"Maria" is another album highlight that critics have praised for "emotional richness."
In her measured "Radical Optimism" review, Laura Snapes made a point to praise the late-album gem "Maria," particularly Harle's avant-garde touch.
"'Maria' dabbles in the pacy acoustica of French DJ Bob Sinclair's 'Love Generation' and Alizée's 'Moi… Lolita' as Lipa sings a paean to her lover's ex for making him the man he is today," Snapes wrote for Pitchfork. "'Faintly Sapphic fixation with the other woman' is a well-worn pop trope by this point, but the force of Lipa's cries in the chorus — 'Maria! / I know you're gone / But I feel ya / When we're alone' — resounds with a curiosity and emotional richness that's all but absent elsewhere."
While I disagree with the addendum "all but absent elsewhere," it's true that "Maria" is an unexpected, thrilling departure from Lipa's usual palette. The brisk guitar strums and chorus' cheerful flute give the song an exotic, sunny edge — perfect for Lipa's favored vacation spot in Ibiza, Spain.
Song highlight: "Deepest effect always comes from a cause / I'm better too from the ones that I've lost."
If you like this, listen to: "End of an Era," "These Walls," "French Exit"