"Radical Optimism" Official Exhale Listening Party (Out Now!)

[RadicalOptimism]

7 minutes ago, Style. said:

Girl, I've been streaming this album non-stop. "These Walls" is really growing on me; it's so beautifully crafted. "France Exit" is another big favorite of mine! ❤️ I also love "Illusion" even more now. But "Falling Forever" is the bop of the year in my books. You know those songs that just take over your entire personality, and you can't stop replaying them? That's "FF" for me!

Thoughts?

I fell asleep with Maria on repeat. Some tasteless ***** in another thread gave it a 3/10 and I say they’re delusional. I’m the one that called Levitating a hit on release date  I also really like Whatcha Doing, These Walls, Falling Forever, Happy For You

Of course I still love the singles so much and the rest of the album. People keep comparing it to FN but this is another masterpiece of its own and I can see how it can be a grower for tasteless people who love their Sabrina the Teenage Witch, McRib and Olives Fadrigo 

[RadicalOptimism]

6 minutes ago, Style. said:

Wait

”Happy For You” is such a gem!  

Yes it’s such a cute song to wrap up the album. I can wait for the deluxe 

[icybaby]

13 minutes ago, kevin. said:

that's not what flat means, you are saying it's too cohesive? um ok.

I meant it is the same sound through almost every song. Kind of boring

Edited May 3 by icybaby

[Style.]

3 minutes ago, RadicalOptimism said:

I fell asleep with Maria on repeat. Some tasteless ***** in another thread gave it a 3/10 and I say they’re delusional. I’m the one that called Levitating a hit on release date  I also really like Whatcha Doing, These Walls, Falling Forever, Happy For You

Of course I still love the singles so much and the rest of the album. People keep comparing it to FN but this is another masterpiece of its own and I can see how it can be a grower for tasteless people who love their Sabrina the Teenage Witch, McRib and Olives Fadrigo 

LMAO I SCREAMED AT SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH OH MY GOODNESS 

I love Maria too, such an ordinary but special girl name in the east europe! ❤️ she knows what she’s doing! 

[Style.]

2 minutes ago, icybaby said:

I meant it is the same sound through almost every song. Kind of boring

[Johanpapz]

I can't understand how on earth it's possible to come from FUTURE NOSTALGIA to this... I seriously don't get it! The best tracks are the singles, so that's mean the new era is ALREADY over?! What the heck???

[RadicalOptimism]

21 minutes ago, Style. said:

LMAO I SCREAMED AT SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH OH MY GOODNESS 

I love Maria too, such an ordinary but special girl name in the east europe! ❤️ she knows what she’s doing! 

I am tired of Nespresso girl. How did she blow up after a decade in the gutter? I hope Miss Dua doesn’t get discouraged by the hate and gives us the 8 singles we deserve 

Edited May 3 by RadicalOptimism

[Style.]

17 minutes ago, RadicalOptimism said:

I am tired of Nespresso girl. How did she blow up after a decade in the gutter? I hope Miss Dua doesn’t get discouraged by the hate and gives us the 8 singles we deserve 

Yeah, it's a bit strange how Olivia blew up five years ago, but Sabrina didn't. Taylor voodoo! 

 

[RadicalOptimism]

25 minutes ago, Style. said:

Yeah, it's a bit strange how Olivia blew up five years ago, but Sabrina didn't. Taylor voodoo! 

 

My man is a big Swiftie and even he said she needs to disappear for a few years. We are exhausted

[RadicalOptimism]

I know Xila is prepping the Maria video as we speak 

[Style.]

4 minutes ago, RadicalOptimism said:

My man is a big Swiftie and even he said she needs to disappear for a few years. We are exhausted

She just needs to ditch that Jack Antonoff guy! I’m tired of him!

[RadicalOptimism]

5 minutes ago, Style. said:

She just needs to ditch that Jack Antonoff guy! I’m tired of him!

