Dua Lipa has just released 'Radical Optimism', her third album, and the initial numbers are disappointing for a commercial release of its caliber. Nothing more and nothing less than the one that follows 'Future Nostalgia' (2020) and the imperial era of Dua Lipa.
Dua places seven of the eleven songs from 'Radical Optimism' on Spotify's global chart, although in discreet positions. 'Illusion', the best debut, rises to number 34. 'These Walls' enters at number 40 and 'Houdini' salutes from number 41. All of them have around three million listens. 'Training Season' at 42 is the last song from 'Radical Optimism' to appear in the top 50 of Spotify Global, registering nearly two million streams.
To find the following debuts of 'Radical Optimism' on the global Spotify chart you have to go down a few positions: 'End of an Era' – the opening track – enters at 91, 'Whatcha Doing' at 155 and 'Falling Forever' ' on 184, the three of them making close to two million or a million and a half listeners. This is exceptionally discreet data for what Dua is used to. In total, the initial figures for 'Radical Optimism' amount to 15.9 million listens.
At a time when pop titans like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Bad Bunny or Ariana Grande are managing to take over the highest positions on Spotify with all or almost all of the songs on their album, on its release day, it is not being that the case with Dua Lipa. The lukewarm reception of the album in the United Kingdom is especially striking: of the new songs, only 'These Walls' marks a debut at number 35. The rest of the – lower – entries belong to the three previously released singles.
Why the lukewarm welcome to 'Radical Optimism'? Dua Lipa may have let too much time pass between the release of 'Houdini' -last November- and the album. The public may have arrived worn out at the release of 'Radical Optimism' because neither 'Training Season' nor 'Illusion' have taken over the world like 'Houdini'. Dua Lipa's imperial era may be over and we find ourselves, as she sings, at the “end of an era.” Or maybe Dua will go back to making a career in the background, as she did with 'New Rules' and then 'Dance the Night', and the first figures don't guess what's coming. 'Illusion' could be the next grower on the album for the summer. Or is it the cult favorite, 'Falling Forever'?
'Radical Optimism' Global Debuts (via PopBase):
#3. 4. Illusion — 2.9M
#40. These Walls — 2.77M
#41. Houdini — 2.74M
#42. Training Season — 2.72M
#91. End Of An Era — 1.79M
#155. Whatcha Doing — 1.46M
#184. Falling Forever — 1.38M
