We were just days into the pandemic in 2020 when Dua Lipa dropped her magnificent sophomore album, Future Nostalgia. That album, and its avalanche of smash singles, launched Dua Lipa into the stratosphere – even if all of us were mostly dancing along in solitude. Future Nostalgia was an early entry into Pop Album of the New Decade, combining disco, funko, and dance in ways that no one could have seen coming. I’ll never forget how those songs would make my almost one-year-old daughter bounce along as we danced in our living room.

A few weeks ago, I was in the mood to put on her 2017 self-titled debut – the album that got me into Dua Lipa in the first place. My daughter (now three years old) and I danced around the house for the entirety of the album. In the wake of Nostalgia, it’s easy to forget just how talented she was from the jump and how well that debut holds up nearly six years later.

It’s about time for more. Last year was mostly quiet for Dua Lipa, but something tells me that this summer we’ll see a return. And I can’t wait to dance along to every note.

by Kiel Hauck

Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple pop culture outlets and was previously an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife, daughter, and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.