By Robyn Forbes

English singer and songwriter Dua Lipa released her self-titled album on June 2, 2017, and it has since been nominated for BBC Music Album of the Year, and rightly so. With its electrifying beats, hypnotizing rhythms, and enthralling stories told by the gut-wrenchingly raw and relatable lyrics, it is nearly impossible not to fall sickly in love with this album.

The album tells a story constructed of much smaller stories told by each song, seemingly from different angles of Dua’s mind. Albeit the greater story is one we’ve all heard before— that of  a girl attempting to overcome a previous relationship and move on from her addictive, toxic lover— we’ve never quite heard it told like this.

For starters, Dua’s unique voice is a phenomenon on its own. Her naturally husky and alluring sound brings a certain flair and authenticity to the lyrics that is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This uniqueness in her voice particularly stands out in Genesis and Lost In Your Light, two songs that highlight a longing for this hypothetical and recurring significant other we hear of on the album.

Arguably one of the most addictive songs on the album, Begging brings in very sensuous vibes as the upbeat pop song is ushered into your eardrum by a collage of piano, drums, and what sounds to be violin. The song practically begs you to dream up some fabulous choreography to accompany it, and with the contrast of rather helpless lyrics and really powerful music it’s super replayable.

And then there is the most popular song on the album, partially due to its dynamic music video that was filmed in a Miami hotel, New Rules. The song lays out clear guidelines for getting over a guy who’s simply toying with you, and it does so with three simple, catchy steps: Don’t pick up the phone. Don’t let him in. Don’t be his friend.

The album overall covers a very wide spectrum of Dua’s reminiscent thoughts of experiences with love, and intimacy, and relationships, and the like. Every song on the album is so different in its own right with a different sound, a different feel. Although the album seems to be centered around a specific season in Dua’s life, each song could very well represent a different reaction to remembering the same focal person or event that was a part of that season.

The album is quite relatable in that it displays that one hardly ever feels one emotion as a result of something, but rather a series of many different emotions or a barrage of many all at once. Each puzzle piece of this well-executed artwork highlights the normality of feeling so many different things and playing tug of war with one’s self, or better yet, not knowing what you’re feeling at all.

A combination of more hush-toned reminiscent songs on the album like Homesick, Garden, and No Goodbyes and fiercer titles like Hotter Than Hell and Blow Your Mind (Mwah) provide a realistic balance of passions. The songs paint a picture of the ups and downs of human emotion, and when we examine the work as a whole we are reminded that though each sentiment is different in sort and intensity they are all equally important parts of one’s personal experience.

Dua describes the album as a “massive milestone” and says it’s been “a really magical process” for her. I’m sure I speak for all of her listeners and fans when I say it’s been magical for us too.