Rock Candy

“Ballard's short stories explore the same dystopian modernity as his longer fictions, and The Garden of Time is no exception. The story is about the good-looking, sophisticated Count Axel and his wife, who live in a beautiful villa full of rare books, fine paintings, busts and vases. They live a decadent life on their beautiful estate, which includes an exquisite pool and garden. But outside the walls, the landscape is empty as far as the eye can see – until an unruly rabble appears in the distance. Each time Count Axel cuts a flower from his garden, however, time spools back, and the brutish mass recedes behind the hills.
 
But a long time has passed since plants last bloomed, and the Count is reduced to cutting the very last of his flowers to hold back the mob. When their garden is bare, he and his wife carefully put away their books, their music and all the treasures of their civilised life, preparing for it to come to an abrupt end.
 
The vivid, thought-provoking short story is often seen to act as a metaphor for the evolution of human history and the endless cycle of creation and destruction — a theme clearly mirrored in The Met's Sleeping Beauties exhibition.”

this album will always be that girl to me 
I got my UO exclusive vinyl a couple weeks ago and I’m too scared to actually play it yet, she’s gorg

I hate the aesthetic for this era, the artwork, the fact she delivered something completely different than what she promoted… crazy to think that interesting girl from self titled is now doing this to please record labels… I still love Dua but I would love to see that “self titled era” energy girl to come back and deliver something that she *actually* wants to do.
Watcha Doing and Maria are my faves lol 
also crazy to think that the same guy who produced the masterpiece that is “Desire” from Polachek is involved in the production of this album     Its a no for me but I hope the stans can support her through this era bc she’ll need it.
also waiting for the outtakes to come thru bc it can still change my opinion since FN outtakes actually smashed half of that album

I love the album cover so much, this was her chance to give us the psychedelic experimental pop album, this could have been her ray of light era.. oh well

I LOVED 3 songs but the rest of the album did not do it for me at all. The second half of the album was specifically terrible 
Top 3:
These Walls
End of an Era
French Exit 
 
The singles threw me off so much during my listen because they don't sound like the rest of the album at all... It's like a bunch of summer songs then the singles which have a Halloween vibe to them
 
Falling Forever was just.... loud and annoying
Anything For Love... POINTLESS song, it should not have been on the album
Maria... straight up sounds like an incomplete demo 
 
Watcha Doing and Happy For You were okay but didn't really jump out for me
 

It’s good, although probably my least favorite of her albums for sure. i listened and i enjoyed, but unlike her other two, there wasn’t a single track that i had to stop and replay because it was so good. ): 
 
it really does feel like houdini (and maybe training season) were for a completely different album though. its a shame she hyped up this record so much with psychedelia and kevin, because you really don’t see that much within the album tracks. she really set herself up with giving everyone completely different expectations than what we would end up with. I’d have enjoyed this album much more if it came after self titled, but it seems like a bit of a step back after FN, which I would consider one of the most defining pop albums in recent history.
 
Given the fact she keeps mentioning how she wrote 90+ songs for this album, I feel like she should’ve simply made two albums.
1. High concept, psychedelia, Houdini + Training Season + (maybe) Illusion (like i’ve said before, i usually hate corny fan concepts, but a vertigo, hitchcocky concept would have been very cool to see from her) 
2. Radical Optimism with the rest of the album tracks and the oceany visuals, more self reflective and lowkey
obviously it would have been an absolute pain to figure out a marketing strategy for two vastly different albums, especially with her current management, but oh well 
 
i got both 7”s for the singles, but something was holding me back from preordering the album itself, and im sorta glad I didn’t. 

"French Exit" is beginning to click in all the right places
 

Her performance of Ocean Blvd was gorgeous here, wish the people who run the YouTube channel for Coachella would upload that performance

I was listening to My My, Hey Hey today and the lyric it's better burn out than to fade away reminded me of this part of Lana's Times interview from last year....
 
