is floating in the ocean, the sun just beginning to set behind her. She looks strong, serene 香蕉视频直播� 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, 香蕉视频直播淩adical Optimism,香蕉视频直播� out Friday. It is an apt visual representation for an album about finding and protecting your peace in dangerous waters 香蕉视频直播� a thematic maturation for the pop superstar, who has long identified her sound as 香蕉视频直播渄ance-crying.香蕉视频直播�

That cheeky term encapsulates the clubby jubilance of her biggest pop hits, but 香蕉视频直播淩adical Optimism,香蕉视频直播� with its psychedelic electro-pop, complicates it.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 definitely something more cathartic that comes with the third album,香蕉视频直播� she told The Associated Press recently.

香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈�橣uture Nostalgia香蕉视频直播� was my chance for me to be able to do a very polished pop-dance-disco record,香蕉视频直播� she says 香蕉视频直播淩adical Optimism,香蕉视频直播� alternatively, was informed by what she香蕉视频直播檚 learned from touring the world over the last few years 香蕉视频直播� drawing influence from trip hop and Britpop and including newfound interest in live instrumentation.

香蕉视频直播淚t was so much more free flowing,香蕉视频直播� she says of her latest album香蕉视频直播檚 creative process. 香蕉视频直播淎nd it didn香蕉视频直播檛 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香蕉视频直播檝e always wanted to make.香蕉视频直播�

In more ways than one: Around her first album, Lipa wrote down that she香蕉视频直播檇 like to work with 香蕉视频直播� specifically on her third album. The manifestation worked, and he became a crucial collaborator on 香蕉视频直播淩adical Optimism.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t was almost like something deep down, instinctively, was telling me that it was something earned,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淭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.香蕉视频直播�

As for the album香蕉视频直播檚 title: 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 euphoric, it香蕉视频直播檚 togetherness,香蕉视频直播� she says.

香蕉视频直播淒ance music has such a long history of creating such a safe space. And I just want to embody that,香蕉视频直播� she adds.

She香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播淣ew Rules香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淥ne Kiss.香蕉视频直播� Then came the nu-disco electropop of 2020香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淔uture Nostalgia,香蕉视频直播� which solidified her status as one of pop music香蕉视频直播檚 biggest players. Not bad for a unique voice in the streaming era, where capturing the attention of the masses 香蕉视频直播� and sustaining it 香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淔alling Forever香蕉视频直播�), the dance breaks inspired by U.K. rave culture and format-benders Primal Scream and Massive Attack 香蕉视频直播� they香蕉视频直播檙e all elements Lipa says she wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 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香蕉视频直播檚 longtime collaborator Caroline Ailin.

香蕉视频直播淪he understands how to handle a lot of opinions in the room, including her own,香蕉视频直播� Jesso tells the AP. 香蕉视频直播淪he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 value hers above anyone else香蕉视频直播檚, she simply uses the ones which work best for what she is trying to achieve.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e were a band,香蕉视频直播� Lipa says of the group. The first day they wrote 香蕉视频直播淚llusion.香蕉视频直播� The second day, 香蕉视频直播淗appy for You.香蕉视频直播� (香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 never written a song like that before,香蕉视频直播� she points out. 香蕉视频直播淎nd I loved that version of myself.香蕉视频直播�) The third day, the post-disco pop of 香蕉视频直播淲hatcha Doing.香蕉视频直播� In bright, airy studios in London and Malibu, they finessed what would become Lipa香蕉视频直播檚 most ambitious 香蕉视频直播� and euphoric-sounding 香蕉视频直播� record to date.

That experimentation appears across Lipa香蕉视频直播檚 endeavors, too. She香蕉视频直播檚 acting more 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渓ittle baby roles!香蕉视频直播� she says with a smile 香蕉视频直播� after playing Mermaid Barbie in (she also contributed the ubiquitous, Grammy-nominated ) and LaGrange, a sultry spy in 香蕉视频直播淎rgylle香蕉视频直播� (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 香蕉视频直播渢ell stories from all around the world, not solely from a Western lens,香蕉视频直播� she says. It has grown into a website, podcast and book club: 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 just another hobby of mine that I香蕉视频直播檝e somehow managed to turn into a job, which is just great,香蕉视频直播� she says, smiling.

香蕉视频直播淢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香蕉视频直播檓 searching for other things, and not doomscrolling on Twitter,香蕉视频直播� she says of her media enterprise. 香蕉视频直播淎t least this way I香蕉视频直播檓 like learning something new about the world. I love having that kind of duality in my life.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 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.

香蕉视频直播淭hat was scary, and really exciting,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淵ou never really know what to expect when you go in to interview someone.香蕉视频直播�

A few days after visiting the AP香蕉视频直播檚 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 .

香蕉视频直播淥ne of the things I admire about her is how incredibly intelligent she is,香蕉视频直播� Barrymore says in her introduction, commending Lipa for not only being an 香蕉视频直播渋con,香蕉视频直播� but someone who is 香蕉视频直播済lobally aware.香蕉视频直播�

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 香蕉视频直播渙ptimistic about life overall, everything that comes with it,香蕉视频直播� and takes a moment to look out at the audience. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 the most optimistic about the next generation.香蕉视频直播�

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 香蕉视频直播渧iolently happy香蕉视频直播� in life and in her endeavors.

香蕉视频直播淵ou sometimes have to push yourself into that feeling,香蕉视频直播� she says. Remaining grateful is 香蕉视频直播渄efinitely a muscle that needs to be exercised.香蕉视频直播�

On 香蕉视频直播淩adical Optimism,香蕉视频直播� she香蕉视频直播檚 written the workout soundtrack.

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