Dua Lipa Unveils New Single ‘Illusion’ & Music Video

We’re less than a month away from the release of Dua Lipa’s upcoming album, Radical Optimism, and the star dropped her summery new single “Illusion” on Thursday (April 11).

The Tanu Muino-directed music video accompanying the track features Lipa alongside dancers, high divers, and synchronized swimmers at the Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc in Barcelona, Spain, which was also the location for Kylie Minogue’s iconic “Slow” video.

“‘Illusion’ was the first song Caroline [Ailin], Danny [Harle], Tobias [Jesso Jr.], Kevin [Parker] and I worked on together, and it really broke the ice for the record,” the 28-year-old singer shared in a press statement. “It’s about knowing what you’re getting yourself into, but staying for the hell of it. The joke’s on them, it’s the fun of playing someone at their own game because ultimately you won’t fall for an illusion.”

“Illusion” is the third single the British artist has dropped ahead of her upcoming third studio album Radical Optimism, following “Houdini” and “Training Season.” The former debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the latter entered the chart at No. 27.

“[Releasing the album] feels good. It feels for lack of a better word — radically optimistic,” Lipa previously told Billboard of her upcoming project, before explaining the idea behind the album cover, which features the singer floating in a wide open ocean facing a shark fin. “Throughout the whole record, there’s this idea of chaos happening around and me trying to push through it in a way that feels authentic and honest to me.”

As to how she got the name of the album, Lipa attributed the phrase to a friend “A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term ‘radical optimism,’” she said in a statement announcing Radical Optimism back in March. “It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life.”

The 11-track Radical Optimism — Lipa’s first proper LP since 2020’s Future Nostalgia — arrives May 3.

Watch the “Illusion” music video below.

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