I haven’t listened to the album except for her 80s bop about her crying like it’s her birthday 

[Style.]

8 minutes ago, RadicalOptimism said:

I haven’t listened to the album except for her 80s bop about her crying like it’s her birthday 

I did. And that’s her worst written song, there are better: Fortnight, So Long London, Down Bad, loml, Fresh Out the Slammer, Guilty as Sin? 

But I agree, there are too many songs that sound the same thanks to the production….

[RadicalOptimism]

4 minutes ago, Style. said:

I did. And that’s her worst written song, there are better: Fortnight, So Long London, Down Bad, loml, Fresh Out the Slammer, Guilty as Sin? 

But I agree, there are too many songs that sound the same thanks to the production….

Good thing we have Radical Slayism 

[Style.]

2 minutes ago, RadicalOptimism said:

Good thing we have Radical Slayism 

It arrived at the right time, and it’s giving me positive vibes. I put it on my running playlist. But hold your wig for Billie in two weeks… 

[Martian_M00d]

I think it was a tall order to follow up Future Nostalgia as I thought that album was about as perfect pop as you can get, but I did really enjoy this album as a whole. I just enjoy her music 

[RadicalOptimism]

1 minute ago, Style. said:

It arrived at the right time, and it’s giving me positive vibes. I put it on my running playlist. But hold your wig for Billie in two weeks… 

My man is a bigger Billie Stan than Dua so we will also be listening 

[Style.]

15 minutes ago, RadicalOptimism said:

My man is a bigger Billie Stan than Dua so we will also be listening 

At least your man got taste. I asked my man if we should go together at Nicki’s concert and he said “who that!”  now if I speak then what!

[RadicalOptimism]

2 minutes ago, Style. said:

At least your man got taste. I asked my man if we should go together at Nicki’s concert and he said “who that!”  now if I speak then what!

He does have taste I mean we met at Piece of Me and is all about going to shows together. We are seeing Billie twice later this year. 
 

hold up you got a man?! Since when?! Happy for you but also he needs to do his homework 

[MIKE_INT]

Here is my review after first day if listening:

 

As someone who has been absolute fan of the three so far released single the overall album and the direction was a bit surprise for me and honestly also a slight disappointment. This disappointment however comes with my personal high expectation based on singles we go so far and based on the long break between FN and RO.

 

From my humble opinion "Whatcha Doing" with its heavy funk bass and 80s bells in chorus could be B-side for "Dance The Night, "French Exit" which is very monotonous and repeating without any progression and ridiculously short and unfinished sounding "Anything For Love" are the weakest 3 of the album.

 

Three highlights of the album, excluding the three already released singles, are:

"These Walls", dreamy summer Harry Style-esque piece which gives me similar feeling as "Cool" by Gwen Stefani in terms of bittersweet feeling of breakup when you knew you did everything you could but maybe its best to let the each other go and you are looking forward whats next.

"Falling Forever" - sonically only song which production vise would fit into the group of already released 3 singles, with its heavy drums and strong vocals, however for some people maybe overwhelming is definitely one of the candidate for next single.

"Maria" is very reminiscent to "This Time Is Now" by legendary Moloko with its heavy acoustic guitar and bass with little electronic elements and it would be do great as single worldwide except US.

 

Overall album is good piece of work, with it highs and low,  however for someone who has been listening Houdini, Training Season and Illusion on repeat daily since they were released, eight new tracks dint bring the wow factor you would expect from Dua , as a pop powerhouse she became after Future Nostalgia.

 

1. End Of An Era:  8.510

2. Houdini:  9/10

3. Training Season: 10/10

4. These Walls:  8/10

5. Whatcha Doing: 7/10

6. French Exit: 5/10

7. Illusion: 10/10

8. Falling Forever: 8.5/10

9. Anything for love: 5/10

10. Maria: 9/10

11. Happy for you: 6.5/10

 

Overall:   7.8

 

Edited May 4 by MIKE_INT