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"Love Again" is a song by English-Albanian singer
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
from her second studio album, ''
Future Nostalgia ''Future Nostalgia'' is the second studio album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers such as Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Monsters & Strange ...
'' (2020). The song was written by Lipa alongside Clarence Coffee Jr.,
Chelcee Grimes Chelcee Maria Grimes (born 8 May 1992) is an English singer, songwriter, television presenter, and footballer. She wrote songs for Kylie Minogue, Dua Lipa, Blackpink, Kesha, Olly Murs, Jonas Blue, Louisa, the Saturdays, and Tom Walker. Grimes ...
and its producer Koz. They wrote the song based on the concept of manifesting positive things into one's life and Lipa later described it as her favourite song on the album. It was sent for
radio airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
in France on 11 March 2021 as the sixth and final
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
from ''Future Nostalgia'' before being released for digital download and
streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
on 4 June globally. It is a classic-sounding
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
,
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
and
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
song with a 21st century nu-disco production that includes disco beats and
1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
-styled disco strings. The song samples " My Woman" by
Al Bowlly Albert Allick Bowlly (7 January 1898 – 17 April 1941) was a Mozambican-born South African– British vocalist and jazz guitarist, who was popular during the 1930s in Britain. He recorded more than 1,000 songs. His most popular songs includ ...
with
Lew Stone Louis Stone known professionally as Lew Stone (28 June 1898 – 13 February 1969) was a British bandleader and arranger of the British dance band era, and was well known in Britain during the 1930s. He was known as a skillful, innovative a ...
and His Monseigneur Band, using it for several aspects, thus
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
, Max Wartell and Irving Wallman are also credited as writers. The lyrics explore themes of heartbreak and personal growth, seeing Lipa falling in love again with a new lover following a rough split. Several
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
praised the use of the "My Woman" sample as well as the strings used in the production and the lyrics. Commercially, "Love Again" reached reached number 51 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and number 41 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as well as number 59 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart. It additionally reached the top 10 of charts in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, reaching the summit in the last of the territories. The song has been certified silver in the United Kingdom by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) and platinum in both Italy and Poland by the
Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when major corporate labels left the previously exist ...
(FIMI) and
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry ( pl, Związek Producentów Audio-Video, ZPAV) is the trade organization that represents the interests of the music industry in Poland, and the Polish chapter of the International Federation of the ...
(ZPAV), respectively. The
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "Love Again" was directed by Lope Serrano and filmed at the
Grosvenor House Hotel ] JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, originally named the Grosvenor House Hotel, is a luxury hotel that opened in 1929 in the Mayfair area of London, England. The hotel is managed by JW Marriott Hotels, which is a brand of Marriott Internationa ...
in London. The visual sees Lipa and her rodeo clown-styled dancers in the hotel's ballroom line dancing, riding mechanical bulls that sometimes disappear and painting eggs. A horse appears and the rodeo clowns attempt to capture a giant egg. Several critics commended the video's message of it being silly to fall in love so soon, as well as its Western style and surrealism. Lipa performed the song on multiple occasions in 2021, including at the Time 100, ''Time'' 100 event, at the 41st Brit Awards as part of a ''Future Nostalgia'' Medley and at the
iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year in September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the festival was held at the MGM Gran ...
. The song was included on the setlist of Lipa's 2022
Future Nostalgia Tour The Future Nostalgia Tour was the second concert tour and first arena tour by English singer Dua Lipa, in support of her second studio album, ''Future Nostalgia'' (2020). Originally announced in December 2019 and scheduled to take place from Ap ...
. It was further promoted with remixes by Horse Meat Disco,
Imanbek Imanbek Maratuly Zeikenov ( kk, Иманбек Маратұлы Зейкенов, İmanbek Maratūly Zeikenov; born 21 October 2000), known mononymously as Imanbek, is a Kazakh electronic dance music record producer. In 2019, he became kno ...
and Garabatto.


