Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Dua Lipa

Share: FB Share X Share Reddit Share Reddit Share
Dua Lipa

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Dua Lipa made an impact.

Dua Lipa is a highly successful English and Albanian singer, songwriter, and actress recognized for her significant impact on popular music. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career, including seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards, solidifying her status as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Her blend of pop, dance, and R&B influences has resonated globally, making her a celebrated artist and pop culture icon.

2013: Signed with Tap Management

In 2013, Dua Lipa signed a contract with Tap Management.

2014: Signed Record Deal with Warner Bros. Records

In 2014, Dua Lipa signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records after co-writing the song "Hotter than Hell".

Loading Video...

2014: Signed with Warner Bros.

In 2014, Dua Lipa signed with Warner Bros. Records, before that she was working as a model.

January 2016: First UK and Europe Tour Begins

In January 2016, Dua Lipa's first tour in the UK and Europe began.

December 2016: End of First UK and Europe Tour

In early December 2016, Dua Lipa's first tour in the UK and Europe concluded.

June 2017: Release of Debut Album and Glastonbury Performance

In June 2017, Dua Lipa's first album, Dua Lipa, was released, and she performed at the Glastonbury Festival.

2017: First UK Number-One Song

In 2017, Dua Lipa earned her first UK number-one song with "New Rules". A study showed an increase in the number of people named "Dua" that year.

Loading Video...

2017: Debut Album Release

In 2017, Dua Lipa released her self-titled debut album, Dua Lipa, which reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and featured the hit singles "Be the One", "IDGAF", and "New Rules".

Loading Video...

January 2018: Working on Second Album

In January 2018, Dua Lipa started working on new material for her second album.

February 2018: LGBT Support at Hollywood Palladium & White Rose Dress at Brit Awards

In February 2018, Dua Lipa raised a rainbow flag while performing her song "Be the One" in Los Angeles. She also wore a white rose dress at the Brit Awards in support of the Time's Up movement.

Loading Video...

May 2018: Included on British Vogue's List

In May 2018, Dua Lipa was included on British Vogue's inaugural list of the 25 most influential British women of 2018, being the youngest on the list at age 22.

August 2018: Sunny Hill Festival

In August 2018, Dua Lipa organised the Sunny Hill Festival to raise money for the Sunny Hill Foundation, which she co-created with her father, Dukagjin, in 2016. The then-Mayor of Pristina, Shpend Ahmeti, awarded her the Pristina Key, the first time one had been awarded.

November 2018: Brexit Dissatisfaction

In November 2018, Dua Lipa expressed dissatisfaction over the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union due to Brexit.

November 2018: UNICEF "Go Blue" Campaign

In November 2018, Dua Lipa participated in UNICEF's "Go Blue" campaign in support of children's rights for World Children's Day. She created a short video where she re-recorded her song "Be the One" (2015), changing the word "red" to "blue" for the occasion.

Loading Video...

December 2018: Streets of London Benefit Concert

In December 2018, Dua Lipa participated in a benefit concert for Ellie Goulding's "Streets of London" annual charity event at Wembley Arena, which raises money for homeless people in London.

2018: Criticism at BRIT Awards

In 2018, Dua Lipa faced criticism regarding her stage presence, particularly after her performance of "New Rules" at the BRIT Awards. A YouTube comment criticizing her lack of energy became an internet meme. This criticism motivated her to improve her stage presence.

Loading Video...

2018: GQ Interview

In a 2018 GQ interview, Dua Lipa discussed her idea of pop music and cited P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, and Nelly Furtado as influences.

March 2019: Global Feminism Film Participation

In March 2019, Dua Lipa participated in a short film for Global Feminism, directed by Annie Lennox's The Circle in association with Apple Music, raising awareness of misogyny and violence against women.

April 2019: UNICEF Supporter

In April 2019, Dua Lipa became a UNICEF supporter during a three-day visit to a camp for refugee children and youth in Beirut, Lebanon. She visited young Palestinians and Syrians in Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp and supported a campaign by her management company to raise £100,000 for charities like The Black Dog and CALM.

April 2019: Support for LGBT Rights in Brunei

In April 2019, Dua Lipa supported LGBT rights in Brunei by calling for a boycott against the hotel interests of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, after a penal code punishing homosexuality with death came into force.

June 2019: Support for Sudanese Transition to Democracy

In June 2019, Dua Lipa publicly supported the ongoing Sudanese transition to democracy on social media, denouncing the Khartoum massacre and advocating for human rights.

August 2019: Partnership with Yves Saint Laurent

In August 2019, Dua Lipa partnered with Yves Saint Laurent to endorse their fragrance Libre.

Yves Saint Laurent Libre Women 3 oz EDP Spray
Yves Saint Laurent Libre Women 3 oz EDP Spray

November 2019: Albania Earthquake Support

Following the 2019 Albania earthquake, Dua Lipa asked fans for donations and co-released a limited edition line of "Pray for Albania" t-shirts with Albanian fashion designers to raise funds for victims.

December 2019: Announcement of Future Nostalgia and Tour

In December 2019, following the release of "Don't Start Now," Dua Lipa's second album, Future Nostalgia, and its accompanying tour were announced.

Loading Video...

