www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/dua-lipa-radical-optimism-number-1-album/
UK Official Charts: Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism scores biggest opening week for British female since Adele
[CHART]And it's fair to say that she's the most famous british female artist in the US since Adele and Spice girls.
if we're talking fame and not just chart success, I'd argue Amy Winehouse is between Adele and the Spice Girls
It would be interesting to compare this with releases from non-British solo female acts that are popular in the UK, like Madonna, Rihanna, Kylie, etc.
There is a weird situation where there just aren't that many successful British solo female acts. Like who else is there? Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora don't feel like they're on the same level. Aside from Adele, the UK has not* had a female artist on the scale of the international female pop icons.
* Plz tell me if I have missed anyone else
Amy, Kate, Annie
There are also many more like Sade but they're not 'contemporary', it would make no sense to compare numbers from pre-streaming because it's different now. Same applies for Rihanna tbh.
Many of the female UK acts that debuted in the 2010s aren't at the same level anymore, think Katy B, Jessie J etc. Even Mabel who started at the same time as Dua Lipa fell off hard.
TBH I didn't even realize she was British.
Her British accent really shines through in the "rap"-part of Levitating. That was the moment where I first realized that she's British.
I mean… the bridge of levitating is spoken/chanted in her accent
She also pronounces it "arse" on that track.
The first tracks of RO and FN she shows the British. But singers always tend to sing in a latin pronunciation especially if they took classes
singers always tend to sing in a latin pronunciation
It's not a "latin pronounciation" lol. It's vowel modification.
Another way to think of it: There's a "singing accent" and a "speaking accent". People switch accents when they sing, and it's one standard everyone is using.... so you don't tend to really hear their "regional dialect" unless they're using bad technique, or just dialing it up on purpose like the British Invasion singers used to do.
If you listen to Adele's early work, she sounds a lot more English than after she injured her voice and she was taught to only use strict classical technique.
Hey yo I stand corrected. Much better way to put it!
Is the pop singing accent not American? It generally sounds American to me (I’m kiwi).
Also sounds American to me (most of the time) (I'm American)
She just... doesn't seem very british.
Her vibes are like... she appeared in Dubai one day fully formed as popstar lol.
I can see it for international fans but her whole debut album + singles roll out in the UK was arguably the reverse
As a British person, Dua is extremely British. Difficult to pin down exactly why but mostly accent and attitude.
To be honest I have absolutely zero impression of her personality at all. She seems more reserved/less 'online' than a lot of the other big names in music right now.
How British is that?
I dunno. I feel like Adele... the comparison that this is about has a lot of personality and presence.
I'm not arguing, I'm telling you. She's very British.
She's like the most british person ever lol
She’s actually Albanian. She was born in London but both parents were immigrants. That’s why she doesn’t appear British
She is very British though, she definitely comes across as very identifiably British, way more than Albanian (which makes sense because she was born and raised in the UK). I would say she "feels" more British than most British pop acts of the last 20 years.
She was born and raised in Britain excluding like three years when she was a teenager. You're not not British because your family's origins are from outside the UK.
I dunno if it's maybe more of an American thing to identify people as belonging to their heritage country (for want of a better word) than their birth one? Not a criticism, just an observation. They all seem a lot more in touch with their roots.
This explains a lot to me. I was watching some programme a few weeks back of a British comedian travelling in America, and they met some guy that claimed they were Irish. Turns out there was one Irish ancestor 3 generations back on his male line, so he had an Irish surname, but they were actually more German than anything else by blood. And yet this guy was talking in a phoney Irish accent, celebrating st patricks day, and had never left their state let alone actually been to Ireland. And it was so goddamn weird to both me and the comedian, but I guess it's just an American thing?
She is British. She has Albanian heritage but that is not the same thing as being Albanian.
she doesn’t appear British
the fuck does that mean?
