Dua Lipa, Dula Peep, Duolingo–the Many Names of the Global Pop Superstar

Love her or hate her, chances are you’ve had one of Dua Lipa’s songs stuck in your head at some point. The British pop singer, nicknamed “Dula Peep” by the internet after Wendy Williams’ mispronunciation of her name in 2018, has been writing songs since she was three years old. Now, she generates catchy Top 40 hits that always seem to be on the radio. Dua Lipa’s career has exploded since her debut self-titled album released in 2017, and now with three Grammy Awards to her name, the singer shows no signs of stopping, and continues to use creativity to bolster her success.

While she has cited artists such as Nelly Furtado and P!nk as inspirations from her early childhood, Lipa grew up in a musical family, with a father who was in the Kosovan rock band Oda. She credits her work ethic and drive to succeed from her parents, who came to London in 1992 as refugees from Kosovo. Lipa’s motivation for her music and performances is largely intrinsic, and says that she wants “to make it as crazy as possible. If it doesn’t turn out, then fine–but at least we tried.”

This mindset and her openness to experience seem to have worked in Dua Lipa’s favor so far, and the Grammy Award-winning artist is now well-known for the upbeat, dance pop vibes of her music. Her songwriting process is a combination of collection and collaboration, as she is often inspired by other art and works with a team to generate her popstar image. Between working with notable artists such as Elton John and Megan thee Stallion, Lipa also works with a team of people to make her ideas happen. Lipa keeps diaries of notes and ideas that she references when she gets down to writing songs. She is often inspired by other art, and says that an 80s Versace photoshoot inspired the music video for her global hit “New Rules.” Lipa says that she typically writes her songs within a day, whether that be a couple hours or several. The process is therapeutic for her, and gives her a vehicle to think through everything that goes on in her life. 

Dua Lipa’s second album, Future Nostalgia, released right at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. While many artists opted to postpone their music releases, Lipa found a way to make it work, despite the fact that the upbeat tones of the album, which are meant to evoke 70s and 80s dance music, seemed unfitting compared to the state of the world. However, the singer hoped that the pop album would help people experience some normalcy amidst the chaos of quarantine. 

        Unable to do live performances, Lipa embraced the online format and performed via video call on The Late Late Show, alongside musicians and backup dancers who were featured in their own Zoom-like boxes. The pandemic challenged Lipa to think outside of the box, and for another online performance on The Tonight Show, Lipa was inspired by an MTV2 interview with the White Stripes to create a green screen music video from home. Working with choreographers, musicians, and video editors, they incorporated green screens, visuals, and backup dancers to generate a full performance, complete with Lipa singing her song “Break My Heart” from her living room. 

Inspired by the world around her, thinking divergently and collaborating with others, it’s no surprise that Dua Lipa’s creativity has generated chart-topping songs. Her success and popularity continue to grow, and she is currently on tour for the Future Nostalgia Tour.   

https://youtu.be/MmjLJzby5I0

https://time.com/5824839/dua-lipa-quarantine/

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https://youtu.be/JS_ci6wUQ7w

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https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-03-03/dua-lipa-grammys