Dua Lipa’s music pulls from contemporary hip-hop, classic soul and pop and reshapes them into her crimson sound, and accentuates the visual world that’s naturally building around her. Planet Dua is a mosaic of styles, guided by her magnetic tendency to pull in eclectic influences around her and sculpt them into her creations. It’s reflected in her fashion and visuals, a haute gypsy amalgam of studded custom leather jackets, dazzling lens flare, long pale dresses, dusky florals, and dreamlike aesthetics. It’s a picture of thrifted youth.
London-born Dua always knew she wanted to be a singer. With her father, also a musician, as a primary influence, Dua’s musical upbringing was one of wild contrasts; she listened to Destiny’s Child, hip-hop, Tupac and Biggie, while her dad nurtured her with Bob Dylan and David Bowie. The prominent presence of rock, R’n’B, pop and rap quickly became telling factors, and a young Dua was soon singing with students twice her age at The Sylvia Young Theatre School.
At the age of thirteen, Dua’s family moved back to Kosovo, but she longed to be back in London, singing and being surrounded by others who wanted to do the same. Two years later, she convinced her parents to let her move back alone, staying with friends and heading straight back to Sylvia Young.
The craziness of trying to make music work simultaneously leading an anarchic, independent adolescent life ended up becoming both a gift and a burden for her writing sessions. She worked everywhere, from shops to restaurant hostessing to nightclub doors to modeling, and the dramas of every night became something that she wanted to write about.
At the age of 19, Dua’s deep, smoky voice and rhythmic flow took her into studios in London, LA, Stockholm, New York and Toronto, and into sessions with Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey, FKA Twigs) and Andrew Wyatt (Miike Snow, Charli XCX).
The adventure itself has become an inspiration. Her sound has become the pure, impressionable and passionate sound of a London-raised girl consuming the world first hand and then expressing it in her own flavor.
Lipa’s debut studio album, Dua Lipa, was released in June 2017. The record spawned the hits “New Rules,” and “IDGAF,” and “One Kiss” with DJ/producer Calvin Harris. The latter became Lipa’s second top 40 hits in the US. Other singles from Lipa’s debut album included “Last Dance,” “Lost in Your Light,” featuring American singer Miguel,” and “Homesick,” which features uncredited vocals from Chris Martin. “Electricity” came out in 2018. It peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
March 2020 saw the release of Lipa’s second studio album, “Future Nostalgia,” featuring “Don’t Start Now” and “Physical,” with “Don’t Start Now” becoming Lipa’s highest-charting single reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Break My Heart” was the third single and peaked at number 13 on the charts. Remixes for “Levitating” featuring DaBaby, Madonna, and Missy Elliot have been released and have scorched the charts. With her December 19 performance on Saturday Night Live, it makes Dua Lipa our It-Girl for 2021.
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EMILY RATAJKOWSKI WANTS HER IMAGES BACK Model, actress and entrepreneur, Emily Ratajkowski has accused photographer Jonathan Leder of assaulting her during her photoshoot with him back in 2012. She is asserting that Leder penetrated her with his fingers after the shoot. Leder categorically denies the allegations. Leder’s book of Polaroids he took with a then-unknown model Ratajkowski has spurned bad blood between the model and photographer as she states that she never signed a photo release giving him the right to release the nude sets and publish them in his book. The $80 collector’s book has sold through four printings—the Polaroid’s feature Ratajkowski in various states of undress.