not just what I knew, but what I hadn't seen. Interviewer: And the Fader film had passed me by the first time around. Interviewee: Oh gosh, yeah. Interviewer: So I watched it. Interviewer: And you know, can you remember the first thing that you say in that film? Interviewer: It's almost like the first thing you say to the world. Interviewee: I haven't watched it in so long. Interviewer: You say, I'm scared. Interviewer: That's the first thing you say. Interviewer: I'm scared. Interviewer: And I thought it was such an amazing and interesting vulnerable way to begin your story on camera anywhere. Interviewer: Especially a place like Fader, where everyone's just sort of puffing their chest out trying to kind of be on Fader. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And you were like, I'm scared.
Interviewee: Yeah, it's daunting. Interviewee: It's nerve-wracking. Interviewee: I think finally I'm at a place in my career where I feel really confident. Interviewee: It took me so long to get to this place. Interviewee: And I'm scared is exactly how I felt at that point in time. Interviewee: Especially when I was putting out my first record. Interviewee: I felt like I was strapped to a rocket. Interviewee: I had no idea what was happening. Interviewee: Eyes closed. Interviewee: Just jumping into whatever experience was thrown at me. Interviewee: All I wanted to do was work. Interviewee: All I wanted to do was write songs. Interviewee: All I wanted to do was perform. Interviewee: Not really understanding all the other things that would come alongside, you know, with my job. Interviewee: I never really thought about like for me when I was growing up and I was in the playground and I was like, I want to make music or I wanted to sing. Interviewee: And in my head, all I ever saw myself was being on stage as a performer and performance being the thing that I always envisioned doing.
Interviewer: It's such a pure ambition when you're a kid. Interviewer: You don't think about everything that's going to come along with it at that moment. Interviewee: No, exactly. Interviewee: And I never thought of the idea of being famous. Interviewee: So it is interesting as I'm like growing in the industry and seeing the different sides of it. Interviewee: It's like, okay, what things do I keep for myself? Interviewee: What things do I put out?
Interviewer: That's so funny you say that. Interviewee: It's a writer's dilemma. Interviewee: In some ways, I had no inhibitions. Interviewee: I was jumping in and experimenting and trying something new. Interviewee: In some ways, I was really scared to, or it just took me a while to find my voice to write things that were, like they were personal to me, but always in code. Interviewee: Never fully wanting to like put myself out there just because I felt like I needed to keep something for myself. Interviewee: And with this album, I feel like I've managed to put so much more honesty out there and be really open in a way that I don't think I've ever had the chance to. Interviewee: I also feel like when I was writing Future Nostalgia, whatever I wrote that day in the studio, that was it. Interviewee: That was like the end of the song. Interviewee: You know, maybe like a couple lyric tweaks here and there, but that was the demo that I would then go and record and finish. Interviewee: Whereas with Radical Optimism, every single song that's on the album, I've gone back in and I've rewritten it and changed it. Interviewee: And my perspective has changed and my story has changed. Interviewee: And the way that I saw different scenarios or different things that happened in my life shifted. Interviewee: And it was a beautiful experience to not be afraid to be like, actually, you know what? Interviewee: I am willing to put this out there. Interviewee: There's this one song, which is the last song on the album called Happy For You. Interviewee: And I love that song because to me, you know, it's about seeing someone who you were with move on and be really happy for them. Interviewee: And I probably wouldn't have been able to write that song, you know, on my first or second record, because I don't feel like I probably would have grown as a person or as an artist to be able to see someone that you loved move on. Interviewee: Or I would find it, I would have found it like difficult or that maybe there was like a childlike...
Interviewer: You've been playing a part probably to some degree. Interviewee: For sure. Interviewer: It comes from the idea of this fantastical ambition to go and be something. Interviewer: And often you start to achieve that before you've even got to being it. Interviewee: Totally.
Interviewee: And so, yeah, you write them as a form of therapy, whatever it is in the moment. Interviewee: But I felt like, I mean, I definitely I've changed so much from who I was in my first album to who I am now. Interviewee: Emotionally, and I've grown and I've matured. Interviewee: And I think you just find the sense of happiness and optimism and this kind of carefree energy of what's meant for me is for me. Interviewee: And I think perspective is something that I guess just keeps coming back.
Interviewer: Perspective is an interesting word. Interviewer: You know, I don't think it comes naturally to, especially at this point in your life. Interviewer: Like, what does perspective mean to you? Interviewee: Emotional maturity, in a way. Interviewee: Emotional maturity, in a way. Interviewee: I think my job has given me the opportunity in so many amazing ways to, I guess, grow up before my time, feel things completely differently, experience the world in a different way. Interviewee: And so I feel like emotional maturity has also come from the situations that I've been thrown in. Interviewee: So in that sense, perspective is kind of gifted to you because you see things from so many different people's points of view. Interviewee: And I think for me, writing songs for a living, I think about emotions and feelings and thoughts so much of how does this make me feel? Interviewee: How will this make someone else feel when they hear it? Interviewee: Like, what is the energy and the emotion and the thing that I'm trying to convey at this point in my life? Interviewee: And I think by writing these songs, it's a form of therapy for me. Interviewee: And I get emotional maturity and perspective from all those things that allow me to grow and move on, which I'm just, I'm so grateful for. Interviewee: It's just such a vulnerable thing to do is write your thoughts down into melody and then have it be consumed by other people.