Writing and production

"Love Again" was written by Lipa and her longtime collaborators Clarence Coffee Jr.,
Chelcee Grimes Chelcee Maria Grimes (born 8 May 1992) is an English singer, songwriter, television presenter, and footballer. She wrote songs for Kylie Minogue, Dua Lipa, Blackpink, Kesha, Olly Murs, Jonas Blue, Louisa, the Saturdays, and Tom Walker. Grimes ...
and
Stephen Kozmeniuk Stephen Kozmeniuk, known professionally as Koz, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, engineer and instrumentalist. Production and writing credits include Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, and Dua Lipa. Koz received 3 Grammy nominatio ...
, the latter of whom also handled the production. They began working on the song while Lipa was going through a rough patch with a breakup. She had been in a relationship with someone who was dishonest to her and realized it was no longer healthy for her. During the relationship, Lipa failed to recognize herself and felt as though she had lost her power, as she usually sees herself as a strong woman. The collaborators had been working together in the studio for a couple days, but had not written anything they liked. Lipa was running late to the studio that day, while Kozmeniuk came in early determined to make something cool. With her album ''
Future Nostalgia ''Future Nostalgia'' is the second studio album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers such as Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Monsters & Strange ...
'', Lipa wanted to create "old-styled" music with a modern twist, being inspired by artists that she grew up listening to. Having known that, Kozmeniuk played with some analog synths and came up with a rudimentary
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
. He then added a guitar
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
on top and a
drum break In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece. A break is usually interpolated between sections of a song, to ...
throughout the song.
Acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
s were then added. When Lipa arrived at the studio, Grimes and Coffee were playing the guitar and singing "Hotdamn, you got me in love again". Lipa quickly rejected the line and changed it to "Goddamn, you got me in love again". She began expressing her feelings about the relationship to the writers, and Coffee suggested writing about that. They decided to begin the song with a concept of manifesting positive energy into one's life and realizing some things need to end. Lipa thought that if she wrote about this, she might feel better. They started writing "Love Again" on a guitar and the song was originally in a non-standard
song structure Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
, which Lipa was fine with. Lipa thought the version felt good. Following the session, Kozmeniuk was reading a
Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...
book and he was picturing the work of
Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
where she had built up with a lot of a drums and string parts in an intro, before the song began. Inspired by this, he got his neighbour Drew Jurecka to play the violin and strings. Kozmeniuk quickly sent the string version to Lipa, which she admired for how dramatic it was. However, all the collaborators agreed that the song was still missing something. Later, two beats were added to the
middle eight The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century. A ...
to build for a string part before exploding with the chorus. One night while they were all in a studio, Coffee began singing the riff of the 1932 track " My Woman" by
Al Bowlly Albert Allick Bowlly (7 January 1898 – 17 April 1941) was a Mozambican-born South African– British vocalist and jazz guitarist, who was popular during the 1930s in Britain. He recorded more than 1,000 songs. His most popular songs includ ...
with
Lew Stone Louis Stone known professionally as Lew Stone (28 June 1898 – 13 February 1969) was a British bandleader and arranger of the British dance band era, and was well known in Britain during the 1930s. He was known as a skillful, innovative a ...
and His Monseigneur Band over the top of what they had. Lipa thought the riff was from ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' (1977), while Grimes thought it was eerie and spooky. Lipa then suggested that they should incorporate it into "Love Again". Kozmeniuk spent a lot of time doing so with several different
pitch correction Pitch correction is an electronic effects unit or audio software that changes the intonation (highness or lowness in pitch) of an audio signal so that all pitches will be notes from the equally tempered system (i.e., like the pitches on a piano) ...
s as "Love Again" and "My Woman" were in different keys. Due to this,
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
, Max Wartell and Irving Wallman were credited as writers. Coffee and Grimes questioned Lipa on including the line "I'll sink my teeth in disbelief" but Lipa fought really hard for it. She described the line as a visual one where you can almost taste how good something is, like the rush of adrenaline when she is about to get on stage. The singer later described this as her favourite line she has ever written. The line was originally "don't wake me up if it's a dream". Lipa's vocals were recorded at RAK Studios in London. She went to the studio with her vocal producer Lorna Blackwood. Blackwood told Lipa to sing the sad parts of the song with a smile. Lipa recorded the
ad-libs In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...
last, nervously thinking she would go off pitch. However, the nerves went away as the booth is like a school bathroom with strong acoustics where anything sounds great. Other vocals were recorded at TaP Studio and Sleeper Sound, both in London. The song was recorded at the latter of the two studios as well as Windmill in
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
and Modulator Music in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. Mixing was handled by Matty Green at Studio 55 in Los Angeles while
Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
mastered the song at Sterling Sound in
Edgewater, New Jersey Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a population of 11,513,/nowiki>''sic''/nowiki> Hill Road was an important route to the top ...
. Lipa described "Love Again" as "dance crying" as it is a dance song with the juxtaposition of both happy and sad feelings. As the song was written in parts instead of a complete track, there were several different versions of it. At one point Lipa suggested making the current middle eight the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, but quickly went with the
demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
version. After the song was finished, the collaborators spent a lot of time getting the structure right and playing with the arrangements, right up until the final mix. Lipa described "Love Again" as her favourite song on ''Future Nostalgia''.


