Dua Lipa‘s dreams are coming true, and then some.
The reigning dance-pop diva of moment has made it clear from the (don’t) start (now) of her immaculate era: she’s got Madonna-level career aspirations, and her album of the year contender, Future Nostalgia, is undoubtedly inspired by the Queen of Pop’s 2005 masterpiece, Confessions on a Dance Floor – including the very participation of that album’s co-architect, Stuart Price.
“Levitating” is one of the songs that received the Price touch. And now, it’s all come full circle, as Madonna joins in on the fun for a remix of the track crafted by DJ and producer The Blessed Madonna (no relation, confusing I know) as part of Dua’s forthcoming Club Future Nostalgia remix album – and, as an added surprise, Madge’s Remixed & Revisited pal, Missy Elliott.
And on Thursday (August 13), the collaboration finally arrived – with no further leaks from any of its participants.
Madge provides some of her always helpful, “Me Against The Music”-esque assistance with her riffs (“A ri-i-i-ide…“) while sounding more like her Music/Hard Candy self (plus some “Celebration”-esque cackling), while Missy supplies her usual show-stopping, hype-inducing energy with her verse: “Boy, I’m advanced, got my real tight pants / When I back it up, I put you in a trance.”
The production is more sparse, thumping and slightly menacing than the more rich sounding, joyous disco original, shaving it down with an added BPM bump. While the remix doesn’t entirely reinvent (or particularly enhance) the song, it does sound like it’s going to fit nicely into a continuous mix of a remix album. And after a more serious, politically-minded album campaign (Madame X), it’s nice to hear Madge indulging in some more escapist dance floor fun again.
“Madonna has been an artist that I’ve listened to my whole life. And I think just, I guess her career trajectory as well has been something so inspirational and the momentum that she’s kept and the way that she’s grown with her music. And I’ve always found that really, really inspiring and to get to work with the diva herself,” Dua told Zane Lowe on Apple Music.
And as for Missy? “It’s just such a mind-blowing experience. Being a fan of Missy’s for so long and then having her to be like, ‘Yeah, I love the song. I love the remix. I love the track. I feel inspired by it. I want to jump on it.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is so crazy.’ Just like what you said, I jumped on the phone with her and we had a little talk and she really just does stuff that she really believes in, so that I felt it was such a massive compliment for me, for her to be so inspired by the remix and the track, and to want to be a part of it and be a part of this mix tape. And it really is a dream come true. I still find it, just talking about it, I’m like, it doesn’t make sense.”
As for what’s to come, Dua’s not done Duaing what she needs to do in 2020.
“Because of the remix album, there is still a couple of things and the roll out with that, that we’ve been working really hard on in terms of visuals and stuff that come with it. And then just more music, more stuff, more whatever we can. I’m hoping we’ll be able to be shooting videos a bit more going into the B-side of Future Nostalgia at some point. We’ll see.”
Hang tight for the music video, which arrives tomorrow morning.
The limited Future Nostalgia LP is out now.
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Photo credit: Warner Records
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