She’s already had one of the biggest hits of the year with Dance The Night, which is taken from the Barbie album, and now Dua Lipa is set to kick off her third album era with the release of Houdini, her new single, which is released today.
The song has been teased via multiple social media snippets, with credits on the YouTube clip indicating that Lipa serves as vocalist (obviously) and one of its songwriters.
Houdini is co-produced by Kevin Parker, the Australian multi-instrumentalist who’s better known as Tame Impala. Parker is also one of the song’s writers, arrangers and engineers, and is further credited with singing backing vocals and playing bass, drums, guitar, keyboards and percussion on the track.
Fair to say he was heavily involved, then.
Another notable member of the Houdini crew is Danny L Harle, who was previously signed to the PC Music label. He helped out with backing vocals, songwriting, production, arrangement, synth work and drum programming.
Next on the credits list comes Caroline Ailin, a regular Dua Lipa collaborator who co-wrote both New Rules and Don’t Start Now. She’s listed as a songwriter here, too, also providing backing vocals and working on the vocal production.
If you thought that would be more than enough talent then think again, because Tobias Jesso Jr, who’s previously worked with the likes of Harry Styles, Adele and FKA Twigs, is also involved, delivering yet more backing vocals and lending his considerable songwriting expertise.
Throw in Cameron Gower Poole (vocal production, engineering), Josh Gudwin (mixing) and Chris Gehringer (mastering) and you could hardly have assembled a more capable team.
In the run-up to Houdini’s release, Lipa has been sharing some behind-the-scenes snaps of herself, Parker, Harle, Ailin, and Jesso Jr in the studio, suggesting that, rather than working in isolation, there were times when the whole gang was together.
The star has suggested that her as-yet-untitled new album will be released next year and pivot away from the disco sound of Future Nostalgia, her previous record, to one that nods to 1970s-era psychedelia. This would certainly help to explain why she recruited Parker; it hasn’t been 100% confirmed that he features on more new Dua Lipa material, but it seems highly likely that he will.
Houdini will be released on 9 November at 11pm GMT.
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