Dua Lipa has revealed that she began planning Radical Optimism before she released her debut album.
The pop star has revealed that she has been working on her forthcoming third studio album since before her first album came out.
“Since I was very little, I’ve jotted down things I dreamt for myself,” Dua told TIME in a new cover story. “I’ve always planned ahead. Although surprises arise that I evaluate in the moment, there’s always a long-term goal.”
Dua shared that even before the release of her self-titled debut album, which came out in 2017, she had already decided who she wanted to work with on her third album.
“I remember when I was working on my first album, I was making notes on what my third album was going to be,” the singer said. “It’s mad to think about, but I remember speaking to my close friend and A&R Joe (Kentish), ‘Maybe album three, I could work with (Tame Impala’s) Kevin Parker,’ and he was like, ‘Alright, hold your horses, let’s take baby steps.'”
Dua recalled thinking that when it came time to release her third album, “maybe I’d be deserving to be in a room with an artist I so deeply admire and look up to.”
It has since been revealed that Kevin is a producer on the forthcoming album.
“The record as a whole is more mature,” Dua, 28, said of the album. “I’m definitely not the same person I was when I wrote my first album. I’ve evolved and learned so much … taking it as it comes, not seeing anything as bad or something as a setback. That involves a lot of growing and understanding myself, knowing my worth, whether it be in business, love, or friendship.”
“I’m just a different person, so of course this record is going to be different,” she continued. “I have different thoughts, wants, needs and perspectives. I’ve done a 180 on myself … I feel the most confident at this point in my life.”
Radical Optimism, which features the singles Houdini, Training Season and Illusion, will be released on 3 May.
