History of Dua Lipa in Timeline

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Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa is a highly successful English singer and songwriter. She has achieved significant recognition in the music industry, evidenced by her impressive collection of awards, including seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. These accolades highlight her impact and influence on contemporary pop music.

1952: Vera Lynn's record

In 1952, Vera Lynn had three top-ten singles in a single calendar year, a record that Dua Lipa equaled at the time of the Future Nostalgia album release.

1979: Release of "Lost in Music"

In 1979, Sister Sledge released the song "Lost in Music", which Dua Lipa covered in 2013 for an ITV advertisement for The X Factor.

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August 1995: Dua Lipa's birth in London

On 22 August 1995, Dua Lipa was born in London, England, to Kosovo Albanian parents Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa.

1997: Homosexuality decriminalized in China

In 1997, homosexuality was decriminalized in China.

2002: Cover of "Beautiful"

In 2002, Dua Lipa uploaded her covers of songs such as "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera to YouTube.

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2004: Cover of "If I Ain't Got You"

In 2004, Dua Lipa uploaded her covers of songs such as "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys to YouTube.

2008: Move to Pristina, Kosovo

In 2008, Dua Lipa moved with her family to Pristina after Kosovo declared independence, where she attended Mileniumi i Tretë School.

2013: Advertisement for The X Factor

In 2013, Dua Lipa modelled with Topshop and signed with a modelling agency, helping her land a role as a singer in an ITV advertisement for The X Factor, covering Sister Sledge's 1979 song "Lost in Music".

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2013: Signing with Tap Management

In 2013, Dua Lipa signed a contract with Tap Management while working as a waitress.

2014: Signing with Warner Bros. Records

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

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August 2015: Release of "New Love"

In August 2015, Dua Lipa released her first single, "New Love", produced by Emile Haynie and Andrew Wyatt.

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October 2015: Release of "Be the One"

In October 2015, Dua Lipa's second single, "Be the One", achieved European success.

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November 2015: BBC Sound of... 2016 long list

In November 2015, Dua Lipa was revealed as one of the acts to appear on the BBC Sound of... 2016 long list.

2015: Adele's "Hello" topped the UK Charts

In 2015, Adele's "Hello" was the last song to reach the top in the UK by a female solo artist before Dua Lipa's "New Rules" in 2017.

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2015: Released "Be the One"

In 2015, Dua Lipa released her song "Be the One".

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2015: Began dating Isaac Carew

In 2015, Dua Lipa started dating English chef Isaac Carew.

January 2016: First UK and Europe tour

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

February 2016: Release of "Last Dance"

On 18 February 2016, Dua Lipa released her third single, "Last Dance".

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November 2016: Release of "No Lie" with Sean Paul

In November 2016, Dua Lipa was featured on Sean Paul's single "No Lie", which reached number ten in the UK.

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December 2016: End of first UK and Europe tour

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

2016: Co-created the Sunny Hill Foundation

In 2016, Dua Lipa and her father, Dukagjin, co-created the Sunny Hill Foundation to raise funds to help people in Kosovo experiencing financial difficulties.

2016: Nomination to BBC Sound of 2016

In 2016, Dua Lipa was nominated to BBC Sound of 2016.

January 2017: EBBA Public Choice Award and "Scared to Be Lonely" release

In January 2017, Dua Lipa won the EBBA Public Choice Award and released the single "Scared to Be Lonely", a collaboration with Martin Garrix.

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May 2017: Performance at SCTV anniversary and award win

In May 2017, Dua Lipa performed at the anniversary of Indonesian television channel SCTV and won the award for Young and Promising International Artist at the SCTV Music Awards.

June 2017: Release of Dua Lipa's first album and Glastonbury performance

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

2017: Release of debut album

In 2017, Dua Lipa released her eponymous debut album, which peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and featured singles like "Be the One", "IDGAF", and "New Rules".

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2017: Increase in babies named Dua

In 2017, the year Dua Lipa earned her first UK number-one song with "New Rules", a study revealed that the number of people born with the name "Dua" in England and Wales was 63.

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2017: First split with Isaac Carew

In early 2017, Dua Lipa and Isaac Carew ended their relationship for the first time.

January 2018: Reunited with Isaac Carew

In January 2018, Dua Lipa got back together with English chef Isaac Carew.

January 2018: Brit Awards nominations

In January 2018, Dua Lipa received nominations in five categories at the Brit Awards, including British Album of the Year for Dua Lipa, British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year for "New Rules", British Female Solo Artist, and British Breakthrough Act.

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January 2018: Start of work on second album

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

February 2018: Brit Awards performance and "High" collaboration

In February 2018, Dua Lipa performed at the Brit Awards ceremony and collaborated with Whethan on the song "High" for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack.