Interviewer: Is that the book? Interviewee: That's the book, yeah. Interviewer: This is the book. This is all the ideas for the album. Interviewee: And my CVS's finest. Interviewer: CVS's finest. Interviewee: Exactly, yeah. Interviewee: I mean... Interviewer: CVS is doing a pretty decent notebook right now. Interviewer: I mean, it's... Interviewee: It's not... Interviewee: It's not...
Interviewer: What was the first thing you wrote in it? Interviewer: Do you remember? The first page, the first thing. Interviewee: The very first page, it says, Radical Optimism. Interviewer: You're kidding? That's the first thing you wrote? Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: So you knew right away that this was the album title and what it was going to be? Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And you set it out. Interviewee: Yeah, it's... Interviewee: That's crazy. Interviewer: Yeah.
Interviewer: I mean, it's not crazy, I guess, but I mean, I would have thought that that title would have maybe unveiled itself throughout the process, but you began this book almost like a creative... Interviewee: Yeah, I knew the title for Radical Optimism. Interviewee: And it was like a term that my friend told me. I was doing an interview with him and he was like, you know what the world needs is radical optimism. And I lived with that thought for so long. And it just became more and more prevalent as time went on. Interviewee: And that's like...
Interviewer: Oh wow, your handwriting is great. Look at your handwriting. It's neat. Interviewer: It's neat. Interviewee: The 4th of February is when I started... Interviewer: What are your S's like? Interviewer: Oh yeah. Okay. Interviewee: The 4th of February is when I started writing. I have so many notes and letters and stuff.
Interviewer: Does it get really personal? Like, I would never ask, but would you be trepidatious to let someone just rifle through that because there's things in there that inspire you? Interviewee: Yeah, I would. There's also this thing of like, you know, every single song that I've written for this record doesn't hit and not every single one is good. Interviewee: So I feel like I always have to like write myself into a good idea. So there's a lot of scribbles. There's a lot of songs that I'm like, we'll skip that one. You know what I mean? Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: But there's also like some great songs that might never see the light of day that is just beautiful to have because it's like a diary.
Interviewer: So how does a great song not get finished and released on Radical Optimism? How does that not happen? Interviewee: Either I've lost connection to them in a personal way or sonically, I felt like it just didn't fit.
Interviewer: You know what I really love when I see notebooks like this and I realize the people who are writing in them are treating each page almost like another piece of art. Interviewer: Like I like the way that you write down with the side here and it doesn't feel... Interviewee: Yeah, they're all kind of like scribbled and different. Interviewer: Even the way you scribble out is so, like look at the way you scribble, like what was under there? Interviewer: Yeah, that's what I don't want to know. That is something I really don't want to know. Interviewer: That is like... Interviewer: That is like... Interviewer: That is cancelled. That is a thought that has been... Interviewee: You're never going to see that one again. Interviewer: That thought has been cancelled. That is brutal.
Interviewee: So 11th of July 2022, that was my first session with Kevin, Danny, Tobias and Caroline in the room. Interviewee: Were you nervous? Interviewee: Really nervous. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: And excited. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: But it was also like, okay, how are we all going to connect together in the room? How's it all going to work? Interviewee: And I sat here on the floor. It was me and Caroline here. Kevin started right over there by the keys. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: And then in the soundproof room, he went and played some drums. Danny had a little desk here set up. Tobias was just like walking around the room. Interviewee: There was just like a lot of energy, a lot of things happening at the same time.
Interviewer: Tobias is amazing for just conjuring things from the... Interviewer: He's a vibesmith. Interviewer: He's a vibesmith. For sure. Interviewee: And Illusion was the first song we wrote. Interviewee: Wow. Interviewee: And that really kicked us off. Interviewee: Like I think when we wrote that song, it also just gave us confidence as a group, you know? Interviewer: Yeah, we're going to have fun. Interviewee: That we're going to have fun. Interviewee: It's like, okay, if this is what we can get on the first day, what can we get? Interviewee: We were going to work together for a week. Interviewee: But on the next day after Illusion, I wrote Happy For You.
Interviewer: Oh, you went right to the end. Interviewee: Yeah, so that was 12th of July, 2022. Interviewer: So on the second day, you wrote the album Closer. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Wow. Interviewee: Yeah.