2019: Release of Don't Start Now

In 2019, Dua Lipa released "Don't Start Now". It helped to start disco's revival in 2020.

Loading Video...

March 2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Support

In March 2020, Dua Lipa requested fans to donate to the UNHCR agency to help refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic and performed her song "Don't Start Now" (2019) from her London apartment on The Late Late Show with James Corden From His Garage to raise money for CDC and Feed the Children.

Loading Video...

April 2020: BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Allstars

In April 2020, Dua Lipa participated in the BBC Radio 1 charitable project for a cover version of "Times Like These" as part of the Live Lounge Allstars, with proceeds going to Children in Need, Comic Relief, and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Loading Video...

April 2020: Future Nostalgia Reaches Number One

In April 2020, Future Nostalgia peaked at number one on the Official UK Albums Chart.

May 2020: Lowest Sales Week at Number One

In May 2020, Future Nostalgia held the record for the lowest one-week sales while at the top of the UK chart in the 21st century.

July 2020: Conversion Therapy Open Letter

In July 2020, Dua Lipa signed an open letter to the UK government, requesting the banning of conversion therapy.

July 2020: Let the Music Play Campaign Support

In July 2020, Dua Lipa supported the "Let the Music Play" campaign, signing an open letter calling for government support for the UK's live music industry's economic loss under the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Guinness World Record for Livestreamed Concert Tickets

In 2020, Dua Lipa received a Guinness World Record for most tickets sold for a livestreamed concert by a solo female artist.

2020: Release of Future Nostalgia album

In 2020, Dua Lipa released her album "Future Nostalgia", which later provided the soundtrack for Versace's Spring/Summer 2022 show.

2020: Future Nostalgia Album Success

In 2020, Dua Lipa's second album, Future Nostalgia, became her first UK number-one album and peaked in the top-three in the US. Its lead single, "Don't Start Now", achieved significant success.

Loading Video...

2020: Inspiration for Future Nostalgia

In 2020, Dua Lipa's second studio album "Future Nostalgia" was inspired by artists she listened to during her teens, including Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Moloko, Blondie, and Outkast.

2020: Disco Revival

In 2020, Lyndsey Havens from Billboard credited Dua Lipa as the protagonist in disco's revival through her song "Don't Start Now". She was also called "the Future of Pop" due to the success of her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia.

Loading Video...

2020: Support for Joe Biden

In 2020, after endorsing Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries, Dua Lipa expressed support for Joe Biden to become U.S. president, arguing Kosovars "owed" him support for his stance against the massacre and ethnic cleansing of Albanians.

2020: Anti-Trump Urging

In August 2020, Dua Lipa urged her Instagram followers to vote against Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election.

January 2021: Encouragement for Kosovo Election Voting

In January 2021, Dua Lipa published a call to her Instagram followers to encourage Kosovo citizens to vote in the 2021 Kosovan parliamentary election.

July 2021: Adopt a Kindergarten Initiative

In July 2021, Dua Lipa, through her Sunny Hill Foundation, joined an initiative called "Adopt a Kindergarten" in Tirana to reconstruct a kindergarten damaged by the 2019 Albania earthquake.

October 2021: Completion of Sunny Hill Kindergarten

In October 2021, the reconstructed kindergarten, part of the "Adopt a Kindergarten" initiative from July 2021, was completed and named "Sunny Hill Kindergarten".

2021: Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party Performance

In 2021, Dua Lipa performed virtually at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party to benefit the AIDS Foundation, raising US$3 million to combat HIV disease.

2021: Guinness World Record for Spotify Listeners

In 2021, Dua Lipa received a Guinness World Record for most monthly listeners on Spotify for a female artist, though she did not surpass Ariana Grande's all-time peak.

2021: "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" Success

In 2021, Dua Lipa scored her third UK number-one single with the Elton John duet "Cold Heart (PNAU remix)".

2021: Taliban Takeover Awareness

Throughout 2021, Dua Lipa raised awareness about the detrimental consequences of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan via her social media and her lifestyle newsletter Service95.

2022: Runway Debut at Versace's Spring/Summer Show

In 2022, Dua Lipa made her runway debut at Versace's Spring/Summer show during Milan Fashion Week. The show featured tracks from her album "Future Nostalgia".

October 2023: Artists4Ceasefire campaign

In October 2023, Dua Lipa joined 185 other artists in signing an open letter for the "Artists4Ceasefire" campaign, urging President Biden to advocate for a ceasefire and an end to civilian casualties during the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, as well as the establishment of a humanitarian aid corridor into Gaza.

2023: "Dance the Night" Release and Acting Debut

In 2023, Dua Lipa released her fourth UK number-one single, "Dance the Night", from the Barbie film soundtrack, and she also made her acting debut in the film.

Loading Video...

2024: Radical Optimism Album Release and Argylle Role

In 2024, Dua Lipa released her third studio album, Radical Optimism, which debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and was preceded by the hit singles "Houdini", "Training Season", and "Illusion". She also had a supporting role in the spy film Argylle.

Loading Video...

2024: Billboard Music Award Win

In 2024, Dua Lipa won the Top Dance/Electronic Song award at the Billboard Music Awards for her track Houdini, which topped the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for 17 weeks.

Loading Video...