Music and lyrics

Musically, "Love Again" is a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
,
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
and
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
song with a classic sound. The song has a length of 4:18, and a structure of verse,
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
,
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, verse, bridge, chorus, bridge, middle eight, bridge, chorus. It is composed in the
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
of time and the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...
, with a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 116 beats per minute and a chord progression of Fm–D–Bm7–E. The song's melodramatic 21st-century nu-disco production matches its lyrics, and includes gloopy violins,
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
l sounds as well as disco beats and
synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
. Swooning, stirring and buzzing
1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
disco
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
are also included, which add an emotional edge to the lyrics. The song samples " My Woman" (1932) by Al Bowlly with Lew Stone and His Monseigneur Band. These elements are featured in the intro and woven in and out throughout the song. This sample includes its strings,
horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
and
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
, the latter of which was made popular by its
sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
in
White Town Jyoti Prakash Mishra (born 30 July 1966), better known by his stage name White Town, is a British-Indian singer and musician. He is best known for his 1997 hit song "Your Woman". Early life Jyoti Prakash Mishra was born in Rourkela on 30 July ...
's 1997 song "
Your Woman "Your Woman" is a song by British one-man band White Town. It was released in January 1997 as the lead single from the album ''Women in Technology (album), Women in Technology''. It features a muted trumpet Hook (music), line taken from a 1932 ...
". Acoustic guitar strums are included in the echoing
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, before a repetitive hook and a thudding
beat drop A drop or beat drop in music, made popular by electronic dance music (EDM) styles, is a point in a music track where a sudden change of rhythm or bass line occurs, which is preceded by a build-up section and break. Originating from disco and 197 ...
. Lipa uses her lower
register Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...
husky vocals that encapsulate an undeniable sense of urgency, as if she is mimicking the rush of falling in love with hints of tension ever so often. Her vocals range from the low note of E3 to the high note of A4. Lyrically, "Love Again" explores themes of heartbreak and personal growth with proclamations of rediscovered love and the hateful romantic rediscovering of the power of love. Lipa expresses her powerlessness in a new relationship and explains how terrifying it can be. Having fallen out with the belief in love, she navigates her feelings after being unexpectedly swept off her feet by a new partner following a rough split with a previous lover. She knows how a new love could end, but is faithful and open to what the future might bring. The song quotes the chorus melody of "
Don't Cha "Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is an interpolation of the song "Swass", which was written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The song was originally recorded and published by Tor ...
" (2005) by
the Pussycat Dolls The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...
. Lipa additionally described it as one manifesting good things into their life when things are not going their way.


