How Dua Lipa’s ‘Radical Optimism’ Was Inspired by Sad Motown Songs
The music from Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism sounds very modern. Despite this, one of the album’s creators explained how Motown songs inspired it. He picked out one Smokey Robinson tune in particular as a model for the songs on Dua Lipa’s newest record. Notably, Robinson said he had a lot to say about his legacy as a musician.
A producer compared Dua Lipa’s ‘Radical Optimism’ to a Smokey Robinson song
Lipa is a high-tech, modern pop star. Her music is filled with synthesizers and the latest genre trends. However, even the most forward-thinking pop stars can look to the past for inspiration. The classic hits of Motown inspired the construction of songs from Lipa’s Radical Optimism if not its sonic palette.
Danny L Harle is one of the producers of Radical Optimism. During a 2024 interview with Grammy.com, Harle discussed one of the concepts behind the album. “We were talking about this key Motown idea, which is that happy songs go best over a sad melody,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be the melody, it can be the music sounding sad; ‘Tears of a Clown’ by Smokey Robinson is a good example. There’s something very resonant in that combination.”
A producer explains what recording Dua Lipa’s ‘Radical Optimism’ was like
The reporter noted that several of the songs from Radical Optimism, including “Houdini,” “Training Season,” and “Illusion” were in minor keys, which is unusual in pop music. “Yup,” he responded. “It’s not as simple as happy song, happy chords. It adds richness to the emotional landscape of the song, and that was a key element in that.”
Harle had glowing things about the creative process behind Radical Optimism. “The process of the album was very trusting; a sense of being able to say when you think something could be better, but also understanding that trusting someone else is good at what they’re doing,” he said. “It was a very rare environment, but the atmosphere of respect and trust was quite an incredible thing to experience. If you hear what anybody says involved in that process, they’ll say those are some of the best sessions they’ve ever had in that respect.”
What Smokey Robinson had to say about Motown
Casual fans of both Motown and the “Cold Heart” singer might be surprised to learn that Radical Optimism is following the playbook of “Tears of a Clown.” Robinson might not be so surprised. During a 2020 interview with Vulture, Robinson discussed Berry Gordy’s vision for Motown. Gordy wanted to make music that wouldn’t just connect with Black audiences, but with everyone. Gordy wanted the artists on his label to live lives worth discussing. In Robinson’s opinion, Gordy accomplished everything he set out to do.
Robinson went on to say that Motown was a once-in-a-lifetime musical event that will never happen again. On one level, he is right. There will never be another Marvin Gaye or another Michael Jackson. Despite this, many artists today are taking direct or indirect influence from Motown. For that reason, it can safely be said that Motown will be with us for as long as people are listening to music.
Motown is not what it was in the 1960s, but Lipa and many others learned lessons from its musical grandeur.
