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What did we hear? Unlike the polished single "Houdini" (released November 2023), this snippet was raw. It featured a heavier, distorted bassline reminiscent of early Primal Scream. Dua’s vocals were drenched in reverb, muttering a pre-chorus that didn’t make the final cut:
The Radical Optimism sessions, held primarily at the legendary Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles and throughout London, saw Dua pivot away from the pure, nostalgic house beats of PN. She brought in producers Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and Danny L Harle (PC Music). The goal was "psychedelic pop" and "club music with a 70s tinge."
“I don’t need the spotlight, darling / I just need the friction in the dark...” DUA LIPA RO Sessions Unreleased -snippet- 2023-...
Did Dua record a longer, more complex version of "Houdini" and scrap it for the snappier TikTok version? The snippet suggests yes. Listen close to the 2023 file, and you hear Kevin Parker whispering a count-in that was ultimately cut. As of 2026, we likely will never see an official "RO Sessions" box set. Dua has moved on; she is touring the Radical Optimism tour with a tight, 90-minute setlist. She rarely discusses the scrapped material in interviews, usually laughing it off: "Some songs are just for the studio floor."
If there is one thing that stops the Dua Lipa fanbase—known affectionately as the "Livies" (a term often shared with Olivia Rodrigo, but Dua’s faithful simply call themselves 'Future Nostalgia warriors')—dead in their tracks, it is the whisper of three words: Unreleased. Snippet. Sessions. What did we hear
Fans speculate that at least three full songs from these 2023 sessions were scrapped entirely. We know this because the snippet hints at a different album title. Some sleuths noticed that the metadata of the -snippet- file contained the words "Dark Optimism" before it was scrubbed. The most famous theory regarding the DUA LIPA RO Sessions Unreleased files is that they represent the "lost bridge" of "Houdini." When "Houdini" finally dropped, fans noticed that the second verse was shorter than expected. The 2023 snippet contains a lyrical run that fits perfectly into that missing gap.
Let’s dive deep into the vault. To understand the value of the 2023 unreleased snippets , we must rewind to the sonic landscape of 2023. Following the monumental success of Future Nostalgia (2020), Dua had a problem: How do you top the perfection of dance-pop? Dua’s vocals were drenched in reverb, muttering a
But for the collectors, the remains the ultimate artifact. It is a reminder that behind the Vogue covers and the Grammy wins, Dua Lipa is a musician hunched over a microphone at 2 AM, chasing a vibe that just might disappear.