Release and promotion

"Love Again" was released through
Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
on 27 March 2020 as the eighth track on Lipa's second studio album ''Future Nostalgia''. A
lyric video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for it was released on 9 April 2020. A remix of the song by Horse Meat Disco is apart of Lipa and
the Blessed Madonna Marea Stamper (born 1977), better known by her stage name the Blessed Madonna (formerly the Black Madonna), is an American DJ, producer and musician. ''Mixmag'' named her the DJ of the year in 2016. She founded her own record label called We Sti ...
's 28 August 2020-released,
DJ Mix A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as turntables, CD players, digital audio players ...
-crafted remix album ''
Club Future Nostalgia ''Club Future Nostalgia'' is a remix album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa and American DJ the Blessed Madonna. A DJ mix edition of it was released on 28 August 2020, with the standard edition following on 11 September of the same year. Th ...
'', while the original version of the remix was released for digital download and streaming on 11 September 2020. It is a
1980s File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
-styled,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
and synth-heavy remix that introduces simple melodies,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
-laced instrumentals and strutting beats with a
retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
charm; although, the "My Woman" sample is no longer heard. The song was the subject of a 15 December 2020-released ''
Song Exploder ''Song Exploder'' is a music podcast created by Hrishikesh Hirway, who hosted it from its 2014 inception until late 2018 and again from December 2019 onwards. In January 2019, Thao Nguyen became a guest host for the year, with Christian Koons ser ...
'' volume 2 episode on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in which Lipa and her collaborators talk about the making of the song. "Love Again" was promoted to
radios Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitt ...
in France on 11 March 2021 as the sixth single from ''Future Nostalgia''. The song was released for digital download and streaming globally on 4 June. Nina Braca of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' noted that this release, after 15 months following the release of the album, was "practically unheard of" in modern music era as "album cycles often come and go in as little as a few weeks". The song was sent for radio airplay in Italy on 11 June 2021. On 22 June 2021, it was promoted to contemporary hit,
adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
and
dance radio Dance radio is a format that consists of current and recent dance and electronic music. While the format is popular in Europe and Asia, it has yet to make an impact in North America, although there are several top 40 and rhythmic radio stations ...
stations in the United States as a
promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
. The song was officially sent as a single to contemporary hit radio stations in the country on 6 July and adult contemporary radio stations on 26 July 2021. It was promoted with two more remixes: the 1 October 2021-released
Imanbek Imanbek Maratuly Zeikenov ( kk, Иманбек Маратұлы Зейкенов, İmanbek Maratūly Zeikenov; born 21 October 2000), known mononymously as Imanbek, is a Kazakh electronic dance music record producer. In 2019, he became kno ...
remix and the 15 October-released Garabatto remix.


