The British singer Dua Lepa has never been secretive about her songwriting.

She's recorded interviews where she goes deep on her influences, analyzes her music stem by stem.

Her latest album.

She said the vibe was driven by a close-knit team.

They opened up their recording session by playing around with some tarot cards, and they powered through it all on a donut-fueled sugar high.

This recording session produced a mega hit, which if you have not been living under a rock

for the last year, you've definitely heard.

If you want to run away with me, I know a galaxy and I can take you go a right.

This song, Levitating.

It is the most streamed song of 2021.

I called up a self-described Duolipa expert to talk to me about it.

Guilty is charged, I suppose.

Jeremy Oros teaches music theory at the University of Memphis.

He's happy to admit he is a straight-up fan of Dua.

You know, she has the most honest album name that maybe I've ever heard, future nostalgia.

I've never heard that.

I've never heard one so honest and transparent

because there is a lot of nostalgia for music of the 70s through 90s.

And I wouldn't say it's derivative of that,

but it certainly is inspired by a lot of the great hits of those decades.

Is that kind of nostalgia a little dangerous right now?

Oh, yes, absolutely.

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