Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker pays tribute to “absolute weapon” Dua Lipa
Kevin Parker has praised his collaborator Dua Lipa as an “absolute weapon” upon the release of her new studio album, ‘Radical Optimism’.
The Tame Impala frontman co-produced and co-wrote the singer’s third record – the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ – which arrived today (May 3). He worked on the 11-track project alongside the likes of Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Caroline Ailin.
Writing on Instagram this afternoon, Parker said: “Happy release day to this mind blower of an album and congrats to the absolute weapon herself.”
He continued: “Don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of something I’ve worked on on release day. Shout out to the rest of the geniuses too
. Infinitely grateful to be a part of it. Have a listen you guys… @dualipa.”
The musician and producer attached the album artwork as well as some behind-the-scenes photos of himself in the studio with Lipa and co. You can check out the post below.
In a recent interview with Apple Music, Lipa explained how she had “manifested” working with Parker early on in her career.
“When I was writing my first album, I was kind of having thoughts about my third album – jumping [ahead],” she said. “But I thought that by the third album, I would maybe be deserving of working with Tame Impala.
“And that was written down. I had that in my notes of like, ‘That’d be cool’. And I remember talking to my A&R and my close friend Joe Kentish, and I was like, […] ‘Third album, maybe I could work with Kevin Parker’.”
Lipa went on to praise Tame Impala’s 2015 album ‘Currents’, saying that the LP “completely shook” her. “So that was something that I’d written down for album three,” she added.
The singer also said she had “manifested” headlining Glastonbury Festival “by album three”. She even hinted that Parker could “maybe” join her on stage when she tops the bill on Worthy Farm next month.
Lipa explained last month that working with Parker and co. in the studio on ‘Radical Optimism’ “made it feel like a band”.
Elsewhere, the pop star credited Parker and Harle with contributing to the “eureka moment” on her new album.
At the start of this year, the Tame Impala leader called Lipa a “brutal” editor while recalling the lengthy process of making the record’s lead single ‘Houdini’.
“I’d kind of recoil in horror and go, ‘Oh, no, it’s a great verse!'” Parker remembered. “But then an hour later, we’d have something that I can’t imagine not being in the song.”
Last November, Lipa said Tame Impala’s ‘Currents’ “completely changed [her] life”.
“In terms of things that I’m obsessed with, ‘Currents’ has been the soundtrack to my life,” she told Triple J. “It’s one of my favourite albums ever ever ever. [It] was kind of like the gateway drug for me into Tame Impala.”
She continued: “I’ve always looked up to [Parker] as someone that I’m really inspired by and [he] has always been on my dream board of people to work with.”
Tame Impala and Lipa both contributed to the official Barbie soundtrack last year with ‘Journey To The Real World’ and ‘Dance The Night’, respectively.
Meanwhile, Lipa is reportedly planning to use footage from Glastonbury 2024 for a new documentary film.
In a three-star review of ‘Radical Optimism’, NME wrote: “The album’s beachy vibes feel suited to a festival field’s carefree disposition. You just wish there was a little more to these songs.”
Dua Lipa will showcase her new material at a one-off concert at the historic Royal Albert Hall in London this October, following a run of European shows in the summer.
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Tom Skinner
NME