Reception

Elly Watson of ''
DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
'' praised the use of the "My Woman" sample as "goosebump-inducing," while ''
musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
''s Nick Smith stated it has a "slapping effect." Smith went on to call the song a "highlight" and compared it to
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's ''
Confessions on a Dance Floor ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' is the tenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 9, 2005, by Warner Bros. Records. A complete departure from her previous studio album '' American Life'' (2003), ...
'' (2005). ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''s Helen Brown thought that the song has Lipa's best use of a sample with "My Woman". She also questioned if it is Lipa's "most romantic song" to date, while David Levesley's '' GQ'' review saw him calling the song her "most powerfully pro-love song to date". Jonathan Wright of ''
God Is in the TV ''God Is in the TV'' is an independent music and culture online magazine founded by editor Bill Cummings in Cardiff in 2003. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interviews, podcasts and media. The webzine's coverage varies from un ...
'' commended the "excellent" use of the "My Woman" sample, as well as complimenting the string arrangement and middle eight. Evan Sawdey of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' commended the "clever" use of the "My Woman" sample, stating it makes the song "stand out." In a separate, negative review from the same publication, Nick Malone stated that the hook doesn't "pop" the way it needs to, Lipa's vocals are "non-committal" and the "My Woman" sample does not make it "soar". Writing for ''
Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
'', Chris DeVille found the song to be reminiscent of Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around" (1976), while Jeffrey Davies' review for ''Spectrum Culture'' saw him compare it to "I Feel Love" (1977) by
Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
. ''Nylon (magazine), Nylon'' writer Steffanee Wang viewed the song as a "Western movie's take on the feverish emotion" of love. In her review for ''The Guardian'', Laura Snapes complimented Lipa for being awestruck in the song. Mike Nied of ''Idolator (website), Idolator'' commended Lipa's "dulcet" vocals, stating they work well for this song. He continued by noting its contrast to her single "Don't Start Now" (2019) as well as viewing "Love Again" as a vulnerable moment. For ''Business Insider'', Callie Ahlgrim thought that Lipa's vocals "shine" on the track, while also calling it "cinematic." ''Slant Magazine'' ranked "Love Again" as 2020's 25th best song and writer Sal Cinquemani praised it for demonstrating "Lipa's knack for wringing pathos from everyday dating woes and pouring it into sublime dance-pop." He additionally viewed the song as "euphoric" and a "dizzying dance-floor filler." For ''Crack (magazine), Crack'', Michael Cragg thought that the song is a "sky-scraping ballad" that transforms into a "sophisticated, dancefloor-ready bop". From her review in ''Billboard'', Bianca Gracie saw that the use of strings adds a "jolt of nostalgia", while the lyrics see Lipa in an "out-of-body love experience". Overall, she named it ''Future Nostalgia''s sixth best track and one of the album's sultrier moments. In April 2020, Christopher Rosa of ''Glamour (magazine), Glamour'' ranked it as Lipa's sixth best song, viewing it as the album's most "overtly disco" track and "grandiose ode to falling in love against your better wishes".


Commercial performance

Upon ''Future Nostalgia''s release, "Love Again" became a relatively successful album track across Europe. The song reached number 38 in Lithuania, 107 in Portugal, 86 in Romania, 62 in Slovakia and 90 in Spain. It additionally entered at number 61 on both the UK Singles Downloads Chart and Official Audio Streaming Chart, UK Audio Streaming Chart. In April 2020, the Official Charts Company reported that the song was the most downloaded album track from the album in the United Kingdom. Following its release as a single, "Love Again" debuted at number 159 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart dated 19 June 2021. In October of that year, the song spent its 20th week on the chart, reaching a peak position of number 59. The song spent a total of 35 weeks on the Global 200. On France's Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, SNEP Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 198 on the issue dated 10 April 2021, before peaking at number 41 two months later and charting for 37 weeks. In the UK, "Love Again" debuted at number 96 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
dated 18 June 2021. It departed the chart the following week but re-entered at number 92 on the chart dated 23 July 2021. Four weeks later, the song peaked at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart, lasting for a total of nine weeks. In October 2021, it was awarded a silver certification from the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) for selling 200,000 track-equivalent units in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, the song debuted at number 87 on the Irish Singles Chart dated 11 June 2021. Two months later, the song peaked at number 36 and spent a total of 23 weeks on the chart. In the Wallonia region of Belgium, the song debuted at number 34 in May 2021, before peaking at the runner-up position three months later. It was blocked from the summit by Ed Sheeran's "Bad Habits (Ed Sheeran song), Bad Habits" (2021) and spent 27 weeks on the chart. In the country's Flanders region, the song also charted for 27 weeks, debuting at number 46 in June 2021 and peaking at number five the following month. In Germany, "Love Again" charted for 18 weeks and peaked at number 44. Elsewhere in Europe, the song reached the top 10 of charts in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia while reaching the summit in the Czech Republic. In 2022, the song was certified platinum by the
Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when major corporate labels left the previously exist ...
(FIMI) for selling 70,000 track-equivalent units in Italy. It received double platinum the same year in Poland by the
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry ( pl, Związek Producentów Audio-Video, ZPAV) is the trade organization that represents the interests of the music industry in Poland, and the Polish chapter of the International Federation of the ...
(ZPAV) for 100,000 track-equivalent unit sales. On the Canadian Hot 100, "Love Again" debuted at number 75 on the chart dated 17 July 2021. It spent 22 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 11 in the 14th week. It was awarded a double platinum certification in the country from Music Canada for selling 160,000 track-equivalent units in the country. In the US, the song spent two weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart before entering the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 89 in July 2021. In October 2021, it peaked at number 41 and spent 16 weeks charting. The song additionally peaked at number 60 on Australia's ARIA Charts, ARIA Singles Chart and number 3 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.


