Training Season

Dua Lipa began writing songs intended for her third studio album in 2021.^[1][2] In January 2022, she revealed that a large part of songwriting for it had been completed, and half of it was done by March that year.^[3][4] Lipa decided to move away from the disco sound of her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020), and write material evocative of 1970s-era psychedelia.^[5] The follow-up album began to take shape in July 2022, when Lipa met Kevin Parker, whom she had been a fan of. She invited him to a studio session with Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, and Tobias Jesso Jr. at 5DB in London. After becoming comfortable with each other, they completed a song the same day and three by the weekend.^[6]

Lipa, who had been taken out to a series of unimpressive dates, considered one of them "the final straw".^[7] The following morning, in November 2022,^[8] she joined Ailin and Jesso Jr. in a studio and declared that "training season is over".^[9] They wrote the song "Training Season", which was composed by Harle and Parker; Martina Sorbara, Nicholas Gale, Shaun Frank, Steve Francis Richard Mastroianni, and Yaakov Gruzman also received credits due to an interpolation of the composition "Tokyo Nights".^[10] Lipa was inspired by the title's dual meaning, stating that it is about both informing men that she will no longer be training them about how to treat her as well as the completion of her own personal growth.^[11] Lipa ended up writing 97 songs for the album; 8 of the 11 tracks finally included on it were written with Ailin, Harle, Jesso Jr., and Parker.^[1][2][6]

Lipa released the song "Houdini" as the lead single from her third studio album in November 2023.^[12][13] She wore a sweater with the caption "Training Season" in an Instagram photo in January 2024.^[14] On 25 January, Lipa posted a TikTok video of her singing the song's chorus in a car.^[11][15] She premiered it at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on 4 February.^[7][16] Warner Records released "Training Season" as the second single from the album 11 days later, accompanied by its extended, instrumental, and a cappella versions.^[17][18] The following day, Warner Music Group sent the song for radio airplay in Italy^[19] and made it available on physical formats like 7-inch, cassette, and CD.^[20][21][22] Warner Records promoted it to contemporary hit radio stations in the United States.^[23] In March, "Training Season" was supported by the release of its Live at the Brit Awards 2024,^[24] extended instrumental,^[25] London sessions,^[26] acoustic,^[27] and Chloé Caillet mix versions.^[28] The album title was revealed to be Radical Optimism (2024) that month,^[29][30] and "Illusion" (2024) was released as the follow-up single.^[31][32]

"Training Season"

"Training Season" is a disco-pop song with influences of Eurodisco. Aspects of it, including the Middle Eastern-influenced melody, received comparisons to the work of ABBA.

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"Training Season" is three minutes and 29 seconds long.^[18] Parker produced and programmed the song, and he handled engineering alongside Cameron Gower Poole. He played bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, and provided sound effects; Harle provided drum programming; and Ailin and Poole provided vocal production. It was recorded at 5DB Studios in London, Woodshed Recording in Malibu, California, and Parker's home studio in Los Angeles. Parker, Ailin, and Jesso Jr. delivered the background vocals. Josh Gudwin mixed the song, and Chris Gehringer mastered it at Sterling Sound in New York City.^[10]

"Training Season" is a disco-pop song with influences of Eurodisco.^[33][34][35] It has also been characterised separately as a disco^[8] and pop song.^[36][37] The track employs a hook, disco beat, guitar syncopations,^[38][39][40] synthesizers, and live drums.^[8] "Training Season" includes girl group harmonies and a dancefloor pulse.^[40][41] Consequence's Mary Siroky believed the song's disco-pop sound kept with that of "Houdini" and Future Nostalgia, while Beats per Minute's Lucas Martins thought it was "a better representation of [Radical Optimism's] sonic palette of synths, organic basslines, and guitar flourishes".^[33][42] Robin Murray of Clash felt that it adds "some trippy, Tame Impala aspects to her glossy pop mixture".^[43] Features of "Training Season" received comparisons to the work of ABBA: its piano line to "Dancing Queen" (1976),^[39][44] the Middle Eastern-influenced melody to "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (1979) and "Voulez-Vous" (1979),^[39] and its robustness to "Lay All Your Love on Me" (1981).^[45]

