With an incredible pop discography, three Grammys, the creation of the Sunny Hill Festival, fashion icon status, and a lifestyle that feels like a never-ending vacation, Dua Lipa now has one more reason to celebrate. She’s officially hitting 30 this Friday, August 22. Even though she’s already had five pre-birthday celebrations – with five cakes in a row -, it’s only fair that we take a moment to look back at her career and honor this amazing pop star.
From dreams to stage: how music changed Dua Lipa’s life
Music has always been a part of Dua’s world. Her father, Dukagjin Lipa, was the lead singer of a rock band, and she grew up surrounded by his music as well as other legends. At just 15, she made the bold decision to leave Kosovo, where her family was living at the time, to return to her birthplace, London, and chase her dream of becoming an artist. In 2015, she signed with Warner Music, the missing piece to kickstart her journey.
After signing with the label, she began releasing singles from her self-titled debut album, Dua Lipa (2017), including “New Love”, “Be The One”, “Last Dance”, “Hotter Than Hell”, and “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)”. But it was “New Rules” that skyrocketed her to global fame, hitting the top of the charts and with a music video that has over 3.1 billion views on YouTube. The album also gave us collabs like “Kiss and Make Up” (with BLACKPINK), “One Kiss” (with Calvin Harris), “Electricity” (with Silk City) and “No Lie” (with Sean Paul). This era earned Dua the award for Best New Artist at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Her second album, Future Nostalgia (2020), took things to another level. Inspired by disco, synthpop, and EDM sounds of the ’70s and ’80s, the record delivered hit after hit: “Don’t Start Now”, “Physical”, “Break My Heart”, “Hallucinate”, “Levitating”, and “Love Again”. The project scored multiple Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. To top it off, she launched the Future Nostalgia Tour, which spanned North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania.
Fast-forward to 2024, and we have Radical Optimism, Dua’s latest era. The album kicked off with “Houdini”, followed by “Training Season” and “Illusion”. She’s already taken the tour through Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with North and South America already on her agenda.
Another level of pop: Dua Lipa’s impact
Turning 30 doesn’t mean slowing down. Besides music, Dua has also made her mark on the big screen. She appeared in Argylle as the spy Lagrange and gave fans a fun cameo as Mermaid Barbie in Barbie. She’s also contributed to the soundtracks of Baywatch and Fifty Shades Freed, among others.
Fashion, of course, is another playground where Dua shines. From Schiaparelli to Chanel to Jean Paul Gaultier, her looks are always on point—but her strongest bond is with Atelier Versace. In fact, she co-designed the 2023 Versace collection “La Vacanza” and has even walked the runway for the brand during Milan Fashion Week in 2022.
If this wasn’t enough to consider her an icon, Dua is also never afraid to speak her mind. Politics matter to her, and she has openly expressed her support for Palestine while also proudly embracing her Kosovar-Albanian roots. More and more, it’s clear that she’s not just a pop star, she’s an artist, an activist, and a woman who knows her voice matters.
Talented, intelligent, and now 30—happy birthday, Dua!
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The article above was edited by Maria Esther Cortez.
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