| "Physical" | ||||
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| Single by Dua Lipa | ||||
| from the album Future Nostalgia | ||||
| Released | 31 January 2020 | |||
| Recorded | November 8, 2018 | |||
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| Length | 3:13 | |||
| Label | Warner | |||
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| Dua Lipa singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Physical" on YouTube | ||||
"Physical" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). Lipa wrote the song with Jason Evigan, Clarence Coffee Jr. and Sarah Hudson, taking inspiration from 1980s music and the 1983 film Flashdance. It was produced by Evigan and Koz, and stemmed from a Persian flute synth sample that was played by the former. An uptempo dance-pop, power pop and synth-pop song, the song features a chugging synth bassline, drums and various percussion instruments. Lipa uses a spoken word, belting and chanting vocal delivery. The lyrics describe the honeymoon phase of a relationship and the importance of trusting one's instincts.
"Physical" was released through Warner Records for digital download and streaming as the album's second single on 31 January 2020. It was met with acclaim from music critics. Critics viewed the high energy of the song and Lipa's vocals as uniquely reinterpreting the 1980s era. It was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2021 Brit Awards and appeared on numerous 2020 year-end lists, including ones published by Billboard, The Guardian and NME. The song reached number one in Bulgaria, Croatia, Israel, Lebanon, Slovakia and Poland, and peaked in the top 10 of 17 additional countries, including the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at number three, becoming Lipa's eighth UK top 10 single. The song is certified Gold or higher in sixteen countries including diamond in France and Poland and platinum in the UK.
The accompanying high concept music video was directed by Spanish production team Canada, and is based on a Venn diagram by Swiss artist duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss from their series of works, Order and Cleanliness (1981). The video shows Lipa dancing in various coloured warehouse stage sets and features anime-inspired animation. The music video received praise from critics for its high-concept nature and rejection of heteronormativity. The video received numerous accolades, including Best Visual Effects at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. Further promotion came from the release of a 1980s-inspired workout video, in which Lipa is an aerobics class instructor as well as numerous remixes, including one featuring Hwasa as well as one by Mark Ronson featuring Gwen Stefani that appears on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's remix album Club Future Nostalgia (2020). Lipa performed the song on numerous occasions, including at the 2021 Brit Awards, 2020 LOS40 Music Awards and 2020 NRJ Music Awards.