The lyrics of "Training Season" are about Lipa's demands from her romantic partners as she chides bad dates and underscores her self-worth,^[46][43] highlighting the importance of boundaries and ideals in relationships.^[47] In the first verse, Lipa articulates her skepticism about a prospective partner and considers not proceeding with a relationship.^[48] She yearns for someone who can provide emotional support, be in command when Lipa feels vulnerable, and who she can have meaningful conversations with. Lipa asks a person if he can meet these requirements because she no longer wants to have to guide people how to love her correctly: "Training season's over".^[49] In the second verse, she takes a vexed tone and recalls how she undeservedly tried to be positive about her previous partners, hoping that a better suitor "hits me like an arrow".^[50] Lipa questions the prospective partner about his commitment in the bridge, whether he would take initiative himself or someone would have to prompt him to act.^[48] Siroky believed its theme of self-confidence resembled Lipa's 2017 single "New Rules".^[33]

Upon release, music critics opined "Training Season" had commercial potential. Billboard's Jason Lipshutz included the song in the magazine's Friday Music Guide, which predicts music that will gain popularity in playlists, and Pitchfork put it in their Selects playlist.^[34][51] Alex Gonzalez of Uproxx called it a "bouncy bop" that could potentially become "the ladies anthem of summer 2024", and Steffanee Wang of Nylon believed it was one of Lipa's best singles in a while.^[38][52] Along with the two other singles from Radical Optimism, Igor Bannikov of PopMatters described "Training Season" as "the most stadium-sized hits" on the album.^[53] Angie Martoccio of Rolling Stone found the song to be one of Lipa's strongest vocal performances.^[54]

Reviewers believed "Training Season" was catchy. AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung included the song among the "truly insidious earworms" on Radical Optimism that were sure to get stuck in listeners' heads, and Wang thought it had "an insanely catchy hook".^[55][38] Its hook and beat were described as "infectious" by Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani and NME's Damian Jones, respectively.^[56][57] It was grouped with the album's other singles by some critics, who believed they had a similar club-friendly and memorable production most suited for parties.^[58][55][59] Lisa Wright of DIY believed the singles constituted the more assertive and "after-hours" segment of Radical Optimism, which otherwise focused on turbulent romantic experiences, and Variety's Steven J. Horowitz thought they enhanced the fleeting and feel-good quality of the album.^[41][60] The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs praised the songwriting and believed the singles sounded like Lipa's other material.^[61] Lipshutz thought "Training Season" showcased her most powerful skills and people who enjoyed her 2020 single "Physical" would become fans of it.^[34]

Others also commented on the production of "Training Season". Aimee Phillips of Clash thought the beats were deeper, more layered, and sensual, while the lyrics carried greater intent, reinforcing the bold and self-assured pop star persona that Lipa had consistently embodied.^[58] Rania Aniftos of Billboard ranked it seventh among the album's eleven songs, claiming "if the lyrics aren't motivating enough, the thumping bass should do the trick."^[62] Variety's Jem Aswad believed ABBA's influence was initially subdued but later realised by the piano flourishes, which formed "the best kind of tribute: nothing overt, but a sly, fun wink for fans who notice it".^[39] Writing for Pitchfork, Laura Snapes believed "Training Season" had cluttered production which could use more breathing room, something she described as typical of Parker's work.^[45] Echoing this opinion, Martins stated that the extended version proved the song could be improved by eschewing "the immediacy built into it".^[42]

"Training Season" was included on critical lists of the best songs of 2024 at number 31 by Slant Magazine,^[56] number 42 by NME,^[57] and number 79 by Rolling Stone.^[63]

"Training Season" debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart and became Lipa's 15th top ten single.^[64] The song received a platinum certification in the United Kingdom from the British Phonographic Industry.^[65] It entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 27 on the chart issued for 2 March 2024.^[66] "Training Season" debuted at number 11 on the Canadian Hot 100 issued for the same date and was certified triple platinum by Music Canada.^[67][68] In Australia, the song entered at number 12 and received a double platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association.^[69][70] It debuted at number 10 in New Zealand and became Lipa's ninth top 10 single.^[71] Recorded Music NZ certified the song platinum.^[72]