Interviewer: I'm trying to think about how that must have felt emotionally in that moment. Interviewer: Did you know it was going to end the album when you finished it? Interviewee: I didn't know it was going to end the album. Interviewer: So it could have been the center of the album. Interviewer: It could have taken the album in a completely different direction. Interviewee: Different, yeah. Interviewee: One thousand percent. Interviewer: It's a sad song. Interviewer: It's a happy song, but it's kind of a sad song. Interviewer: Bittersweet. Interviewee: But it's happy. Interviewee: I don't know. Interviewee: It feels like a real full 180, maturing, seeing almost like my ghost on the other side and being like, wow, you've grown so much from an experience to be able to see things from that perspective.
Interviewer: Like the previous you would have written, go for yourself. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Probably.
Interviewer: But this, it just, I think also in terms of relationships, like I needed to get to this place in order to find what I really needed. Interviewee: You know? Interviewee: You have to be in the act of forgiveness and growing and learning and being okay with the past in order to move on with what's to come next. Interviewee: So it's, for me, Happy For You is a beautiful, happy song because it's so reflective of my journey.
Interviewer: It's not all about Happy For You though. Interviewer: I mean, that song, These Walls. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: These Walls. Interviewee: Okay. Interviewee: So let me find that one. Interviewer: That one's... Interviewer: In a brilliant way. Interviewer: I mean, the concept, the idea of being in a room where what remains unspoken amongst two people is not unheard of by the materials in the room. Interviewer: You know? Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: All of it, like personifying the walls.
Interviewee: We've got Training Season here. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: And then Houdini. Interviewee: Training Season and Houdini were also written like a day apart. Interviewer: Yeah.
Interviewer: There we go. Interviewer: These Walls. Interviewer: The energy there. Interviewer: Wow. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: Oh, you know what's interesting about this? Interviewer: I can tell already that just the way that you're writing it is different to how you wrote the other ones. Interviewer: It seems clear. Interviewer: It's clear. Interviewer: It's clear. Interviewee: It's clear this one. Interviewer: I know. Interviewee: Even like the things that I scribbled out, they're almost like... Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: But it's interesting because it's like, it's almost like you had to be absolutely ready to write this because it's almost like you're dictating yourself when I see that. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: There's not as many like little scribbles. Interviewer: No, your inner voice is fully overworked. Interviewer: On this one. Interviewer: It's flowing. Interviewer: Yeah.
Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: These Walls. Interviewee: This is 16th of January, 2023. Interviewee: It was a good day. Interviewee: It was a good day.
Interviewee: It was actually on the 15th of January, the day before we were talking about, you know, it's such a cliche, like, oh, if these Walls could talk, you know, what would they say? Interviewee: But I think you could feel that energy. Interviewee: I think if, you know, when you walk in a room and there have been two people who have been arguing or there has been upset, there's an energy. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: There's a feeling. Interviewee: There's a heaviness that you feel. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Whether you like it or not. Interviewee: And a lot of the time, it's, yeah, it's almost something that you can... Interviewee: I feel it in the studios. Interviewee: ...touch. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: One thousand percent. Interviewee: Like, whoever's been in there before or in it in the moment, whatever they're feeling comes across in the energy and the state of the room.
Interviewer: These rooms, they capture things and they hold onto things. Interviewer: And, I mean, that song is a really good example of, like, you know, addressing the inevitable. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: I was dialed in on this one. Interviewee: I think it's the inevitable. Interviewee: It's that conversation that no one really wants to have, but you have to do it. Interviewee: Someone has to just pull the plug. Interviewee: And as painful as it is, it's usually for the right reasons, you know? Interviewer: Oh, for sure. Interviewee: What's meant for you is meant for you. Interviewee: And your gut instinct will always tell you when something's right or not. Interviewer: We just don't want to listen sometimes. Interviewer: Exactly.
Interviewer: What was the last thing you wrote in the book? Interviewer: And will it be the last thing that you write in that book? Interviewee: The last thing I wrote was the middle eight in the song Falling Forever. Interviewee: And I think, yeah. Interviewee: That was it. Interviewee: That's looking like it's the last thing I've written. Interviewee: Amazing that you've been able to capture that.
Interviewer: It goes back to free falling, falling forever, letting go, letting go of control. Interviewer: That is like a classic example of appreciating in the moment what it was that you had to go through to make this record. Interviewer: You knew it wouldn't be enough to go from session to session and conjure it up from the atmosphere or from some magical place. Interviewer: And then to record it wouldn't be enough. Interviewer: Like you approach this like a, like a significant era in your life. Interviewer: I mean, that's, I mean.
Interviewee: It's a big, my Saturn return is a big growing. Interviewer: That's your Saturn return. Interviewee: That's my Saturn return in a notebook. Interviewer: Right there in a notebook.
Interviewer: Surprised this thing isn't opening up and the leaves are flicking itself. Interviewer: You know, like some poltergeist is about to come out and start. Interviewee: I'm not done. Interviewee: I have more songs. Interviewee: No, I'm done. Interviewee: This chapter is like, this chapter is, this chapter is done. Interviewee: It's a, I did so much, I did so much growing. Interviewee: I'm like, I feel like that is my exorcism.
