New Rules singer Dua Lipa was initially overwhelmed by success.
She told GQ that when she first heard herself on the radio she ‘collapsed on the floor and I was in tears and I just couldn’t believe what was happening. It was so exciting.’
Dua, who is only 22, recalled that out of all her music: ‘The first song they played on the radio was Be the One’ – a single from her self-titled debut album.
‘It was so exciting’: Dua Lipa told told GQ that when she first heard herself on the radio: ‘I collapsed on the floor and I was in tears and I just couldn’t believe what was happening’
‘I knew it was gonna get played on the radio because it was being premiered by Annie Mac,’ the Londoner recalled to the magazine.
‘I was in the studio that day, and because I knew exactly what time her radio slot is, I treated myself to a cab and I made sure: “Please can you turn the radio on?”‘
Dua, who will make her debut on Saturday Night Live next month, remembered: ‘The whole way home, I had the radio on and I was waiting, and I was waiting, and I was waiting, and they still hadn’t played the song.
‘I’d arrived home, I quickly ran through the door, turned the radio on, and the song started playing! I collapsed on the floor and I was in tears, and I just couldn’t believe what was happening. It was so exciting.’
Looking back: Dua, who is only 22, recalled that of all her music: ‘The first song they played on the radio was Be the One’ – a single from her self-titled debut album
Her album Dua Lipa also includes the single New Rules, which this week peaked at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 – up from its previous height of #11.
Of the success of New Rules, she reflected that ‘it’s crazy, really, what that song’s done, because…I couldn’t have made this s*** up.’
Dua theorized that ‘I think it was the video, you know? The album came out, and it definitely streamed really well, but I always knew it was going to be the single. I just didn’t expect it to do this. But I don’t think anybody really expects a song to go as crazy as it does when they first release it, unless they’re a psychic.’
Once it did become a massive, she swiftly became aware of the sea change, ‘because none of my videos had ever done anything like that.
As seen in the music video: Her album Dua Lipa also includes the single New Rules, which this week peaked at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 – up from its previous height of #11
‘So many cool female artists were reaching out. Lorde said it was one of her favorite videos she’d seen, and Zara Larsson was reaching out.
‘The message of the video is “Girls supporting each other,” so it meant so much to me when other female artists truly had my back. I think it all just happened so fast. I didn’t expect it. But I still didn’t expect it to go to number one in the UK. I didn’t!’
As for the future: ‘Well, I always want to be able to reinvent myself, but in a way that feels authentic to me and something that I can identify with.
‘So many cool female artists were reaching out’: Dua has theorized of the single’s success that ‘I think it was the video, you know?’
‘My idea of pop has been P!nk and Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child and Nelly Furtado, but it’s also taking that modern-day twist, where you’re allowed to be a bit more adventurous and you’re allowed to talk about different experiences, personal experiences, which is something that P!nk did so perfectly.’
Dua reflected that ‘in a time like now, you are really able to talk about everything and anything in the hope that somebody might be able to relate to it.’
She insisted that ‘I just want to be able to make music that’s empowering, but I also don’t want to limit myself to being someone that just makes empowering songs. I want to be able to write songs that can also bring you down, and they kind of hurt at some point. It depends how people take it. I just want to play around.’
All together: She shared that ”The message of the video is “Girls supporting each other,” so it meant so much to me when other female artists truly had my back’
After her big hit record, ‘I don’t want to be forgotten. I want to keep releasing music, and not every single song that you release is gonna be like: “Oh, this is the song going to the radio!”
‘It’s just releasing music because you love releasing music, and you love playing around. There’s just so many artists and so much inspiration to be had that’s so brilliant that I think that’s what pop music is, is innovative.’
She was snapped by Erik Madigan Heck for the GQ piece.
Over the weekend The Sun reported that Dua broke up with her beau of five months, Paul Klein. She has reportedly begun ‘messaging’ her ex-boyfriend Isaac Carew, whom she was with for two years.
The way they were: Over the weekend The Sun reported Dua broke up with her beau Paul Klein and began ‘messaging’ her ex-boyfriend Isaac Carew, with whom she is pictured
