It's a who's who of dance music's finest on Dua's new remix album
This week the latest national table of baby names for the UK was released and the two of the biggest climbers were the Star Wars inspired 'Kylo' and none other than 'Dua'. You know you’ve made it when people start naming their kids after you, and it’s not exactly a common name over here.
From humble beginnings
Dua Lipa’s musical journey started relatively recently in 2016 when she stormed onto the notoriously difficult British music with the slow burning mid-tempo masterpiece ‘Be The One’. It was only when her global smash ‘New Rules’ dropped that she hit the wave and rode it all the way to over 2 billion views on You Tube. That’s where you listen to music these days btw. Her self titled debut album was number one cross the world garnering her Brits and Grammy's along the way.
Soon after the album had enjoyed huge chart success, she’d become the top streamed female solo artist on Spotify in the world, surpassing global megastars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
Send in the clowns, Katie wants you to Smile
Dua became a hero of the pandemic when she released her incredible second album Future Nostalgia, an eighties tinged masterpiece, a week early in April right when people needed it most.
Not one to rest on her laurels and right when she should be touring the world on a sold out arena tour, Dua this week releases her much anticipated remix album Club Future Nostalgia, curated by internationally renowned producer The Blessed Madonna.
Remixed for your pleasure
Not only is it a re-imagining of her now Mercury Music Prize nominated album Future Nostalgia, but the lure of working on a Dua recorded proved too much for some of the world’s biggest stars including Mark Ronson, Jamiroquai, Gwen Stefani and the actual real Madonna who even lends her vocals to a remix of ‘Levitate’ which also happens to feature Missy Elliot, you might have heard of her.
Lady Gaga dressed down to perform for Global Citizen
Listening to the album in its intended mixed form is an eclectic bunch of house, disco and pop that brings together an enviable collection of producers from Horse Meat Disco to Jacque Le Cont in solid dancefloor filling form. When one of the album’s collaborators Madonna released her remix album You Can Dance decades ago it was considered progressive but has stood the test of time with its mixed 80’s stompers. Will Club Future Nostalgia? Time will tell.
Not one to be outdone by a younger generation, Katy Perry released her latest album Smile this week as well. She’s pulled out all the stops and it’s not only bringing together her already massive hits Never Really Over and Daisies but the huge new banger Smile as well.
Girl power
It’s an old school album by all intents and purposes, designed to bring her back into the big league with the likes of Lady Gaga whose album Chromatica was one of the best explosions of pure pop released on planet earth just a few months after Dua's.
Artists have been releasing positive vibe records for ever but right now they are possibly needed more than ever. Dancing around in our living rooms was a national past time during lockdown so why not get some new bangers installed onto our playlists from our favourite artists?
You're doing something right when Madge wants to be on your album
So, can you really compare album of remixes from an artist at the top of her game with an established megastar getting back to her pop roots after a perceived falter? Probably not but in today’s music scene there is room for everyone. With our streaming services, we can ‘own’ any album at the touch of a screen so where’s the competition? Listen to new artists, listen to established artists but mainly just listen, you’ll be better off for it.
Getting back to live music is something the world desperately needs and the music industry needs it as well. Live music is one of the main revenues for artists to make money at the moment so without it the sector will be in big trouble. Let us hope that we'll be partying in a field, on a beach, in a club or at a stadium as soon as is humanly possible.