Music video


Background and release

The
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "Love Again" was directed by Lope Serrano of Spanish production team Canada (company), Canada. Lipa contacted the production company for another collaboration following the video for her 2020 single "Physical (Dua Lipa song), Physical". They were briefed with information that Lipa pictured herself on a mechanical bull for the video, it was her favourite song on the album and that the song was about a personal resurgence, not necessarily just in a romantic context. When writing the video, Serrano attempted to gather real and predictable rodeo elements and combine them in unexpected ways. The production team found new meanings of the rodeo elements to communicate in the video, including using the clown makeup for abstract painting strains so classical paintings could be used to connect shots. They used paintings that depicted horses, romantic raptures, hugs, portraits and hyperdynamic group compositions. Serrano decided to add egg aspects to the video as he was looking for "an unexpected rhyme to the lasso routine". He thought that the wrist movement when one beats eggs is similar to a lasso movement. He also wanted to illustrate the song's romantic message, like the idea of a love coming up again that seems like a once in a lifetime experience that is pure, intense and unexpected, which he compared to "like these delicate flowers or animals that are just designed to blossom and intercourse just once and then they die" as well as the "tense connection between the humans and their recovered feelings". The visual was filmed at the
Grosvenor House Hotel ] JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, originally named the Grosvenor House Hotel, is a luxury hotel that opened in 1929 in the Mayfair area of London, England. The hotel is managed by JW Marriott Hotels, which is a brand of Marriott Internationa ...
in London about three weeks before its release, during rehearsals for Lipa's performance at the 41st Brit Awards. Serrano liked the idea of shooting in one place as it adds to the video's cohesiveness and makes it as though the characters are real and belong to the setting. The video's team quarantined in the hotel for a week before they began filming due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This gave the team time to work in the location. Lipa learned the video's choreography in 45 minutes and new outfits were added for her in the midst of filming. Serrano recalled she enjoyed being on the mechanical bull that was controlled. Steve Dent helped the team with the horse and production company Eighty4 helped with the Visual effects, VFX, making it so that when the horse went invisible, there was still a 3D aspect with the saddle and rider. These shots were the hardest to shoot so the team worked with the tension of the ropes attached to the horse's neck as well as adjusting its natural shadow. Lipa formally announced the video on 31 May 2021. It premiered via YouTube on 4 June 2021. A director's cut version of the video was released on 28 July 2021. This version opens with two rodeo clowns reading a script, which is the lyrics of "Love Again", more classical paintings in the editing, less dancing, more shots of the clowns, a chicken on the TV set, Lipa riding the lighting horse as well as Closing credits, final credits that feature a rodeo clown riding the horse which has a green suit on.


