I like that opening lyric, "I've been known to miss a red flag"... because I most certainly have!

Which is why she should've done something completely different and distance herself from FN, but it seems to go to the opposite direction.... after all the Britpop theme/influence hype we are at "Hallucinate Part 2" and "Kylie coded".

 

Was it Dua herself who said it would be Britpop influenced or people who had heard what she was working on? I can't help but think it might have been misinterpreted from 'British pop' of that era, as I can't really imagine Dua going full Oasis.

 

I feel like Love Again was already a bit like Dua doing 90s British pop, as it was like Your Woman (due to the same sample) crossed with something Jamiroquai might release. And Illusion also sounds like it could have feasibly been a late 90s British pop song, but not Britpop.

 

I think elements of the production do show progression or at least a sidestep from Hallucinate, it feels more house driven. I still think Houdini is a definite sonic progression too, so I guess we can see what the rest of the album sounds like.

I get real 'Get Outta My Way' vibes from this, it has a similar frenetic energy.

I agree, Houdini was a great introductory single, as it was different, but not a 180 degree turn.

 

Dua never said it will sound Britpop inspired. The media just took the word and ran with it

 

of course, it’s a pop record. I’m a pop artist, that’s what I do. But I think overall, the different sounds that are being used, the different breaks in the music, the use of musical samples, whether that’s with Kevin’s voice or with the different instruments that we used, overall it was me going completely out of what I knew, and exploring something different. And that’s what I got from my inspiration. I wasn’t going into Britpop and being like, I’m making this record that sounds exactly like… Because it doesn’t. But it’s a feeling that they portray that when I hear “Teardrop” by Massive Attack and I’m like, how did this song even come to be? It feels like it just happened in a moment of real freedom and writing and emotion, and I think that was just the feeling I was trying to convey more than anything.

 

I think the music and this era has been created with intention of establishing her as a live act, the use of instruments in every song that sound even better in a live setting (see the London Sessions performances)

@1778559393098850411

 

Also A-list on BBC Radio 1

BIG BOP

@1778559393098850411

 

Also A-list on BBC Radio 1

Interesting, which one will be removed, Training Season or Houdini? Three Dua singles sounds a bit too much.

Houdini is going recurrent in the next week I think

For me this is the most instant one, great video too. (giving Kylie Slow)

This sounds incredible in the sunny weather. A proper summer banger :wub:

This sounds incredible in the sunny weather. A proper summer banger :wub:

 

Really does! I kind of wanna be dancing by a pool, like in the video!

For me this is the weakest of the 3 singles so far, although I’m willing to give it chance to grow. I’m still finding Training Season to be the strongest so maybe I’m just very out of sync with y’all

For me this is the weakest of the 3 singles so far, although I’m willing to give it chance to grow. I’m still finding Training Season to be the strongest so maybe I’m just very out of sync with y’all

'Training Season' is my favourite of the three too!

 

The video for this is quite obviously a massive step up though :heart:

On first listen, I thought it lacked a bit of oomph. The way people compared it to Hallucinate, I understood, but it needed the THUMP that the chorus for Hallucinate smashes in with.

 

However, even just by like the third listen, this washes over you with such a slick, summery glow and feels like it’s going to have longevity for that reason. It doesn’t hit you over the head but there’s lots of fun elements to unpack in every listen that makes this feel complete and emphatic in its own right.

 

3/3 for me - not going to pretend it’s up there with Future Nostalgia’s releases but I never expect Katy Perry to ever meet Teenage Dream heights again. I’m happy enough with Dua’s path and her consistency to pop.

Illusion did 346k (main version) from few hours being available on Spotify...it's up from Training Season which did about 230k I believe.

 

Hopefully another Top 10 debut in WW Spotify charts tomorrow <3

I agree this really creeps up on you, I thought it was just okay on first listen but now the chorus is stuck in my head! It does feel very Hallucinate but the little production flourishes like the breakdown near the end give it its own identity too. The video is gorgeous too, very 00s Kylie (the Slow and All The Lovers references!) and the shot of her at the end with the Sagrada Familia behind is a serve and a half.

 

Echoing the Training Season love, it's on equal footing with Houdini for me! I mostly use the extended versions for both of them whereas I prefer the regular edit for Illusion as it feels a bit more energetic.

It's very kylie which is amazing

Edited April 12, 20241 yr by Blond 2.0

Honestly I was underwhelmed first time I heard it but I agree, it does creep up on you and now it’s on my head…it feels like this could easily be her biggest hit this era!!!

I think this is a bit of a grower actually.