English pop singer Dua Lipa showcased a throwback vibe and a knack for catchy pop with soulful grit, much like Sia, Jessie J, or P!nk, and a slyly rebellious air like Charli XCX or Marina & the Diamonds. After a steady rise in the U.K., she broke onto the U.S. charts with a series of collaborations with Sean Paul, Martin Garrix, and Calvin Harris, as well as multi-platinum singles “New Rules” and “IDGAF” from her 2017 debut, Dua Lipa.
Born and raised in London to Kosovar-Albanian parents, Lipa attended the Sylvia Young Theater School (Rita Ora, Amy Winehouse) until the age of 13, when she relocated to Kosovo with her family. However, the move wouldn’t last very long, and she was back in London by age 15, living on her own and pursuing a singing career. Her first demos were released in 2012, attracting the attention of Lana Del Rey’s management team, who signed her and linked her up with Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey, Bruno Mars). Her shimmery debut single, “New Love,” was followed up with the soulful “Be the One.” Longlisted for the prestigious BBC’s Sound of 2016, Lipa released “Hotter Than Hell” and “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)” in 2016, coinciding with a tour throughout the spring and summer. While “Hotter Than Hell” went on to break into the Top 20 in the U.K., in 2017 she earned the distinction of having three simultaneously charting singles in the U.K. Top 15 with “Be the One,” “Scared to Be Lonely” with Martin Garrix, and “No Lie” with Sean Paul.

Dua Lipa, her debut full-length, arrived that summer. In addition to her previously released singles, the album included “Lost in Your Light” (a duet with Miguel) and “Homesick” (with Coldplay’s Chris Martin). Since a handful of singles had already been in international rotation since 2015, the album’s revived international promotional effort focused on the single “New Rules,” which became another multi-platinum hit, not only rising into the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 but also landing on European and Australian Top Ten lists. “IDGAF” followed in 2018, extending her chart presence. That summer, she teamed with Calvin Harris for the ’90s club-inspired “One Kiss,” which helped land Lipa another number one.