Interviewer: Can I have one old man boomer patronizing pass? Interviewer: You're not done. Interviewee: There's so much more. Interviewee: There's more coming, but it's a new chapter. Interviewer: Fine. Interviewer: Call it what you want. Interviewer: Whatever, whatever, whatever. Interviewer: New chapter. Interviewer: We'll be here in 10 years time with another notebook on the table. Interviewee: Exactly. Interviewee: We'll talk about that one. Interviewer: I always think execution from any, from anybody who's, who's doing that is the greatest gift, because I think the creative part of it is the safe space. Interviewer: This is a safe place. Interviewee: Mm. Interviewer: When you're in here for, what, was it a year and a half? Interviewee: A year and a half. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And you've earned the right to take your time. Interviewer: What a beautiful place to be able to be self-aware and to analyze how you're feeling and turn that into thoughts and melody. Interviewer: But when it comes out, the execution on it, I think that is really the great gift. Interviewer: Mm. Interviewer: When the artist actually decides to let it go. Interviewer: And then we get it. Interviewer: The gift. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Well, for me, it's always, you know, this room in particular, this has been, yeah, my home. Interviewee: And it's been my safe space.
Interviewer: This is where you record the vocals, right? Interviewer: Literally. Interviewee: I did everything here. Interviewer: Here. Interviewee: Here and on this floor. Interviewee: And on this table. Interviewee: We had scribbles everywhere. Interviewee: Dancing around the room. Interviewee: Like everything happened.
Interviewer: How do artists record vocals lying on the floor? Interviewer: I still to this day. Interviewee: Not lying on the floor, but I'd be sitting. Interviewee: I've got videos of just like me with an SM7. Interviewee: I mean, I did end up putting them on like a telefunken in the end for the final vocals, but there were some that we kept from the original demo because I think it's just like the energy of doing things in the moment that stayed. Interviewee: This room has seen me through so many seasons. Interviewee: Yeah, because you can see them.
Interviewer: We were joking about how most studios you can't even see them. Interviewee: Exactly. Interviewee: Exactly. Interviewer: It's like being in a casino. Interviewee: I went through the heat wave in London. Interviewee: There was snow and rain and, you know, I was ecstatic and so happy and I was sad and miserable and some days I had writer's block and some days I felt like I wasn't getting to the crux of the, you know, the real emotion that I was trying to convey.
Interviewer: I don't feel like you take any of this for granted. Interviewer: And there was a quote, I think, from your dad that said you have to work really hard to achieve a little bit of luck, to get a little bit of luck. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And I know that, you know, your father was in a band and made music and I wonder whether or not, which I, so I'm assuming that was his dream, his first love is to make music. Interviewer: Yeah, music. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And then somewhere along the line, like many of us, he moved into another part of life. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewer: Still love music, but it wasn't the active thing anymore in that regard. Interviewer: And so I wonder whether or not that experience, how that impacted the way you approach your craft and your work ethic, what, having that, that kind of advice from your father from inside that experience of being a musician, but knowing how hard it is and knowing that just having a dream on the playground is not going to be enough. Interviewee: No. Interviewee: I don't know. Interviewee: It's, it's, it's so, um, I guess difficult to like pinpoint it to, to a certain thing, but seeing my parents' work ethic, seeing them adapt to so many different things where that was, I mean, not that I saw them firsthand, but when they left Kosovo because of the war that was happening in Yugoslavia to London, they just grafted and they hustled and worked really hard. And then, you know, I was, I was born in 95 and I, um, I just grew up watching them
Interviewee: adapt to every kind of situation. And that was, I guess now I say it's inspiring to me, but it was all I knew. It was just what I saw them do. And so I feel like that for sure rubbed off on me, there was no kind of, um, this isn't going to work out option. It was like, Interviewee: things just had to happen. Things had to, um, there was no kind of plan B, you know? Interviewee: And so I never wanted to give myself another option. Um, I just wanted to, I just wanted to try Interviewer: and I, and push myself to the point. It seems to me like your dreams were encouraged and, and I mean, who lets their kid go to London at 15 on their own? Interviewee: I mean, it's crazy. Yeah, it's, it's scary. I think about it. I think about it a lot. Interviewee: Um, but they had so much trust in me and dreams really were encouraged. Interviewee: I think no dream was, uh, was too big. I mean, I think that was always just like, okay, like...
Interviewer: What is that? Interviewer: Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. I think... Interviewer: That makes sense. Interviewee: There's dreams, but I think everything's also embedded in realism. You know, there's, there's kind of... Interviewee: That's the work ethic though, right? Interviewee: The reality that like, yeah, okay, if you want this, you have to work really hard to get that.
Interviewer: And you have to get straight A's. You cannot let your schooling slip. Interviewee: Yeah. Well, see me with school, it was a nightmare because I, I moved around so much. Interviewee: I went from London to Kosovo and back to London. So I was constantly, again, adapting and changing. Interviewee: And, and, um, I think that's what made me so adaptable. That's maybe why touring is so fun for me. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: Cause I can kind of move around and make anywhere home and...