Her parents are Albanian, she def seems to claim London! She seems proud of her roots too but yea
ever heard of the term diaspora
Well she is Albanian (father is Albanian, mother is from Kosovo)
I think if you’re born in Britain, you’re considered British, unless they changed that with Brexit or something…
Fun (?) fact, you're only British when born in the UK if one of your parents has at least indefinite legal right to live there. I think you can apply when you're older for citizenship if they didn't and you lived in the UK your whole life though. It's pretty much only in the Americas where you automatically get citizenship if born in the country with no restrictions.
That’s a legal citizenship category though. I think that’s separate from how it’s used in conversation. If she grew up in Britain she’s ‘culturally’ British I’d say (as is anyone who grew up there).
I thought she was albanian like bebe rehxa and azealia banks
Her nationality is British and ethnicity is Albanian tho I think she recently became a dual citizen?
The Albanian diaspora is well-represented in pop music. Ava Max and Bebe Rexha (Americans), Dua Lipa (English), and Rita Ora (British, but maintains dual-citizenship with Kosovo, where she was born (as Yugoslavia was falling apart)
The diaspora is also represented in Italodance in some way like Glaukor.
Bebe Rexha is American, it's just that her parents are Albanian. I thought Azealia Banks was african-american though.
It's quite a specific positivity but good on the Official Charts for recognizing it.
Now announce radical optimism tour queen!
hey hey slow down i don’t have my funds ready yet 😭
Fr 😭😭 take your time Dua pls
I would be ready because she already has a round of shows in Europe this summer. Maybe she will expand.
I am so sad I am missing her when she is in Berlin. Before I checked the dates I was radicallyoptimistic "I am gonna see her for the 3rd time, what are the chances she is gonna come to Berlin on the one day I am in Hamburg seeing a metal band?"
So I hope she stops by again
I heard she might do stadiums in europe beginning next year
Where'd you hear this?
Some reliable information. Love your username tho 😂
I saw the dates and openers a few days ago, but still waiting for the announcement.
She got to release the extended version of the album first so I don’t fuck up my scrobbles
I have to say this album has grown on me, and I hope that it has longevity. After giving it a few listens it hits me how good of a single Houdini was, and I’m still shocked it didn’t absolutely smash.
My personal hope is that she released Falling Forever and it smashes.
Houdini was everywhere on the radio here in the UK.
Working magic like Houdini
Top 20:
- Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism (NEW)
- Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department (-1)
- Frank Turner - Undefeated (NEW)
- The Weeknd - The Highlights (-1)
- Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS (-1)
- Kelly Jones - Inevitable Incredible (NEW)
- Fleetwood Mac - 50 Years: Don't Stop (+3)
- Noah Kahan - Stick Season (+1)
- ABBA - ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits (+2)
- Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR (+4)
- Elton John - Diamonds (+1)
- Beyonce - COWBOY CARTER (-4)
- Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits (+2)
- Michael Jackson - The Essential (+6)
- SZA - SOS (+6)
- Ariana Grande - eternal sunshine (=)
- Rachel Chinouriri - What a Devastating Turn of Events (NEW)
- Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (+1)
- The Karma Effect - Promised Land (NEW)
- Post Malone - The Diamond Collection (+4)
Other new entries:
36: Camera Obscura - Look to the East, Look to the West
37: KayMuni - Signed to the T
59: Sia - Reasonable Woman
95: Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement
Olivia Rodrigo still at #5 after 8 months? Crazy impressive
Recent deluxe release of GUTS (spilled), combined with a likely boost in streams in anticipation of the GUTS UK tour which started this week in the UK on Tuesday.
I don't know what it's like in the US but I feel like if you have the young listeners on your side you're going to chart for a long time. My sister and my best friend are both teachers (of different years) and they both say that literally as soon as there's a free period / the class is over, everyone puts in their airpods and is streaming music
GO RACHEL CHINOURIRI!!!!!
It's such a good album, her tour went on sale today as well.
SOS still being so high on the charts after almost 2 years is so incredibly victorious as someone who loved her earlier work on SoundCloud. She’s so talented I’m glad to see it.
this is how i found out there’s even a sia album out lmao
YES RACHEL THATS FUCKING RIGHT😭😭😭
Cried at like six songs
The new Camera Obscura album is surprisingly really good.
