Lipa, Dua (1995-…), is a British singer and songwriter. She gained fame as a pop music star. Her hits include “New Rules” and, with the Dutch DJ Martin Garrix, “Scared to Be Lonely” (both 2017). Her 2019 single “Don’t Start Now” reached number two on Billboard magazine’s “Hot 100” music chart. Lipa won 2018 Grammy Awards for best new artist and best dance recording for “Electricity,” featuring the DJ’s Diplo and Mark Ronson. In 2021, Lipa won a Grammy for best pop vocal album for Future Nostalgia.
Lipa was born on Aug. 22, 1995, in London, England. Her parents are Albanians from Kosovo. They arrived in England in 1992, fleeing ethnic conflict during the break-up of Yugoslavia. Lipa’s father had been a singer in a rock band in Priština, Kosovo. Lipa’s family moved back to Priština, taking her with them, while she was in middle school. After four years, Lipa moved back to London on her own to finish high school. She stayed with a family friend and took extra classes at a youth theater school. Lipa started posting videos of herself singing on the video-sharing website YouTube. She soon began writing her own songs, releasing them on the music-sharing website SoundCloud in 2012.
Lipa signed a record contract with Warner Music in 2015. That year, she released her first single, “New Love,” followed by “Be the One.” Her 2016 single “Hotter Than Hell” made Billboard’s “UK Singles” chart.
Lipa released her self-titled first studio album in 2017. Her single “One Kiss” (2018, with the Scottish DJ Calvin Harris) reached number one on Billboard’s “UK Singles” chart. It remained there for eight weeks, becoming the longest-running number-one single for a female artist. Lipa released her second studio album, Future Nostalgia, in 2020. It became her first number-one album in the United Kingdom and reached number four on the “Billboard 200” list. Her popular 2020 singles included “Don’t Start Now,” “Break My Heart,” “Physical,” and “Levitating” (featuring the American rapper DaBaby).
In 2022, Lipa was named an honorary ambassador of Kosovo by the country’s president, Vjosa Osmani. Lipa portrayed Mermaid Barbie in the motion-picture comedy fantasy Barbie (2023). She also recorded and co-wrote the song “Dance the Night” for the film’s soundtrack. In addition, Lipa acted in the spy comedy Argylle (2024).