Interviewer: Cause a lot of people say it's harder to make connections and relationships work when you're moving around a lot. Interviewer: But did it, was it, did it make you actually, to your point, more adaptable and able to read people and make friendships easier because of that? Interviewee: I felt like being the new girl a lot forces you into those situations of, I'm going to have to just introduce myself. Interviewee: I'm going to have to like try to make them the, the most of, can we be friends? Let's have a conversation, being vulnerable. Interviewee: At 15, are you kidding me? That's brutal. Interviewee: Friendships you have to give so much as well. You have to be really open. You have to put yourself on the line in order to also feel like someone else is going to give that back to you. Interviewee: That's it. It's, it's, it's an exchange of, of vulnerability, of closeness. And sometimes you get burnt because you vulnerable maybe with the wrong person. Interviewee: And then, you know, they go and tell someone else, especially when you're a kid, you know, you get, get your heart broken all the time. Interviewee: You're like, I thought we were friends and you went and told my secrets and, you know, whatever that is. Interviewee: But those situations kind of prime you for whatever life throws at you. Interviewee: And I think that's one thing that I guess if I can say that I, I like about myself is the fact that I stay so open hearted that regardless of things going wrong, I don't allow it to shut me down. Interviewee: Maybe temporarily in the moment where I'm hurt or I have my guard up, but I don't allow it in the long run to affect me in a way where I feel like I can't be myself or I, I stop expressing myself because I feel like that's a doubled sword. Interviewee: That's also bad for me. Interviewee: I think with every relationship, with every experience, you learn about yourself, you learn about things that are, you know, hurtful to you, what you expect, what you should be ready to give as well. Interviewee: I think, again, it goes back to that exchange of, of vulnerability. Interviewee: I think I've had relationships which have been really hurtful, especially like earlier on, like where I feel like I've been made to feel like not good enough or have made me lose my confidence. Interviewee: And I've had to like find that again. Interviewee: And you learn about your own non-negotiables. Interviewee: I think that's a, that's an important thing. Interviewee: It's like, it's, it's of course the right person, but it's really about the right relationship. Interviewee: And you find that in friendships and in love relationships as well of your non-negotiables. Interviewee: What are you willing to give up? Interviewee: Like someone's like, oh, you know, maybe you have an ick or something, or you see that someone is, is disloyal. Interviewee: I'm like, that's a non-negotiable. Interviewee: You know, I want someone who's like loyal and open and honest. Interviewee: And that's what I'm willing to be as well in return. Interviewee: You kind of figure out what those things are for you.
Interviewer: Are there limitations to honesty sometimes for the sake of someone's feelings? Interviewer: Are there, are there, are there situations where you have to walk that line in order to preserve someone's balance? Interviewee: Uh, yes and no. Interviewee: I, I, I feel like going back to school, um, and going back to, to friendships and being adaptable. Interviewee: When I've danced the line in order to not hurt someone's feelings, even though I knew the truth or the truth, it always comes out. Interviewee: And so. Interviewer: Yeah, best of intentions don't always work. Interviewee: It doesn't always work. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: And so the way that I do things now in my life is very straightforward because if I'm honest and I just say it how it is, even though it might be uncomfortable in that moment, I feel I have like a very clear conscience about.
Interviewer: It also saves time. Interviewee: One thousand percent. Interviewer: And by the way. Interviewee: So then you just lay your cards out on the table. Interviewer: And you're very honest. Interviewer: Exactly, exactly. Interviewer: Because time is a thing. Interviewer: Time and energy are the things that we take for granted so much as we start to develop our identity. Interviewer: We think we have just, just untold time. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And untold energy. Interviewer: You need to remove certain patterns of thought and behavior in order to make space to grow. Interviewer: Otherwise you're going to stay still. Interviewer: Stagnant. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: I completely, I completely agree with that.
Interviewee: For me, it's also certain people. Interviewee: I have, I, I've always had this thing that you, especially on the basis of time, people who have been around you, for a really long time. Interviewee: You want to keep them around. Interviewee: You want to. Interviewer: The loyalty. Interviewee: The loyalty. Interviewee: You want to be there to nurture a relationship, but some things aren't fruitful. Interviewee: Some things are really. Interviewer: Some things have had their time. Interviewee: Draining and they've had their time. Interviewee: And it's a lot about learning to let go. Interviewer: That's what it's all about.
Interviewee: And learning to let go of control at the same time and, and being free in, in, in the moment. Interviewee: And, and it's only then when you can kind of start to see things clearly. Interviewee: It's like, I can't control everything. Interviewee: I don't know what's going to happen next. Interviewee: I have to go on the basis of what feels good. Interviewee: What feels like something that I really deeply connect with or someone who I really deeply connect with. Interviewee: Someone who I feel like I can see eye to eye to. Interviewee: It doesn't have to be someone who's exactly like me. Interviewee: I think opposites or people who have very different perspectives, again, is, is important because you want someone who challenges you. Interviewee: I think the act of letting go and free falling is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Interviewee: That's it.