MJ at #14? Is it just me or have I been seeing a lot more traction about him as of late?
A movie about him is coming out soon
Love this album! It’s just pure pop joy. Happy for Dua!
But remember guys, this is her flop era 🤪
It’s crazy that people will declare something someone’s “flop era” the day immediately after the album comes out. I remember people saying that about Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever the Sunday after it was released
Isn't the prevailing narrative here that she isn't that big in the US but pretty big in Europe? This news seems to align with that perfectly.
Should the word flop be used when she’s doing numbers in the country that she’s from?
I don't think anyone denied her success in the UK though, it's her potential flopitude in the US market that people here are obsessed with.
I mean it's not a flop flop but nowadays coming off an huge era big first sales weeks are almost certain. It's the longevity and hits that are harder to score and the album hasn't made half of the noise future nostalgia did. So it is a decline for her but obviously she's still super famous and will be as long as she has money and major label behind her
So absurd. It's not a 10, but the album is fantastic
Your username is crazy
Okay but I love your flair tho
Aye gang gang flair fam
PLS YOUR USERNAME
😘
Dua Lipa's clitoris just blew a kiss at me my bucket list is complete
Tragical Floptimism wbk wbk 😭
“British female” is so niche tho lol
Is British Female really a niche on the UK charts? I’d think that would be quite common.
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Are you arguing that this make her success more or less impressive?
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Ah okay, I’d argue that there’s little competition because it’s such a difficult thing to achieve. Which again emphasises her achievement as she’s one of the few British female artists that’s been able to beat the odds.
now that I think about it, Adele and Dua Lipa are the only british female singers I know lol.
edit: Little Mix too
RAYE, Paloma Faith, Ellie Goulding, Jessie Ware, Sophie Ellis-Bextor?
Edit: considering this sub Charlie XCX
Assuming the person you're replying to is American, there is a good chance they've never heard of any of them. They either never had a hit in the US or only had one or two at most.
People in the US know who Ellie Goulding. Or at least recognize her music
Amy Winehouse, Florence Welch
FKA twigs! Though not pop
None of those artists enjoy the same level of success in the UK as international pop stars do. Though tbh I think Raye could be turning into a main pop girl
They are plenty international. US stardom isn't only definition for "international". I ain't British.
I'm not talking the the United States. I'm wondering how many British female solo acts are as successful in their own country as the big international female acts who regularly top the charts in the UK. Or maybe the answer is that British female solo acts aren't normally successful in the UK and only have success in Europe?
PinkPantheress?
Mabel, RAYE…
The only thing she had in common with Mabel was that they were both completely wooden on stage at the beginning of their career. I love her new song (Vitamins)but mabel's career kinda went downhill during her 2nd album. She has a new song out today too!
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Enya is irish
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You should be scared!! Why would GB include Ireland?
Can you name any other British female acts who are as popular in the UK as Kylie, Rihanna, Beyonce, Taylor, etc? (Doesn't have to be recent)
Probably Amy Winehouse, but I’m not British so I don’t really know the vibe there
Female is so niche tho
Can’t tell if this is sarcastic or not lol
nah on the UK chart its not a niche and she's the biggest but in the US moreso
People need to stop acting like it’s “niche” if it doesn’t say “Biggest opening for an artist. Ever. Living or dead. Good or bad. Ever.”
Seriously. Unless someone hits number 1 on the billboards, they’re achievements mean nothing?? Sad. America isn’t the only, nor the best place in the world.
She also outsold any male British artists who dropped albums in 2024…
So none of the main pop boys then.
If this is her flop era then imagine her next era… I’m winning
I absolutely love this album (and I didn’t expect to), I’ve been recommending it to people everywhere. It’s a great summer record and it’s nice to see more UK female pop stars. Also her voice is just lush, I’m so glad the album is doing well!
I love this album! I was shocked to see the sentiment on Reddit. It’s cohesive and like you said her voice sounds great!
Maybe it’s hitting better with non Americans?
