is floating in the ocean, the sun just beginning to set behind her. She looks strong, serene 害羞草研究所� save for the looming threat of a massive shark, fin just breaching the surface a few feet away.

The image is the cover of her third album, 害羞草研究所淩adical Optimism,害羞草研究所� out Friday. It is an apt visual representation for an album about finding and protecting your peace in dangerous waters 害羞草研究所� a thematic maturation for the pop superstar, who has long identified her sound as 害羞草研究所渄ance-crying.害羞草研究所�

That cheeky term encapsulates the clubby jubilance of her biggest pop hits, but 害羞草研究所淩adical Optimism,害羞草研究所� with its psychedelic electro-pop, complicates it.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 definitely something more cathartic that comes with the third album,害羞草研究所� she told The Associated Press recently.

害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶛Future Nostalgia害羞草研究所� was my chance for me to be able to do a very polished pop-dance-disco record,害羞草研究所� she says 害羞草研究所淩adical Optimism,害羞草研究所� alternatively, was informed by what she害羞草研究所檚 learned from touring the world over the last few years 害羞草研究所� drawing influence from trip hop and Britpop and including newfound interest in live instrumentation.

害羞草研究所淚t was so much more free flowing,害羞草研究所� she says of her latest album害羞草研究所檚 creative process. 害羞草研究所淎nd it didn害羞草研究所檛 have a formula, per se, but I always had that pop sensibility in the back of my mind. But I wanted to just experiment and try and create something new. But I think this was always kind of the album that I害羞草研究所檝e always wanted to make.害羞草研究所�

In more ways than one: Around her first album, Lipa wrote down that she害羞草研究所檇 like to work with 害羞草研究所� specifically on her third album. The manifestation worked, and he became a crucial collaborator on 害羞草研究所淩adical Optimism.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t was almost like something deep down, instinctively, was telling me that it was something earned,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淭hat over time I would be able to go in and work with a creative that I was so inspired by, and to be in a room and learn from him.害羞草研究所�

As for the album害羞草研究所檚 title: 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 euphoric, it害羞草研究所檚 togetherness,害羞草研究所� she says.

害羞草研究所淒ance music has such a long history of creating such a safe space. And I just want to embody that,害羞草研究所� she adds.

She害羞草研究所檚 been working hard to get there. Lipa, now 28, began her career at age 15, when she convinced her family to let her move from Kosovo to London, where she was born, to pursue a pop career. She went to school, modeled, and in 2017 released her eponymous debut album with the blockbuster dance-pop hits 害羞草研究所淣ew Rules害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淥ne Kiss.害羞草研究所� Then came the nu-disco electropop of 2020害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淔uture Nostalgia,害羞草研究所� which solidified her status as one of pop music害羞草研究所檚 biggest players. Not bad for a unique voice in the streaming era, where capturing the attention of the masses 害羞草研究所� and sustaining it 害羞草研究所� has never been more of a challenge.

In 2024, her pop songs contain a kind of learned elasticity. The melodies stack atop unusual synth sounds, the vocal range stretches (particularly on the cut 害羞草研究所淔alling Forever害羞草研究所�), the dance breaks inspired by U.K. rave culture and format-benders Primal Scream and Massive Attack 害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檙e all elements Lipa says she wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have dared attempt on her last album. That came from working with Parker, producer Danny L Harle, songwriter (known for his work with and ), and Lipa害羞草研究所檚 longtime collaborator Caroline Ailin.

害羞草研究所淪he understands how to handle a lot of opinions in the room, including her own,害羞草研究所� Jesso tells the AP. 害羞草研究所淪he doesn害羞草研究所檛 value hers above anyone else害羞草研究所檚, she simply uses the ones which work best for what she is trying to achieve.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e were a band,害羞草研究所� Lipa says of the group. The first day they wrote 害羞草研究所淚llusion.害羞草研究所� The second day, 害羞草研究所淗appy for You.害羞草研究所� (害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 never written a song like that before,害羞草研究所� she points out. 害羞草研究所淎nd I loved that version of myself.害羞草研究所�) The third day, the post-disco pop of 害羞草研究所淲hatcha Doing.害羞草研究所� In bright, airy studios in London and Malibu, they finessed what would become Lipa害羞草研究所檚 most ambitious 害羞草研究所� and euphoric-sounding 害羞草研究所� record to date.

That experimentation appears across Lipa害羞草研究所檚 endeavors, too. She害羞草研究所檚 acting more 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渓ittle baby roles!害羞草研究所� she says with a smile 害羞草研究所� after playing Mermaid Barbie in (she also contributed the ubiquitous, Grammy-nominated ) and LaGrange, a sultry spy in 害羞草研究所淎rgylle害羞草研究所� (a brief performance AP film critic Jake Coyle described as ).

In 2022, she founded a newsletter called Service95, what she views as an extension of a childhood blog, to 害羞草研究所渢ell stories from all around the world, not solely from a Western lens,害羞草研究所� she says. It has grown into a website, podcast and book club: 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just another hobby of mine that I害羞草研究所檝e somehow managed to turn into a job, which is just great,害羞草研究所� she says, smiling.

害羞草研究所淢y day job, which is my music career, which I love, comes with constantly being online. And I think for me, at least now I害羞草研究所檓 searching for other things, and not doomscrolling on Twitter,害羞草研究所� she says of her media enterprise. 害羞草研究所淎t least this way I害羞草研究所檓 like learning something new about the world. I love having that kind of duality in my life.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 a duality fueled by curiosity, like when Lipa made headlines late last year for challenging in an interview on her podcast over reports of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo mining cobalt for iPhones.

害羞草研究所淭hat was scary, and really exciting,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淵ou never really know what to expect when you go in to interview someone.害羞草研究所�

A few days after visiting the AP害羞草研究所檚 New York headquarters, Lipa appears at a public high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to speak to students in a conversation moderated by .

害羞草研究所淥ne of the things I admire about her is how incredibly intelligent she is,害羞草研究所� Barrymore says in her introduction, commending Lipa for not only being an 害羞草研究所渋con,害羞草研究所� but someone who is 害羞草研究所済lobally aware.害羞草研究所�

In conversation, Lipa is generous and warm, particularly to a freshman drama student named Dolce, who is also Albanian, and expresses a desire to make it in the entertainment industry. Lipa tells her that identity, intentionally or not, is woven into her music.

At the end of the event, Lipa says she feels 害羞草研究所渙ptimistic about life overall, everything that comes with it,害羞草研究所� and takes a moment to look out at the audience. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 the most optimistic about the next generation.害羞草研究所�

And then, almost as swiftly as she arrived, Lipa leaves. A lingering positivity permeates the air. It recalls something she told the AP earlier in the week: that she strives to be 害羞草研究所渧iolently happy害羞草研究所� in life and in her endeavors.

害羞草研究所淵ou sometimes have to push yourself into that feeling,害羞草研究所� she says. Remaining grateful is 害羞草研究所渄efinitely a muscle that needs to be exercised.害羞草研究所�

On 害羞草研究所淩adical Optimism,害羞草研究所� she害羞草研究所檚 written the workout soundtrack.

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