Everything you need to know about Dua Lipa's incredible career so far
We love Dua!
Last updated 20th Sep 2024
We are huge fans of Dua Lipa here at Downtown Radio! With so many incredible hits under her belt, the 29-year-old 'Dance The Night' hitmaker has had an incredible career so far. But have you ever wondered how the singer climbed her way to being one of the biggest pop stars on the planet? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
This year has been huge for Dua Lipa so far, with the release of her third album 'Radical Optimism', her performance at Glastonbury, and the announcement she will be performing in Wembley and Liverpool in June 2025 - so we've decided to take a look at her incredible career so far.
Take a look at Dua Lipa's amazing career so far:
Early life and career beginnings
Dua was born in London on 22nd August 1995. As a child, she took cello lessons when at primary school, as well as doing singing lessons at Sylvia Young Theatre School. After moving to Kosovo with her family in 2008, she then came back to London when she was 15, later completing A-Levels in Politics, Psychology, English and Media Studies whilst also doing weekend classes at Sylvia Young and modelling for brands including ASOS and Topshop.
As a young singer, Dua shared videos of herself singing covers on SoundCloud and YouTube. In 2013, she appeared in an advert for The X Factor, singing the song 'Lost In Music' by Sister Sledge. Dua then went on to sign a record deal with Warner Records.
2015 - Dua begins releasing music
Dua released her debut single 'New Love' in August 2015, with Dua being one of the writers credited on the song. She has said that the song is about 'facing the fear of losing the only thing that matters to you'. Dua then released her second single 'Be The One', which included a video starring actor Ansel Elgort. The song reached Number 9 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified 2x Platinum.
2016 - First tour and 'Hotter Than Hell'
Dua embarked on her first UK and Europe tour in January 2016, commencing in Bristol and finishing in London. She released her third single 'Last Dance' in February, and her fourth song 'Hotter Than Hell' in May. 'Hotter Than Hell' reached Number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Platinum.
Then in August, Dua released the single 'Blow Your Mind (Mwah)'. In November 2016, Dua collaborated with Sean Paul on the song 'No Lie', with the single reaching Number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and going on to become certified 2x Platinum in the UK.
January 2017 - 'Scared To Be Lonely'
Dua teamed up with DJ Martin Garrix on the song 'Scared To Be Lonely', which was released in January 2017. The song reached Number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and Number 2 on the UK Dance Chart, with the song now certified 2x Platinum in the UK.
June 2017 - Dua releases her debut album
Dua released her debut album 'Dua Lipa' in June 2017. The self-titled album produced eight singles and includes collaborations with Miguel and Chris Martin and reached Number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. 'Dua Lipa' is certified 3x Platinum in the UK.
July 2017 - Dua releases 'New Rules'
'New Rules' was released in July 2017 and became a huge hit for Dua, becoming her first Number 1 Single on the UK Singles Chart and going on to be certified 5x Platinum in the UK. The song was also nominated for British Single of the Year at the 2018 BRIT Awards, but lost out to Rag 'n' Bone Man's track 'Human'. However, Dua did scoop the awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act at the ceremony. Dua was nominated in five categories at the 2018 BRIT Awards – more than any other artist.
April 2018 - 'One Kiss' with Calvin Harris
Dua teamed up with Calvin Harris on the song 'One Kiss', which was released in April 2018. The song was a huge success and topped the UK Singles Chart, with it winning the award for British Single of the Year at the 2019 BRIT Awards. 'One Kiss' spent eight weeks at the top of the Singles Chart and is certified 5x Platinum in the UK.
September 2018 - 'Electricity' with Silk City
In September 2018, Dua teamed up with Silk City on the track 'Electricity'. The song reached Number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Platinum. 'Electricity' won the Grammy award for Best Dance Recording at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
February 2019 - Grammy Awards
2019 was a huge year for Dua at the Grammys, as she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2019 – in the same year, 'Electricity' also scooped the gong for Best Dance Recording. These were Dua's first Grammy Awards.
October 2019 - 'Don't Start Now'
In October 2019, Dua released the single 'Don't Start Now', the lead single from her second album 'Future Nostalgia.' The song reached Number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified 4x Platinum. Prior to the release of the album, Dua went on to release the single 'Physical' in January 2020. It reached Number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified 2x Platinum.