Dua’s flop era! If you were Dua, what would you do differently for her next album? It’s freefailling off the charts! It’s so over for her. Messy era. All chops. Her first day streaming numbers are so bad! How does she recover to prevent another ‘Witness’ from happening?
/s
The discourse around this album, especially on this sub, has been a bit exhausting. Multiple posts a day regurgitating the same chronically online speak. So many people seem to care about charts and first day/week streaming numbers more than the actual music. Or they let the numbers influence how they feel about the music, good or bad.
Not all success is limited to the U.S. Sure it’s the biggest market, but Dua is landing #1s at home and abroad. She’ll be more than fine.
I mean she's set to debut at #2 in the US, I remember she said somewhere that in terms of US market, she's looking for sales stability rather than major numbers and then drop into the oblivion, that's always been the case for her in the US Market, since unlike US female artists with parasocial relationships with fans, Dua appeals to the us gp.
Perfectly stated
Her last album took months before being a commercial success. Discord on her and her career has been wild, to say the least. She’s doing amazing.
I’ve seen people unironically call TTPD a flop. Sometimes people believe the things they want to be true so much they unwittingly broadcast it on social media. Dua Lipa is one of the most succesful artists in the planet yet there is this narrative that she is a flop or something, which is sp freaking annoying.
There’s also a certain type of person who calls anything a flop. Specifically one who thinks their opinion matters more than it does. The vast majority of people don’t pay attention to charts and focus on the music.
internet randos really think they know better than a critically acclaimed and successful artist lol. this same shit happened with charli and then crash ended up being her most commercially successful
So many people seem to care about charts and first day/week streaming numbers more than the actual music.
It's so funny. People take this stuff to be, like, the "professional", "serious", way to talk about movies or music, because they sort of catch it from trade press and stuff. Well the actual professionals in the trade press talk that way because they're making money on these records (or losing money, as the case may be). Twitter stan randos, listen: you're not making money from this. It does not matter one iota to you whether or not a single or an album is #1 or #345. You all sound like Vincent Adultman talking about doing a business.
This^ In the US, if a big pop act doesnt do TS or Beyonce #s out the gate, its a flop. It's just stupid. Besides, as far back as her self-titled debut, Dua has had staying power.
New Rules and Levitating didn't pop off and become the massive hits they are now until well after their respective album releases in the US. I see the same thing happening with RO, especially if she releases another hit not tied to an album (i.e., One Kiss or Dance the Night) to drive people back. That and Illusion seems to be picking up steam.
Agree with you completely ❤
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This is just blatantly wrong. This sub was all over Dua and there were even some users calling her the next gen Madonna 😭 Future Nostalgia is constantly talked about on this sub and helmed as one of the best pop albums. Just because some people don’t like or critique Radical Optimism doesn’t mean they all of a sudden hate her and always did. You could type in her name in the search bar and see constant praise and there are even people making excuses for this particular album simply because they like her
I like Dua, but people calling her the next Madonna is such a stretch. Not even close.
Definitely agree. I love Dua but calling her the next Madonna, Kylie, etc… feels like a set up 💀
‘Next Kylie’ feels pretty accurate and attainable
It's what she's aiming at. She has stated Kylie is major influence and everything else she has said is very much in line with that goal.
i wonder if that's from her label. i remember reading an interview with her old management, they said she got a great deal with Warner because they were looking to sign a female singer to be their next Madonna.
When Forbes called Radical Optimism the “British Lemonade”
Congrats to Dua!
But yo Sia’s debut?! Ouch!!!
yeah wow
Well that's nice!
It's the first time I'm actually listening to one of her releases with excitement, to me the album deserved a little bit more praise than what's getting right now.
I predict that this album will age like fine wine and become more appreciated over time.
Honestly I was a bit disappointed at first but it grew on me almost immediately. Maria, Happy For You and Whatcha Doing are going triple platinum in my house.
Maria already out streamed every single song from the past twelve months in my household. Hoping she releases it as the next single or at this point I’ll take it in any position if that means she also releases Whatcha Doing, Falling Forever, These Walls & Happy For You. Hell just release them all
I think it's a victim of people expecting every artist to put out their best work ever. It's a good album and very easy to listen to but it doesn't necessarily list among the greatest works released this year (which is fine and I doubt she was shooting for that!)