Interviewer: I don't know much about the meaning of life, but I think it's kind of those two words. Interviewee: There's freedom in letting go.
Interviewer: I think about this record and about collaborators and, and you said, you know, it's important that you have people around you that kind of push you and, and guide you into new territory and help you question where you are at certain moments so that you are suitably uncomfortable. Interviewer: Did the band, as you call it, do that? Interviewer: Did Tobias and Kevin Parker and Danny do that for you on this record? Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Yeah, massively. Interviewee: And, and, and. Interviewer: A lot of a band, by the way. Interviewee: It's a pretty good band. Interviewee: A lot of a band. Interviewee: I have to say, we were all, we were all here like, um, and, and it all starts with a conversation. Interviewee: So you come into the room, you're hanging out with your friends and you're just, just having a tell all, you know, there was absolutely no holds barred. Interviewee: They knew all my secrets. Interviewee: They knew everything that was happening. Interviewee: Um, not that they were secrets. Interviewee: They were just things that I, I, I, I, you know, the things that I was feeling at the time. Interviewee: And it's that, that closeness, that freedom, that idea of like, no, there was no judgment. Interviewee: I think that's the beautiful thing about the right relationships and friendships is the fact that you can really be yourself. Interviewee: And I could really be myself in front of Tobias and Kevin, Danny and Caroline. Interviewee: And everyone's so different. Interviewee: But the fact that everyone felt free to just be themselves is what I think created such a beautiful energy in the room.
Interviewer: You can hear it from the minute you press play on the record. Interviewer: I mean, End of an Era is one of the great pop album openers for me. Interviewee: Thank you. Interviewer: I've heard a long time. Interviewer: I mean, it's got that beautiful chordal turnaround. Interviewer: It's just a bit off. Interviewer: It's just a bit underworld. Interviewer: It's just a bit house music. Interviewer: It's just like, dun, dun, dun, dun. Interviewer: It's just got that thing that makes you want to kind of keep moving with it. Interviewer: But it's, um, you know, the vocal and the, and the really playful spoken word bit. Interviewer: And it just, it's kind of perfect way to start the record.
Interviewee: Thank you so much. Interviewee: I also thought to start it with a song titled End of an Era. Interviewee: Makes total sense. Interviewee: Um, it's good.
Interviewee: I also believe in, you know, uh, manifestation and yeah, big time. Interviewee: And I, and I also, you know, when I'm in the studio writing, I, I think about these songs being sung over a long period of time. Interviewee: I think about people singing them. Interviewee: I think of it like a mantra. Interviewee: And I'm like, if I'm going to say this over and over again, it better be something good. Interviewee: That'd be some, some good feeling. Interviewee: I want to bring something positive and.
Interviewer: Oh, you've got your set opener if you want it. Interviewer: I mean, far be it from me, but I mean, you've got your dance party for 20 minutes. Interviewer: And I said the same thing to Troy, who I know you're good friends with. Interviewee: Yeah, really good friends. Interviewer: About Rush. Interviewer: And I was like, look, so how do you manifest? Interviewer: Cause I mean, let me re-ask that question. Interviewer: Do you have an example you feel comfortable sharing where you know it's real? Interviewer: Like I do, I've got situations where I know I've thought of something and it's like, wow, that actually happened. Interviewer: And not just thought, felt it, right? Interviewee: There's a lot of things that sometimes I, I say stuff and I go, okay, you be careful because that could happen. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Um, but when, uh, when I was writing my first album and I know this is going to sound mad, but. Interviewee: No, no, no. Interviewee: When I was writing my first album, I was kind of having thoughts about my third album. Interviewee: Jumping one, but I, I thought that by the third album, I would maybe be deserving of one working with Tame Impala. Interviewee: Hmm. Interviewee: And that was written down. Interviewee: I had that in my notes of like, you know, that'd be cool. Interviewee: And I remember talking to my A&R and my close friend Joe Kentish and I was like, yeah, but it's like great, great first album. Interviewee: But third album, like maybe I could work with Kevin Parker.
Interviewer: Can I insert something here at this point too, from a timeline point of view, which is that at that point, Kevin Parker isn't really moving in a modern psychedelic, beautiful pop space. Interviewer: He's still kind of, it's still the Tame Impala experience. Interviewee: It's like, uh, Currents was the, was the record that completely shook me. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: And. Interviewer: And you saw yourself in a situation with Kevin going, we could work. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: And, you know, at that point, delusion. Interviewer: Or here, now happened. Interviewer: Could be something else. Interviewer: Exactly. Interviewee: So you, you never know. Interviewee: So that was, um, that was something that I'd written down for album three. Interviewee: And another thing that I'd written down for album three was headlining Glastonbury.
