It seems fairly undeniable that, of all the “main pop girls” who put albums out in 2024, Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism was the most underrated and underlooked. Perhaps based on the title alone, Lipa never stood a chance on appealing quite as unanimously to audiences as, say, Charli XCX with Brat. A title that clearly spoke more resonantly to the world at large this year. After all, it’s hardly been a year wherein 1) the employment of “radical optimism” seemed to have had any effect whatsoever and 2) anyone is feeling all that optimistic about the present or future.
One supposes that’s where the “radical” part of the title comes in. For it is not only radical to be optimistic in these times, but also slightly unhinged (not to mention more than “a touch” naïve). What’s more, in terms of “selling” it (the concept and the content), Lipa also had the misfortune of releasing her album on May 3rd, a date sandwiched between the “blockbuster” albums of Taylor Swift’sThe Tortured Poets Department (released April 19th) and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft (released May 17th). And then it was game over for everyone when Charli’s aforementioned Brat came out on June 7th. Yes, with that pop coup de grâce, it was almost immediately apparent that Radical Optimism had quickly gotten lost in the literal (playlist) shuffle before it was given a chance to truly shine and/or have any longevity in the cultural sphere of ‘24.
Elsewhere in the “released-early-in-the-year” category of music, even Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter managed to get “resuscitated” at the end of ’24 for inclusion on various critics’ “best of” lists. And while many claimed it was Grande’s album that’s been overlooked the most this year, one will note that at least Eternal Sunshine got some Grammy recognition. Even if not “a lot” (a.k.a. three nominations, which is nothing to balk at), it’s still better than none at all. This being exactly what Radical Optimism was met with after the nomination announcements.
And, of course, not only was Cowboy Carter fêted with plenty of Grammy nods (eleven, to be exact…making her the most nominated musician in the ceremony’s history), but Beyoncé was also awarded the title (per Billboard) of Greatest Pop Star of the Twenty-First Century—one assumes this list is being “curated” so early on in the twenty-first century because (not to be a radical pessimist), well, everyone knows all of this is going to be kaput before the century’s end. In any case, it goes without saying that Dua Lipa did not make it into the top twenty-five of that list. Though, miraculously, Usher and Jay-Z made the cut.
Lipa, instead, was placed in the back twenty-five “honorable mention” section, with Billboard citing the reason for her not entering the top twenty-five because: “…Lipa failed to crack the Hot 100’s top 10 with [Radical Optimism’s] first three singles—but we’re still more than radically optimistic that she could rejoin pop’s upper echelon at any moment.” Not much of a reason, really, but, alas, everyone knows that chart success is a key part of being a “great” pop star.
In short, it seemed as though, between this list, the Grammys ignoring her and the juggernaut force of Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, there was little room left for Lipa in the “pop girlie” arena this year. Even though it is oft (falsely) repeated that there is plenty of room for “everyone.” But not if that person wants to be branded as one of the “big three” in the monoculture (à la Sabrina, Chappell and Charli in 2024).
That even Taylor Swift blatantly lost clout this year was a further sign that perhaps Lipa’s record never stood a chance. This even despite her best efforts to keep the album fresh in the public’s mind. Including the release of an extended edition of Radical Optimism and, to round out the year, releasing a live album of her performance of the entire record (plus a few “extraneous” hits) at the Royal Albert Hall.
Lipa even headlined Glastonbury earlier in the year (a feat that seems to have already been forgotten). And yet, she still couldn’t seem to break on through to the other side of critical and commercial recognition. That much appeared solidified when Radical Optimism was completely boxed out of the Grammys (so don’t even try to say it was Eternal Sunshine that got the snubbing). That’s right, the “Super Bowl of music awards” couldn’t be bothered to throw Lipa so much as one nomination.
Gone are the days, evidently, of Lipa’s “2020 supremacy” with Future Nostalgia. Which is a real shame when considering that Radical Optimism features some of her finest, most “experimental” work. Though, alas, not experimental in a way that the masses “took” to…as they did with the likes of Hit Me Hard and Soft and Brat.
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