After months of speculation, Dua Lipa today (Nov. 9) confirmed that Tame Impala‘s Kevin Parker is one of the “core collaborators” and co-producers on her as-yet-untitled upcoming album. Its sleek, uptempo first single, “Houdini,” is out now in tandem with a dance-focused, Manu Cossu-directed music video.
Parker is joined behind-the-scenes on the album by Caroline Ailin, Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr., with Harle also serving as the project’s co-producer. “A lot of this album was written in those joyous moments of absolute chaos and how I moved through the world with lightness and optimism of whatever the outcome may be,” Lipa says.
As for “Houdini,” Lipa reveals that it “represents the most light and freeing parts of my singledom, ’Houdini’ is very tongue-in-cheek, exploring the idea of whether someone is really worth my while or if I’ll ghost them in the end. You never know where something may take you, that’s the beauty of being open to whatever life throws your way. I’m looking forward to sharing that feeling of defiant bliss with my fans.”
Lipa hasn’t released an album since 2020’s smash hit Future Nostalgia, but she’s rarely left the spotlight in the time since. This summer, she contributed “Dance the Night” as the first single to the Barbie soundtrack, and also appeared in the film as a character named “Mermaid Barbie.” Future Nostalgia spawned six hit singles, including “Levitating,” “Don’t Start Now,” and “Physical,” and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for U.S. shipments of 1 million copies.
As for Parker, his work on the Lipa album furthers his recent inroads into the pop world, which have included appearances on both the Barbie and Minions: The Rise of Gru soundtracks. He is also reportedly at work on the follow-up to Tame Impala’s 2020 album The Slow Rush, but details have yet to be announced.