Interviewer: Which is so funny because at the moment that we're having this conversation. Interviewee: I feel like I'm going to get teary talking about it. Interviewer: Well, let's go there. Interviewer: Cause you know, it's a, it's a, it's the right side of emotion. Interviewer: It's a beautiful thing to be emotional about. Interviewer: Wow. Interviewer: Back in what was it? Interviewer: 2017. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: He played the John Peele stage. Interviewer: I thought that was such an amazing performance. Interviewer: I was living here. Interviewer: So I wasn't at Glastonbury. Interviewer: I was watching it online. Interviewer: Like everyone else who couldn't be there wishing I was at Glastonbury. Interviewer: And I watched you come out and thought, okay, Dua's having an incredible time in pop music right now. Interviewer: The music is connected. Interviewer: All the work is paying off. Interviewer: Watching you come out there. Interviewer: And I even remember you were wearing like almost like my loose Maharishi trousers or something. Interviewer: I think they were baggy. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: They were like baggy, baggy trousers with like a pink fishnet. Interviewee: That's right. Interviewer: And I remember thinking, wow. Interviewer: Okay. Interviewer: She's playing at a really intense tent at a really intense festival for the first time. Interviewer: And you crushed it. Interviewer: It was like, damn. Interviewer: Okay. Interviewer: Pop music's grown up because a year or two earlier than that, I don't, it would have been weird to think of an artist who was having that kind of run like you were going out having that kind of moment. Interviewer: And I feel like everything changed from that day for you. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: I mean, Glastonbury is just the festival that, that one, I've loved going just as a Interviewee: fan and to go up on that stage and perform. Interviewee: I remember moments before I went on stage, I looked out into the crowd. Interviewee: I performed Glastonbury twice and I looked out in the crowd. Interviewee: The first time I performed, I had like a 12, 15 or something slot on a Saturday. Interviewee: Terrible slot because people are partying all night on Friday. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: Like, I don't know if anyone's going to show up. Interviewer: It's a couple of old people with some pints of beer in their hand. Interviewee: I don't know if anyone's going to show up. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: And I remember the first time looking out and there were some people, but it was raining and I was like, okay, you know, it doesn't matter. Interviewee: I'm just going to go out there. Interviewee: By the time I'd gotten out on stage, the whole place was full. Interviewee: People were outside in their raincoats, oozing out of the tent. Interviewee: And I was like, oh, this is, this is special. Interviewee: Like there's something happening and like people care. Interviewee: And then the second time I played was when my first album came out. Interviewee: And the same thing kind of happened. Interviewee: I put my head out just to see how many people were there. Interviewee: And it was like, just as I was about to go on and there really wasn't anyone. Interviewee: And I was like, ah, like no one's going to come see it. Interviewee: But again, I just went, you know what? Interviewee: It doesn't matter. Interviewee: I'm going to get out and I'm just going to perform and I'm going to have fun. Interviewee: And again, by the time that I went out, the whole thing was, was full. Interviewer: Incredible. Interviewee: And I jumped out and, and I had the best time, but it, I felt that by album three, I'd be deserving of maybe, you know, a headlining or something.
Interviewer: I feel I need to break the spell here and explain to everyone who's watching this, that by the time this comes out, this, this won't be news to anybody. Interviewer: But for everybody in this room, with the exception of us, and a couple of people who are watching in the monitors at the back, this is news because this hasn't been announced yet. Interviewer: No. Interviewer: So I'm not going to announce it. Interviewer: Like, this is the first time you've said it out loud, right? Interviewee: It's the first time I've said it out loud. Interviewee: Um, but this is the first time I've said a lot of things out loud. Interviewee: This is the first time in this room I haven't yet even announced my album title. Interviewee: And so I'm like, I'm talking to you about it. Interviewee: It's, uh, it's all, it's all very surreal. Interviewee: I, uh, yeah, it's, it's just my- You can't even say it. Interviewee: No, it's my, it's my biggest dream. Interviewer: You gotta say it. Interviewee: It's my biggest dream. Interviewee: I'm headlining Glastonbury on the Friday night. Interviewer: Now it's manifested. Interviewer: Now it's real. Interviewee: It's real. Interviewee: It's real. Interviewer: Amazing.
Interviewee: And the crazy thing is, is I- Interviewer: Beautiful. Interviewee: When I'm in the studio and I'm writing, my, the first thought that comes into my mind is, what is this going to sound like at Glastonbury? Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewer: Cause you've seen it. Interviewer: It's the most human experience any festival can ever create. Interviewer: It's not just about the size, the crowd, or what sounds like or anything else. Interviewer: It is a proper humanity based experience. Interviewer: It's like people come there to be, to be with each other. Interviewee: For sure. Interviewer: And to experience something that is a, that is the purpose of that celebration, right? Interviewee: No, for me, it's a, it's, it's the most beautiful, like, Interviewee: um, experience that I've ever had, but seeing other people, the connection, the community, the, the love, the feeling that everyone shares, where they just come together to have a good time. Interviewee: There's such a sense of freedom there.