“That’s why God didn’t give me children yet,” she says tenderly about what may or may not come next. “Because there is more to explore. I know people who’ve tested every water. It’s burnt them, like Icarus. But I’m willing to go there. I see it coming for me. We’ll see.” She is speaking quickly now, excitedly. “We’ll see what melts the wings.” 
 

the way this could literally be a 2010 pic ... lizzy grant you will always be famous

Her being in LA casually shopping in the mall three days before the Met isn’t a good sign lol

Dumping that pig cop really did her wonders, didn’t it? She got her catharsis with Blue Banisters, took her time to deliver another classic (Ocean Boulevard), started going out more and attending more shows and events, headlined Coachella, is going back to the Met Gala, looks the happiest she ever did, got Quavo’s d… What a year this has been for her.

I don’t want to get fired/sued, so I won’t say right know in case it’s meant to be a secret… a bit of an unexpected pairing, but hoping it’s iconic. (regarding the look)
Only a few more days!
 

I trust you considering you accurately broke the news that she was doing the W Magazine back in 2022.. thank u legend for giving us something to feed on, I’m so excited to see the look too! Xx

also anna cofone's major celebrity client is lana currently (altho she used to style dua lipa's hair long time ago, she also did cher's hair in london fashion week this year but that was only once), her other clients are mostly models, so her posting the met gala trailer in her insta stories was definitely for lana

this should’ve been an EP! 

I FUCKING LOVE THIS ALBUM WHAT THE FUCK 
 
Houdini is probably the best track, so I think the choice to make it as a lead was perfect. My favorite is Falling Forever, those vocals! End Of An Era, oh what an intro!!! Maria is so damn good! The vibes and the energy! Some parts of the chorus reminded me of Stereo Love's hook. 
 
It's a perfect summer album, I love the summery, beachy and sunshiney vibes with spices and energy of tropical, electronic beats! I can't really comment on the lyrics because I didn't focus on them that much but I love the lyrics for Houdini. This is what I wanted Solar Power to be. Solar Power isn't bad but it lacked the energy and the flavour what Radical Optimism had. I sensed some Tame Impala vibes as well since he was the co-producer of the album but I'm glad that it had only some of his elements because I was kind of scared that it won't be a Dua Lipa-ish album. 
 
I think it's my second favorite. Future Nostalgia is hands down her best album, my favorite of hers and also her most innovative work with all the production, sound and lyrics although I didn't like that it was bloated with that many deluxe editions (didn't it have like 5 deluxe versions). Debut album is definitely classic and also very nostalgic, it had a mixed bag of different sound of pop music from the mid to late 2010s. 
 
Live love laugh, long live Dua Lipa 

The whole album screams: Anonimous pop singer played by generic radio station.
 
And yeah, always disconcerted when an album (so short) that has been teased for so long then is something so hollow and empty, just lifeless. I’m like: “How is it possible?!” 

I don't hate it, it's definitely not what I was expecting from what's been teased. I think if this had been released in 2021 as like Future Nostalgia: Side B or as a companion record; in the style of Carly Rae Jepsen for example. It would've been better received.
 
I was a little worried when I first heard the singles and I guess there's just not enough evolution or excitement to warrant a 4 year wait? 
 
But either way it's an enjoyable little album for the summer, just a bit underwhelming.

So.. my top
1. Training Season
2. Houdini
3. Falling Forever
4. These Walls
5. Illusion
6. other
 
I'm wondering how she's going to make pop music more serious with an album like this (considering her recent interviews)
 
RO needs a second part with a more experiments with sound. immediately
Come on, reanimate it

i don’t care, i love the album  

Dua stans definitely convinced themselves that she was the saviour of pop music given the success she had with FN--but this album is kinda dull? I think she overpromised the whole "70s psychedelia" sound, because that vibe is just not there lol. It's not a bad album, but it sure ain't a memorable one, it's pretty generic.

we just need britney to come back and save pop music already

feeling so let down. I feel like this whole album had bangers on it then Lorde hit her up and was like hey girl.
 
houdini is still the best song.
 
maybe this album will grow on me. 
 

It’s a good album. Is it great ? No