Analysis and synopsis

The video opens with two title cards saying Lipa's name and the song title, "Love Again". Simultaneously, a Stetson cowboy hat floats from a coat room to a ballroom where Lipa catches it and puts it on her head. She wears a zebra print bikini top, belted black denim shorts, a suede vest, a cowboy hat, a bolo tie and chunky heeled boots while riding a mechanical bull; this bull later becomes invisible as a way to make things less emphatic and literal. Intercut scenes of Lipa riding the bull covered in miniature light bulbs and wearing a Phipps cowboy suit containing a green top, blue pants and a cowboy hat, also covered in miniature light bulbs, are also included, as well as her floating in slow motion while wearing Blumarine pink bandana crop top with a lacy trim, a lavender hat, a butterfly belt buckle with diamantés, blue denim pants and pink cowboy boots. She later waves a glowing lasso in the former scene. The singer is also seen cracking eggs with different coloured yolks to later whisk them in the same bowl while rodeo clowns crack them too and paint clown faces on each other with the coloured yolks as well as making omelettes. She wears a red-and-black denim set from a collaboration between Levi Strauss & Co., Levi and Miu Miu with a leather jacket from the latter company's 2011 line. Back in the ballroom, Lipa square dances and line dances with rodeo clowns as the floor is covered in eggs. She wears Rick Owens grill kiss leather boots, camouflage green cargo pants, a longline brown cow print jacket and a cow-print bra; the latter three clothing items are from The Attico. Some of the rodeo clowns also appear on invisible horses. Further on, a giant egg floats in the middle of the ballroom and the rodeo clowns attempt to capture it with lassos. The egg is eventually too much for them as it pulls them onto the floor before also becoming invisible. A horse covered in LEDs then runs in around the hallways. The "wild" horse scene is a metaphor for the idea of love, not being completely clear, while the egg scene adds to the metaphor by enhancing the people in the relationship with the cowboys, ropes and horse. Also, the floating egg being captured, tensioning its delicacy, is a metaphor for the myth of female reproduction and how weak male human violence can be. The video closes with Lipa dressed as a rodeo clown, slow dancing with an anonymous person; they both wear all white. Lipa wears a red nose and wipes some of her lipstick of the same colour onto her partner's jacket.


Reception

Maia Kedem of ''Audacy'' hypothesized that Lipa wearing the clown makeup at the end may be a metaphor for "the clownery of falling back in love after experiencing heartbreak", while calling the metaphor "deep". ''Hot Press''s Ciaran Brennan viewed Lipa's style in the video as "cowboy chic". In ''Refinery29'', Eliza Huber said that although Western tropes in fashion have been popular for a while, Lipa makes the style "feel surprisingly fresh" in the video, while also comparing it to the clip for Madonna's "Don't Tell Me (Madonna song), Don't Tell Me" (2000). Wang compared the hotel ballroom setting to ''The Shining (film), The Shining'' (1980) while theorizing that the video documents the cast's "slow decent into insanity", "putting on clown makeup to also hoedown in the building’s empty ballroom". For ''Grazia'', Marisa Petrarca called the video "absolute gold" with Lipa embracing a "glamorous take on Western fashion" containing "epic" ensembles. ''Business Insider'' used the video as an example on how Stetson cowboy hats have changed demography in their "So Expensive" web series. For ''Vulture.com, Vulture'', Devon Ivie labeled the music video a "surrealist country-inspired video" that "has us falling in love with [Lipa] all over again". The staff of ''Wonderland (magazine), Wonderland'' said their minds "are totally blown" with the video, while calling the fashion "gorgeous" and the choreography "a TikTok worthy dance routine". In ''The A.V. Club'', Gabrielle Sanchez noted science fiction elements in the video with the invisible mechanical bull. Similarly, Erica Gonzales of ''Harper's Bazaar'' thought these elements are more "surreal", while also stating that the clown makeup is the best part of the video and thought that it poked fun at the "clownery" of falling in love knowing it could end badly. In a review from ''Billboard'', Gil Kaufman said that Lipa gets her "urban cowgal on" in the visual and thought she took a "sensual, slow-mo ride" on the mechanical bull. Cinquemani thought that the main takeaway from the video was "keep falling for the wrong person and the yolk's on you" while noting its use of special effects and praising the surreality. He went on to note that Lipa's "disco-cowgirl getup and choreography" was similar to that of "Don't Tell Me" and Halsey (singer), Halsey's "You Should Be Sad" (2020). The staff of Contactmusic.com said that Lipa looks like a "super-sexy Jessie (Toy Story), Jessie Cowgirl" and praised her "natural born" bull-riding skills. They also said that the video gives the song "a whole new lease of life". For ''Consequence (publication), Consequence'', Wren Graves named the video a "campy rodeo fantasy", while commending how Lipa waves her lasso, similarly to Wonder Woman. Josiah Hughes of ''Exclaim!'' stated that with the video, Lipa proves that "country and western dressup is a trend that will simply not die". "Love Again" won Best Pop Video at the 2021 UK Music Video Awards.