"Training Season" charted at number six on the Billboard Global 200.^[73] Elsewhere, the song reached the top ten on airplay charts at number one in the Commonwealth of Independent States,^[74] Turkey,^[75] Latvia,^[76] and Lithuania,^[77] number two in Russia,^[78] number three in Bulgaria,^[79] Croatia,^[80] Nicaragua,^[81] and Slovakia,^[82] number four in Estonia,^[83] Hungary,^[84] Lebanon,^[85] Poland,^[86] and Romania,^[87] number six in Belarus^[88] and Kazakhstan,^[89] number seven in Serbia^[90] and South Africa,^[91] and number eight in Paraguay.^[92] It made the top ten on other record charts at number two on Greece International,^[93] number four in Belgium^[94] and on Japan Hot Overseas,^[95] number six in Ireland,^[96] number eight in the Netherlands,^[97] and number ten in Luxembourg.^[98] "Training Season" received diamond certifications in Brazil^[99] and France,^[100] double platinum in Greece,^[101] platinum in Belgium,^[102] Italy,^[103] Poland,^[104] Portugal,^[105] and Spain,^[106] and gold in Denmark^[107] and Switzerland.^[108]

Vincent Haycock directed the music video for "Training Season", which was released alongside the song.^[109][110] In the video, Lipa drinks coffee in a cafe, preoccupied by listening to several voicemails from former partners apologising and asking for a second chance.^[43][111] She remains undaunted, realizing that the men surrounding her are all trying to impress and capture her attention.^[112][49] Lipa begins to think about what she is looking for in a suitor.^[111] She stays reserved as they begin to spin and the room descends into disorder.^[112][49] Upon its release, the video received over one million views within the first 12 hours of availability.^[43] Marie Claire's Sophia Vilensky praised Lipa's hair in it as "a casual sunlit red that looks natural as ever".^[113]

Lipa opened the 66th Annual Grammy Awards with the first live performance of "Training Season" on 4 February 2024, as a mashup with "Houdini" and "Dance the Night" (2023). This preceded the release of "Training Season".^{[114][115][116]} She wore a leather-and-mesh bodysuit with silver straps and knee-high platform boots.^[117][118] Lipa performed it as the first song, dancing on a giant silver jungle gym which was rotated by leather-clothed muscular male background dancers.^[119][120] The set employed blue stage lights and a vertiginous backdrop of mirrors and pyrotechnics.^[121][122] One line from "Dance the Night" was included,^[123][124] before she transitioned into singing "Houdini" in the middle of the stage and performed the dance sequence from its music video.^[125][126] The performance was well received by the audience.^[126][127] Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos believed the performance was a great way to open the show,^[117] and some others praised the choreography.^[120][128] Gonzalez and Alex Hopper of American Songwriter were positive about the male dancers, with the latter including the performance in his three favourite live moments from Lipa.^[16][129] The Telegraph's Sanghamitra Chatterjee and Parade's Matthew Huff included it among the night's highlights,^[120][127] whereas USA Today's Patrick Ryan ranked it ninth among the ceremony's twelve performances.^[122]

On 2 March 2024, Lipa opened the Brit Awards 2024 by reprising "Training Season"^[130][131] in snug black leather shorts with a lace-up front, a black bra in a cropped leather jacket, and tall lace-up boots with thick block heels. She also wore layers of silver chain necklaces and sparkling rings.^[132][133] Lipa began by singing alone, but background dancers descended from the top during the second verse and performed Cirque du Soleil-inspired acrobatic tricks in the air.^[134][135] After the song's bridge, two aerial dancers seized her arms and lifted her off the ground and she levitated in the air.^[134] Critics believed the performance captivated the audience,^[132][134] and Uproxx's Flisadam Pointer thought the aerial dance moves were impressive and Lipa displayed stamina.^[36]

Lipa recorded a live performance of "Training Season", which was called the "London Sessions".^{[26][136][137]} She sang the song at the Time 100 Gala in April 2024,^[138] and she reprised it alongside a band at the Maida Vale Studios in London the following month.^{[139][140][141]} Lipa included it as the first song on the set list of her 2024-2025 concert tour, the Radical Optimism Tour,^[142] and performed it at festivals like NOS Alive and Mad Cool.^{[143][144][145]} On 28 June, she opened her Glastonbury Festival 2024 set with "Training Season";^[146][147] it began with stationary dancers, evoking a dystopian montage reminiscent of The Running Man (1987), before Lipa walked out to a clip of Peter Fonda from the 1966 film The Wild Angels.^[148][149] NME's Liberty Dunworth praised the atmosphere created just a few minutes into Lipa's set, and BBC News's Mark Savage believed the choreography was on the level of a proper award show performance.^[149][150] She sang it at the Royal Albert Hall on 17 October,^[151] which was released on the live album Dua Lipa Live from the Royal Albert Hall (2024).^[152]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Radical Optimism.^[10]