: While "Houdini" was released in late 2023, several snippets of earlier, more "stripped-back" versions leaked, showing the song's evolution from a raw groove to a polished hit.
The 2023 sessions are especially coveted because they represent the "bridge" era. In 2022, Dua was still in the Future Nostalgia headspace. In 2024, she was fully in Radical Optimism mode. —where disco met psychedelia, and many tracks were scrapped because they sounded "too commercial."
The "RO Sessions" snippet refers to a brief audio clip (often 15–30 seconds) that surfaced on file-sharing platforms and fan forums, alleged to be a raw vocal take or a demo recorded during a session filmed or documented by Rolling Stone.
However, the most compelling theory comes from producer (who worked on Levitating ). In a since-deleted Tweet, he liked a post comparing the snippet to "New Rules 2.0." The energy is a perfect match.