Hell it’s already doing that now and it’s only been a week😂
End of an Era, Whatcha Doing and French Exit are literally stuck in my head
Yeah it’s such a grower
oh control it dua!!
whew!!! congrats dula peep!
mother did that! the album’s been on repeat the whole week already
Pleasantly surprised but incredibly happy for her, the album has only grown on me since it came out as well
People: Dua is in her flop era
Dua: Second-biggest first week sales of the year so far
Good for her! It’s such a good album.
Since Adele? Okay congrats!
It’s a solid album.
Good for her. Radical Optimism is my favorite album of 2024 so far!!!
Yeeesaah go Dua!!!
Kinda surprised people don't like the album. I think it's great
this album has only grown on me the more and more i listen to it.
I’m so happy it went No. 1. Only wish it would here in the US. This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year and I’ve been loving it. It’s no Future Nostalgia, but I’ve enjoyed the album more and more as the week has gone on. Im loving it.
But the twinks on twitter said it was flopping!
Congratulations to dua!! So beyond proud of her ! I’m patiently waiting for her to come on tour! Lol 💙
YEEES
It’s a decent, summer-ready album with replay value, so good for her!
I want to know who is the British female artist with the third biggest opening week (after Dua and Adele) and how their numbers compare
Really Glad to see her doing well, she definitely deserves it, but that title shocked me at first because I didn’t see the “British” Part first so I thought she beat tortured poet department and was shocked but regardless I’m glad she got her number 1 and hope it has good longevity
wow! the album wasnt my favorite but dua is still a force to be reckoned with.
justice for RO!!!!! its not that bad!!!
Love this for her!
Glad she’s getting some success somewhere with this one
Playing it non stop and i wish anything for love is a looot more longer
I think this album will catch on when she starts doing festivals and touring, especially if she does stadiums at least in Europe. I read somewhere she made this thinking about the live concerts, and indeed it has some stadium music feel in some of the songs.
But the people on reddit said it would flop and she would have to change her entire career direction!😱
/s
This album definitely gets better with more listens. Hope she knocks it out of the park with the next single , which I hope is Falling Forever.
Wasn't a fan of the album but I'm happy for her
Yet she's flopping eh ? Maybe if Americans would look outside their windows they'd see that the world ain't stopping there.
Dua is HUGE in Europe.
so much for radical floptimism
congrats queen!!! 🎉
I said that this album was gonna kill in the UK and I was right.
The album isn't bad in any measure. It's just that for American audiences, Dua is a boring artist because she lacks all the elements needed for a parasocial relationship.
She comes off as a rich girl with zero problems and America loves rich people they can relate to.
Yet people are saying it's flopping. Make up your minds 🤷🏼♂️
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you cant compare adele with virtually anyone when considering sales (apart from taylor), 46.000 is a good number for her third album, idk what you expect from her, garnering 200k first week sales?
It has two bops on it! Maybe even three!
Nobody claimed that Dua was flopping in the U.K. I want to be clear that I disagree that Dua is flopping in the U S but she has been underperforming so far. Her continuing popularity on her home turf doesn't change that. Her people are the ones who said that she was aiming to rule in the states so don't get angry that people are talking about the current underperformance.
I do agree that people need to stop using the word flop for everything that even slightly underperforms. Lorde's Solar Power did flop but we don't have enough data from Radical Optimism to call it a flop here in the U.S. Sorry kids but you're going to have to wait a year and even that won't be definitive with how albums perform these days.
Whose the competition but ok
I hope she makes French Exit the next single, because it is soooooo good!
Does anyone know which chart its topping? I can’t find it anywhere
I’m also Dua’s fan. She’s good as the whole package, although she’s not at the level of Taylor Swift. I hope that over time she can be as successful as Taylor.
I listened to this album at work and had a nice little time, people here just want bad music and don't deserve good music
Finally some positivity for this album. She is definitely the UK’s biggest female star since Adele.