Overdrive

## Singles from Overdrive

1. "Raceway (Over-mix)"
Released: June 28, 2021

2. "Fighting for a Feeling"
Released: July 14, 2021

3. "Overdrive"
Released: July 22, 2021

4. "Cherries"
Released: July 27, 2021

***Overdrive*** is the debut extended play by English singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, released on July 2, 2021 through Universal Music Group. The EP was supported by three official singles; "Raceway (Over-mix)", "Fighting for a Feeling" and "Overdrive". It debuted at number 2 on the *Billboard Top Albums Chart*, over 220 chart points, making it Platinum certified. The EP spawned the single "Raceway (over-mix)" which peaked at number 6 on the *Billboard Hot Singles Chart*, and accumulated 235 chart points, making it Dua's first Platinum single.

## Background

In April 6, 2017, Dua Lipa released her debut single "Raceway" through Interscope Records to little success. She'd then take a career break after that for multiple years, rebuilding herself and what she wanted her career to be. In August of 2021 she made her return to the industry with a re-recorded version of "Raceway", completed with new production by an entirely new team, and new spirits. This would be the lead single for *Overdrive*, her debut EP.

## Music and concept

*Overdrive* is produced by Koz, Ian Kirkpatrick, Andrew Watt, The Monsters & The Strangerz, and Stuart Price. It's a high-energy, sleek brand of pop that critics have defined as bold. The EP's title takes direct inspiration from its leading single, "Raceway", general ideas of car racing and escapism were the foundations of it.

> I just wanted to have something fun for the summer. The idea was to make people wanna dance and have a good time when they listen to it.
>
> Dua Lipa,  about Overdrive

### Artwork

The EP not only takes conceptual inspiration from car racing, but visual as well. The cover is a bright punch of pink and yellow, inspired by its summer release. It showcases Dua sitting on a bike looking up with her eyes closed in a very casual outfit. The design is sleek and bold, fitting for the EP's sound.

### Songs

"Living on the Run" is the perfect soundtrack to those long, breezy, summer drives. With a bright chorus with soaring synths, it sets the upbeat tone the rest of the album is sure to follow. It's followed by "Cherries", a song described as "not a love song" even though it is. This message is placed over an upbeat synth-driven instrumental that almost feels psychedelic at points, starting slow, almost insecure, before finding its footing and launching into its full anthemic form. Without being an extremely high tempo song, "Overdrive" has a desperation lying within it that gives the feeling on being in a fast-paced car with no intentions of slowing down. It's very cinematic with its layered vocals and boasting production. "Fighting for a Feeling" describes, almost desperately, the starts of a failing relationship, one that Dua isn't willing to give up on. The song features whispered vocals behind a shiny electronic production that encourage Dua to keep going and not lose her nerve. Where the rest of the album feels like a bright summer day,

"Take the Best Out of Me" slows it down and paints a picture of a dark, moody night. It's the closest thing to a ballad on the record but doesn't quite get there, instead it stays in this hypnotic state, almost like a trance. It's a song that feels alive thanks to the strings and haunting bassline. "Rush" is a blast of energy, it packs a serious punch. Lipa describes the bass in this song as "ridiculous, thanks to Andrew who worked on it." It's a bubbly song that speaks about completely ignoring the future and living in-the-moment. The cornerstone of the record, "Raceway (Over-mix)" is a cocky track that sees Dua as ahead of the pack. She's confident, a little bit vain, and very playful in it. The new mix was done by The Monsters & Strangerz and is even more explosive than its original version, much glossier and polished.

## Release and Promotion

*Overdrive* was first teased by Lipa in her social media accounts, dropping a graphic that showcased three different dates. The first was the release date for "Raceway (Over-mix)", the second was the announcement date for the EP, and finally, the last date was its release on July 2, 2021. The announcement for the EP became a very popular subject, as Lipa's team accidentally uploaded an early version of the tracklist that included scrapped bonus tracks, including a failed collaboration with Jennie.

### Singles

The EP was led by "Raceway (Over-mix)", which was announced and released days before the EP was. It was followed by "Fighting for a Feeling" and "Overdrive", both singles were announced at the moment of their release, revealing their artwork along with it. The final single from the era is its first and only promotional single, "Cherries", announced with the bonus track additions to the EP.

"Raceway""Fighting for a Feeling""Overdrive""Cherries"
## Critical Reception

Upon release, *Overdrive* received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised the "bold" pop sound she chased with the album, calling it a "successful comeback" to the industry. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from publications, the album has a weighted mean score of 73 based on 3 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim", this makes *Overdrive* the sixth highest rated album of all time in the platform. Critics pointed "Overdrive" out as a highlight.

## Commercial Performance

*Overdrive* debuted at number 2 on the *Billboard Top Albums Chart* and stayed in the Top 10 through most of its run, until its final week. It accumulated 224.22 chart points, making it Platinum certified. Its lead single, "Raceway (Over-mix)", debuted at number 6 and held the spot for two weeks, it has accumulated 235.95 chart points, which makes it Dua's biggest and only Platinum certified single as a lead artist. "Fighting for a Feeling" and "Overdrive" are certified Silver.

## Track Listing

***Overdrive*** - Standard Edition

***Overdrive*** - Bonus Tracks