Future of nostalgia full#

The intro is sort of spooky and totally bewitching. Rein it in, Lipa.Īhlgrim: I wasn't deeply obsessed with 'Physical' when I first heard it, as I was with 'Don't Start Now' - but the more I listened to it, the tighter it latched onto me.

I don't need a track to interpolate lyrics from Olivia Newton John's 1981 single of the same name to understand it was influenced by the '80s. Larocca: Pulling inspiration from other decades to make modern pop music can work extremely well - just look at Jepsen's aforementioned 'Emotion' or Taylor Swift's '1989.' Even so far on this album, Lipa has done a great job of incorporating '80s disco, techno, and synth pop into this album.īut the problem with 'Physical' is that it pulls from the '80s so obviously and excessively that it sometimes verges on corny. 'Physical' is the fourth track on 'Future Nostalgia.' But it also, weirdly enough, caused my brain to conjure an image of Disney Channel's 'Camp Rock.' I have no idea why. I am extremely into the thick, sturdy bass line that commands the hook - it sounds almost muscular. It's a little too controlled I don't buy that Lipa has ever lost her cool. I don't dislike it by any means, but it does lack a certain power and pizzazz that I'd come to expect after hearing the album's excellent singles. Coming after 'Don't Start Now,' it feels slightly underwhelming. Unfortunately, for this song, Lipa's voice is too … cool? Her vocals lack a certain earnestness needed to be convincing when she sings 'Got me losing all my cool.' Jepsen should definitely cover this, though.Īhlgrim: I might've liked this song more if its placement on the tracklist was more benevolent. Larocca: This feels like something Carly Rae Jepsen would have included on her '80s-inspired 2015 synth pop opus 'Emotion,' which might be the highest form of praise I could give a pop song. 'Cool' is the third track on 'Future Nostalgia.'

30), I have only grown more and more obsessed with it over time. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a steady climb from No. I even named it one of the nine best songs of the year.Īnd, like many of us (it finally reached No. It's fantastic.Īhlgrim: All I can say is that I've listened to this banger at least three times (and usually many more times than that) every single day since it came out in November. It's as if Lipa listened to Robyn's iconic 2010 hit 'Dancing On My Own,' reversed the perspective, and took the sound back a few decades. The song has a pulsing beat and centers around Lipa telling an ex to move on because she did: 'If you don't wanna see me dancing with somebody / If you wanna believe that anything could stop me / Don't show up, don't come out / Don't start caring about me now.' It's great on its own, but it hits differently (in a good way) when it's preceded by the title track. Larocca: 'Don't Start Now' was the lead single for 'Future Nostalgia,' so naturally I've already listened to it. 'Don't Start Now' is the second track on 'Future Nostalgia' It also works as a bold statement of purpose: Lipa's bonafide thesis statement, 'I know you ain't used to a female alpha,' is a sharp combination of cheeky, challenging, and confident.

Future of nostalgia full#

If it had been kept mysterious until the full album release, it would've packed a much stronger punch - as a portal into her marvelously funky new world. I wish this was my first time hearing it, because I think it's a very strong album opener. It's also a great introduction to the album as it heavily employs the electric, retro sound Lipa wanted to center the entire project around.Īhlgrim: This was released back in December as, in Lipa's words, 'a lil something to tie you over till the new year.' (It was never promoted as an official single or sent to radio.) I've listened to it a few times since then and I get why people didn't warm to it, as it definitely doesn't work as a single. This infectious opening track is danceable from start to finish. Larocca: 'I know you like this beat,' indeed. 'Future Nostalgia' is the first track on the album of the same name. Task :: ', req.method ( ), req.Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.