Live performances

Lipa performed "Love Again" during her NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, Tiny Desk Concert, released 4 December 2020. Lipa described the performance as a "special" rendition of the song and the concert was filmed in London instead of Washington, D.C. where the concerts normally take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was accompanied by backup singers, a bassist, a guitarist and a drum machine. On 19 February 2021, the singer performed a stripped-down Acoustic music, acoustic version of the track during the Time 100, 2021 ''Time'' 100 event along with her 2020 single "Levitating (song), Levitating". Lipa performed the soft piano rendition of the song as a duet with Elton John at Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party, his AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party on 25 April 2021. She performed the song at the 41st Brit Awards as part of her set list of a ''Future Nostalgia'' Medley on 11 May 2021. The singer performed it at the 2021
iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year in September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the festival was held at the MGM Gran ...
on 17 September. The song was included on the setlist of Lipa's 2022
Future Nostalgia Tour The Future Nostalgia Tour was the second concert tour and first arena tour by English singer Dua Lipa, in support of her second studio album, ''Future Nostalgia'' (2020). Originally announced in December 2019 and scheduled to take place from Ap ...
.


Track listings

* Digital download and streaming – Horse Meat Disco remix # "Love Again" (Horse Meat Disco remix) – 5:31 *Radio airplay – French radio edit # "Love Again" – 2:35 *Digital download and streaming # "Love Again" – 4:18 *Contemporary hit and adult contemporary radio – radio edit # "Love Again" – 3:53 *Digital download and streaming – Imanbek remix # "Love Again" (
Imanbek Imanbek Maratuly Zeikenov ( kk, Иманбек Маратұлы Зейкенов, İmanbek Maratūly Zeikenov; born 21 October 2000), known mononymously as Imanbek, is a Kazakh electronic dance music record producer. In 2019, he became kno ...
remix) – 3:34 *Streaming – Imanbek remix – Spotify single # "Love Again" (Imanbek remix) – 3:34 # "Love Again" – 4:18 *Digital download and streaming – Garabatto remix # "Love Again" (Garabatto remix) – 3:29 *Streaming – Garabatto remix – Spotify single # "Love Again" (Garabatto remix) – 3:29 # "Love Again" (Imanbek remix) – 3:34 # "Love Again" – 4:18


Personnel

*
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
vocals * Koz (musician), Koz production, bass, drums, guitar, synthesizer * Stuart Price additional production, bass guitar, keyboards * Clarence Coffee Jr. backing vocals * Nylon (band), Alma Goodman backing vocals * Vanessa Luciano backing vocals *
Chelcee Grimes Chelcee Maria Grimes (born 8 May 1992) is an English singer, songwriter, television presenter, and footballer. She wrote songs for Kylie Minogue, Dua Lipa, Blackpink, Kesha, Olly Murs, Jonas Blue, Louisa, the Saturdays, and Tom Walker. Grimes ...
backing vocals * Drew Jurecka baritone violin, string arrangement, string engineering, viola, violin * Ash Soan Tom Toms drums * Matt Snell engineering * Lorna Blackwood programming, vocal production * Cameron Gower Poole vocal engineer * Matty Green mixing *
Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
mastering * Will Quinnell assistant mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of number-one songs of the 2020s (Czech Republic) * List of German airplay number-one songs of 2021


Footnotes


References


External links

* * *
Lyrics of this song
at Musixmatch {{Dua Lipa 2020 songs 2021 singles Dua Lipa songs Songs written by Dua Lipa Songs written by Stephen Kozmeniuk Songs written by Clarence Coffee Jr. Songs written by Chelcee Grimes British disco songs Dance-pop songs Electropop songs Bing Crosby Song recordings produced by Stuart Price