Interviewer: Um, what, what happened? Interviewer: What happened? Interviewer: Did you get the call? Interviewer: Did Emily call you? Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: I, I, I got, I got an email at the end of my future nostalgia tour. Interviewer: Wow. Interviewee: I've known for a little while. Interviewer: Same on this for a minute. Interviewee: And it's been the biggest secret. Interviewer: Cause you keep secrets good. Interviewer: Wow. Interviewee: Biggest secret ever. Interviewee: But it's, um, working on, on radical optimism. Interviewee: It's been that thing of like, and actually I, I didn't even tell the band until we were coming towards the end of the writing. Interviewee: And I was just like, I'm going to perform quite a few of these songs on the record at Glasto and, um, I'm going to be headlining. Interviewee: And I think everyone was just like, I think they felt the energy. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Um. Interviewee: Yeah.
Interviewee: They were like, well, I'm so glad we put all the infinite of these songs there. Interviewee: Like that fueled me in a different way to make this. Interviewee: Of course. Interviewer: Cause you have this destination and you know that there's going to be that moment being in here, making this music and deep down in your mind, you're just thinking. Interviewee: Thinking about what it's going to look like on stage. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Every time I think about performing these songs, it's like a rush of electricity going through my body.
Interviewer: You can hear it on the record. Interviewer: You can hear it on the record for sure. Interviewer: Will the, will the, any of the band show up for the shows? Interviewer: Or they studio at me. Interviewer: Ha! Interviewer: You can't wink like that now. Interviewer: Maybe. Interviewer: Maybe. Interviewer: That'd be amazing. Interviewer: Wow. Interviewer: What a great experience. Interviewer: It's going to be something else.
Interviewer: Um, you know, I think about the, the journey you've been on up to this point now, um, your third album manifesting these amazing experiences into reality, Glastonbury to come, all these great things. Interviewer: And I, I think about what an interesting life you've built for yourself outside of just music and the way that you appreciate the idea of self ownership and are unafraid to take responsibility for decisions across multiple verticals in life. Interviewer: Um, your newsletter, your podcast, um, getting back the ownership of your music. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewer: I got to talk about that because I'm really obsessed with artist ownership. Interviewer: Um, I've experimented in other areas where I've co-owned things or tried to, and it never felt really great to me. Interviewer: It's not easy getting control over your, your catalog like that and over your, over your songs like that. Interviewer: Can you tell us a little bit about how you did that and what it's meant to you to know that those songs now are under your stewardship? Interviewee: I guess in, in some ways I started in this industry fairly young. Interviewee: I was learning the ropes as I was going into it. Interviewee: Um, I knew what I wanted out of my job. Interviewee: A lot of it revolved around performing. Interviewee: You know, like I said, like that was just my idea of my career. Interviewee: And I guess along the way you kind of understand that the music industry is also a business. Interviewer: Yep. Interviewee: And how, I guess just growing in it, understanding it differently, reading the small print. Interviewee: As an artist, you just want to stay in the creative lane. Interviewee: You want to just be like, I just want to make my music. Interviewee: That's all I care about. Interviewee: That's the psychology. Interviewee: I don't want to think about, you know, the business side of it. Interviewee: But it is at the end of the day. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: And I had to start paying attention to that. Interviewee: But I think again, another part of growing up is just, uh, relying on yourself more wholeheartedly. Interviewee: And being like, I want to be in control of my career. Interviewee: I want to know everything that's happening. Interviewee: It was just important for me to have everything under one bracket. Interviewee: Like I want to be my own business. Interviewee: I want to own all my music. Interviewee: I want to have my own like production company that will do things, you know, under this thing that I've called Radical 22, which is a management company, which I do with my dad. Interviewee: It's a family business. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: Which is great because we have such an open dialogue. Interviewee: I think that also goes back to the early trust that I've had with my parents. Interviewee: And I've never felt more in control of my career.
Interviewer: He represents your interest brilliantly, I tell you, because I've asked him. Interviewer: Oh yeah. Interviewer: And he's like, well, I can ask her. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewee: That's the line. Interviewee: And it's the right line. Interviewee: He's, but it's just like that. Interviewee: Like it's, it's this constant open dialogue, which is incredible. Interviewee: And it was really what I needed in order to do the things that I love. Interviewee: And so acquiring my publishing was, was a big step and something that I've, I've been wanting for, for a long time. Interviewee: And also I just, I just wanted to be separated from, I guess, another entity. Interviewee: I wanted to be everything under one roof. Interviewer: They're your songs. Interviewee: Yeah. Interviewer: They're your songs. Interviewee: I wanted to be the decision maker on what happens with them and where they find a home and, you know, what, what, what happens next. Interviewee: I think all those things are important, but I think I, I, I want to be the decision maker.
Interviewer: What was the turning point for you when you, when you came to that realization that being a part of the industry wasn't enough for you, that you ultimately wanted to build your own foundation? Interviewee: It's funny. Interviewee: Everything kind of trickles back from when I was younger, like now talking about Service 95, when I was 15 and I just moved back to London from Kosovo, so I started this blog and it
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