Dua Lipa: “Training Season”/ “Houdini” Review
Dua Lipa is set to release her third album this year, and it's one of my most anticipated releases. Future Nostalgia truly turned me into a fan of Dua Lipa; it was a solid album. Two singles have been released so far, "Houdini" back in November and "Training Season" now in February. This upcoming album is essentially a collaborative project between Dua Lipa and Kevin Parker since Kevin is heavily involved with eight of the eleven songs on the album.
“Houdini”
This song is incredible. It's been out for a while, so I've had a lot of time to listen to it. The bass line is so good and dirty, while the synths sound like candy, creating a great contrast. The way the music cuts out right before the first verse is so satisfying. The chorus of this song is really catchy and constantly gets stuck in my head. The guitar riff that plays at the end is so good and crunchy-sounding; it reminds me of the guitar that rips through the mix during "Let it Happen." All in all, the production and sound selection in this song are amazing. The kick, synths, bass, guitar, and vocals are all great, especially in the extended edit. This track got me really excited for the upcoming album; too bad this album rollout has been so slow.
“Training Season”
The most recent song released as a single from the upcoming album is "Training Season." The production on this one is so clean and crisp; it's a blast to listen to on some good headphones. Kevin's instrumentation is so distinct; this sounds like a cleaner version of The Slow Rush. Dua Lipa's voice is fantastic on this song. There are sections in this track that sort of remind me of Parcels' first album. The melody during the post-chorus ("Are you somebody who can go...") may be my favorite part of the song.
All in all, the mix of Kevin Parker and Dua Lipa is really doing it for me. The extended versions are even better than the single versions; they really let the music breathe and build up, but the singles are still solid songs. The singles so far are two for two, and I'm hyped for future releases.