Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia - Chord

Key C major – A minor Chords Dm, C, G/B, G, G5, A5, F5, F … Easy key G (capo 5)

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Capo 0

Dm
   You want a timeless song, I wanna change the game
Dm                         F5     G5      A5
   Like modern architecture, John Lautner coming your way
Dm
   I know you like this beat 'cause Jeff's been doin' the damn thing
Dm                          F5   G5      A5
   You wanna turn it up loud, Future Nostalgia is the name

Dm               C                         G/B
   I know you're dyin' trying to figure me out
                 G           G/B          C             Dm
My name's on the tip of your tongue, keep running your mouth
             C                           G/B                      G  G/B  C
You want the recipe, but can't handle my sound, my sound, my sound

Dm
   No matter what you do, I'm gonna get it without ya 
Dm                                   F5   G5     A5
   I know you ain't used to a female alpha 
Dm
   No matter what you do, I'm gonna get it without ya 
Dm                                   F5   G5     A5
   I know you ain't used to a female alpha 

Dm
   Can't be a rolling stone if you live in a glass house
Dm
   You keep on talking that talk, one day, you're gonna blast out
Dm
   You can't be bitter if I'm out here showing my face
Dm                             
   You want one now looks like, let me give you a taste

Dm               C                         G/B
   I know you're dyin' trying to figure me out
                 G           G/B          C             Dm
My name's on the tip of your tongue, keep running your mouth
             C                           G/B                      G  G/B  C
You want the recipe, but can't handle my sound, my sound, my sound

Dm
   No matter what you do, I'm gonna get it without ya 
Dm                                   F5   G5     A5
   I know you ain't used to a female alpha 
Dm
   No matter what you do, I'm gonna get it without ya 
Dm                                   F5   G5     A5
   I know you ain't used to a female alpha 

          G
You can't get with this, if you ain't built for this
          G
You can't get with this, if you ain't built for this
        G
I can't build you up, if you ain't tough enough
        G                                 F
I can't teach a man how to wear his pants

Dm               Cmaj7           F         Bbmaj7
   I know you're dyin' trying to figure me out
                 A7                       C            Dm
My name's on the tip of your tongue, keep running your mouth
             Cmaj7             F         Bbmaj7                   G5  Ab5  A5
You want the recipe, but can't handle my sound, my sound, my sound
Dm               C                         G/B
   I know you're dyin' trying to figure me out
                 G           G/B          C            Dm
My name's on the tip of your tongue, keep running your mouth
             C                           G/B                       G  G/B  C
You want the recipe, but can't handle my sound, my sound, my sound

   G/B                       G  G/B  C
My sound, my sound, my sound
           Dm

End of song Play again?

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Dm and ends on Dm. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

C major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

A minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = G (natural-minor colour)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because C is heard 16 times while Am never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.

Chord degrees: major and relative minor

Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.

Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.

Seen from C major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	C	Tonic — home	C · E · G	14×
Imaj7	Cmaj7	Tonic — home	C · E · G · B	2×
ii	Dm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A	25×
iii	Em	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B	—
V/vi	E	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B	—
IV	F5	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · C	6×
IV	F	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	3×
V	G/B	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	14×
V	G	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	11×
V	G5	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · D	7×
bVI	Ab5	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Ab · Eb	1×
VI	A5	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · E	7×
vi	Am	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E	—
V7/ii	A7	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Dmsecondary dominant	A · C# · E · G	1×
bVIImaj7	Bbmaj7	bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord	Bb · D · F · A	2×
vii°	Bdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	B · D · F	—

Seen from A minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	A5	Tonic — home	A · E	7×
i	Am	Tonic — home	A · C · E	—
V7/iv	A7	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Dmsecondary dominant	A · C# · E · G	1×
bIImaj7	Bbmaj7	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	Bb · D · F · A	2×
ii°	Bdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F	—
III	C	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G	14×
IIImaj7	Cmaj7	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G · B	2×
iv	Dm	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A	25×
v	Em	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B	—
V	E	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B	—
VI	F5	Submediant — warm colour	F · C	6×
VI	F	Submediant — warm colour	F · A · C	3×
VII	G/B	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	14×
VII	G	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	11×
VII	G5	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · D	7×
#VII	Ab5	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Ab · Eb	1×

Analysis

The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 12 different chords appear 93 times in total; 9 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. A7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. Bbmaj7 is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.

Chord movement

G/B C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×7
F5 G5 CIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6

The move to watch is G/B → C, heard 7 times. From the C side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Am side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
Over Dm, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over G/B, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
On Bbmaj7, follow the chord's notes (Bb · D · F · A) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.

The song on the circle of fifths

Played in the song — chord of the key
Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
Played — borrowed or outside chord
Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii

Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.

Capo and easier keys

With C major shapes

No capo — open C shapes
Capo 3 + A shapes
Capo 5 + G shapes

With A minor shapes

No capo — open Am shapes
Capo 5 + Em shapes
Capo 7 + Dm shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
2 semitones up

The song's harmonic story

Starting on Dm, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. Dm, C, G/B, G carry the song: ii–I–V–V relative to C, iv–III–VII–VII relative to Am. A7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Dm. Keep an ear on G/B → C (V → I in C, VII → III in Am): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. Ending on Dm, the song seals C as home.

This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.