Training Season (Dua Lipa)

“Training Season” is about Dua Lipa’s refusal to “train” another partner on how to love her correctly, signaling a desire for a mature and self-assured relationship.

The song expresses a boundary, indicating that she’s done with relationships that require her to teach her partners basic relationship skills.

Did you know?

The song opens with questions reflecting uncertainty about a potential partner (“Are you someone that I can give my heart to? / Or just the poison that I’m drawn to?”), highlighting a past pattern of choosing unsuitable partners.

Dua Lipa explicitly states her resolution: “baby, I don’t need to learn my lesson twice”.

The chorus emphasizes her need for a deep, strong connection (“I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I’ve ever known”) and a partner who takes control (“Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control”).

The repeated declaration “training season’s over” reinforces her firm stance against investing time in someone who isn’t already emotionally intelligent and capable of meeting her needs.

The bridge’s call to action (“Can you compete? Now is your time”) serves as a challenge and a final opportunity, reinforcing that she is now looking for a partner who is ready and willing to be an equal, mature participant in the relationship.