March 2020 - Dua releases her second album 'Future Nostalgia'
Dua released her highly-anticipated second studio album 'Future Nostalgia' in March 2020. The album produced six singles, including 'Break My Heart', 'Levitating' and 'Hallucinate', which has since been certified Platinum. 'Future Nostalgia' was originally meant to be released on 3rd April 2020, but the release date was moved forward to 27th March after it was leaked. The album won the BRIT Award for British Album of the Year in 2021 and won the award for Best Pop Vocal album at the 2021 Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys, but lost out to 'folklore' by Taylor Swift. 'Future Nostalgia' reached Number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and is certified 2x Platinum.
November 2020 - Dua collaborates with Miley Cyrus
Dua teamed up with Miley Cyrus on the track 'Prisoner'. The song reached Number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Platinum.
August 2021 - Dua collaborates with Elton John
Dua and Elton John collaborated on the song 'Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)'. Released in August 2021, it's safe to say the track was a monumental hit! The song was produced during the Covid pandemic and reached Number 1 in 12 countries – including the UK. It is certified 3x Platinum in the UK. In June 2023, Elton performed the song during his epic Glastonbury set, but Dua unfortunately didn't join him.
February 2022 - Dua embarked on the 'Future Nostalgia Tour'
After initially being due to take place in 2020 and being cancelled as due to the pandemic, Dua embarked on the 'Future Nostalgia Tour' in February 2022, starting in Miami. The tour ended in Tirana, Albania in November 2022, having visited the UK in April and May. Dua performed 91 shows in total whilst on the incredible tour!
March 2022 - 'Sweetest Pie' with Megan Thee Stallion
Dua teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion on the song 'Sweetest Pie', with Megan previously expressing interest in working with the singer. Dua brought out Megan during her 'Future Nostalgia Tour' show in Denver, Colorado in March 2022. The track is certified Silver in the UK.
May 2023 - Dua releases 'Dance The Night' for the Barbie movie
Dua released 'Dance The Night' in May 2023, which features on the soundtrack for the Barbie film. The song was a huge hit, reaching Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and has been nominated in the categories of Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2024 Grammy Awards. 'Dance The Night' is Dua's fourth UK Number 1 single and is certified Platinum.
2023 - Dua stars in the Barbie movie
Dua made her acting debut in the Barbie movie, playing the role of Mermaid Barbie. The highly anticipated film, which was directed by Greta Gerwig, was released to cinemas on 21st July 2023. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling play the lead characters.
November 2023 - Dua releases 'Houdini'
Dua released the single 'Houdini' in November 2023, in addition to dropping a music video for the track. The song features on her highly-anticipated third album 'Radical Optimism', which was released in 2024. 'Houdini' was certified Platinum by the BPI in July 2024, translating to 600,000 sales in the UK!
January 2024 - Dua Lipa announced to perform at The BRITs
Dua Lipa was announced as the first performer at the 2024 BRIT Awards, she was also nominated for three awards Artist of the Year, Pop Act and Song of the Year with Mastercard.
March 2024 - Dua Lipa wins Pop Act award at the 2024 BRIT Awards
Dua won the Pop Act award at the 2024 BRIT Awards, in addition to opening the show with a brilliant performance of her track 'Training Season'.
March 2024 - Dua Lipa announced as Glastonbury headliner
Dua Lipa was announced as the Friday night headliner at Glastonbury Festival in March 2024, meaning that she would be making her debut on the Pyramid Stage at the iconic festival in June 2024.
May 2024 - Dua releases her third studio album
Dua delighted fans in March 2024 when she revealed that her highly-anticipated third studio album is called 'Radical Optimism' and would released on 3rd May 2024. The album was released in May featuring her hits such as 'Houdini', 'Training Season' and 'Illusion'.
June 2024 - Dua Lipa headlines Glastonbury
Dua Lipa gave an amazing performance for her fans at Glastonbury Festival, where she headlined the Friday night.
July 2024 - Dua Lipa sells out two Wembley shows
Dua Lipa announced a huge show at Wembley, as an extension to her 'Radical Optimism' tour, performing on 20th June 2025. Tickets sold out within minutes, so a second Wembley date was added... Which also sold out super quickly!
She has now announced a date in Liverpool, also in June 2025.
December 2024 - An Evening with Dua Lipa
On Sunday 8th December 2024, Dua's very own one-off concert special aired on ITV/STV called An Evening with Dua Lipa. The special showed the singer's incredible performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, recorded earlier in the year, and along with Dua's hit songs, viewers got the chance to hear intimate interviews with the singer, where she reflects on the pivotal moments of her career. The one-off special also saw guest performances, including the likes of the legendary Elton John.
Now read:
Everything you need to know about BRIT Award-winner Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa's biggest collabs: From Calvin Harris to Sean Paul
Dua Lipa: Here's what her biggest songs REALLY mean 🎶