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February 2018: Raises a rainbow flag and supports Time's Up movement

In February 2018, Dua Lipa raised a rainbow flag while performing "Be the One" at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, as part of The Self-Titled tour. She also wore a white rose dress on the Brit Awards red carpet in support of Time's Up movement.

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May 2018: Included in British Vogue's Most Influential Women list

In May 2018, Dua Lipa, at the age of 22, was included on British Vogue's inaugural list of the 25 most influential British women of 2018. Her 2017 song "New Rules" was described as an "anthem of female empowerment".

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August 2018: Organized Sunny Hill Festival

In August 2018, Dua Lipa organised the Sunny Hill Festival to raise money for the Sunny Hill Foundation. She was also awarded the Pristina Key by the Mayor of Pristina, Shpend Ahmeti.

September 2018: Fans removed for waving rainbow flags at Shanghai concert

In September 2018, some fans were removed by security from a Dua Lipa concert in Shanghai for allegedly waving rainbow flags. Lipa responded by expressing her pride and gratitude to those who showed their pride at the show.

November 2018: Lipa expresses dissatisfaction over Brexit

In November 2018, Dua Lipa voiced her dissatisfaction with the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit), citing her belief that refugees only leave their country out of necessity.

November 2018: Participated in UNICEF's "Go Blue" campaign

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

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December 2018: Participated in Ellie Goulding's "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 "funds specialist support for people who are homeless in London and raises awareness about homelessness."

2018: Affectionately referred to as 'Dula Peep'

In 2018, Dua Lipa began to be affectionately referred to as 'Dula Peep' by fans, which originated as a mispronunciation by American talk show host Wendy Williams. Since then, she has positively embraced the nickname.

2018: Identified as an "honorary Liverpool supporter"

In 2018, Dua Lipa described herself as an "honorary Liverpool supporter", after her song "One Kiss" was adopted by the football club's fans in the wake of her performance at the 2018 UEFA Champions League final, since becoming a club anthem after significant victories.

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2018: Lipa discusses her idea of pop and musical influences

In 2018, Dua Lipa stated that her idea of pop music was influenced by artists like P!nk, Christina Aguilera, and Nelly Furtado in a GQ interview. She also mentioned that her second studio album, Future Nostalgia, was inspired by artists she listened to during her teens, including Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Moloko, Blondie, and Outkast.

2018: Brit Awards wins

In 2018, Dua Lipa was honored with the Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

2018: Criticism motivates stage presence improvement

In 2018, Dua Lipa's stage presence was criticized, with a YouTube comment on her BRIT Awards performance of "New Rules" leading to ridicule. Lipa used this criticism as motivation to improve her stage presence.

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January 2019: Release of "Swan Song" and work on second album

In January 2019, Dua Lipa released the single "Swan Song" for the film Alita: Battle Angel soundtrack and stated that she spent the preceding year writing for her second studio album.

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March 2019: Participates in short film for Global Feminism

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, to raise awareness of misogyny, rape, and violence against women.

April 2019: Became a 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.

April 2019: Supports 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 after a penal code punishing homosexuality with death came into force.

June 2019: Supports Sudanese transition to democracy

In June 2019, Dua Lipa publicly supported the Sudanese transition to democracy on social media, condemning the Khartoum massacre and calling for the protection of human rights.

June 2019: Split with Isaac Carew

In June 2019, Dua Lipa split with English chef Isaac Carew for the second time.

July 2019: Began relationship with Anwar Hadid

From July 2019, Dua Lipa was in a relationship with American model Anwar Hadid.

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: Asked for donations and support for victims of the 2019 Albania earthquake

On 26 November 2019, following the 2019 Albania earthquake, Dua Lipa asked fans for donations and support for victims. To raise funds she co-released a limited edition line of t-shirts called "Pray for Albania" in collaboration with Albanian fashion designers. All of the proceeds went to families and victims affected by the seismic event.

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.

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2019: Offered Manuscript of "Don't Start Now" for Charity

In 2019, Dua Lipa offered a manuscript of her song "Don't Start Now" as a prize in a charity raffle organized by Belgian singer Angèle and KickCancer Foundation to fund research against childhood cancer.

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2019: "Don't Start Now" release

In 2019, Dua Lipa released "Don't Start Now".

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2019: Grammy Awards wins

In 2019, Dua Lipa won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and Best Dance Recording for "Electricity" featuring Silk City.

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2019: Albania earthquake

In 2019, an earthquake in Albania severely damaged a kindergarten, which Dua Lipa helped reconstruct in 2021.

2019: Increase in babies named Dua continues

In 2019, the number of people born with the name "Dua" in England and Wales increased to 126, according to a study by the Office for National Statistics.

January 2020: Release of "Physical"

On 30 January 2020, Dua Lipa released "Physical" as the second single from Future Nostalgia.

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March 2020: Asked fans to donate to UNHCR to deal with COVID-19 and performed at "Home Fest"

In March 2020, Dua Lipa asked her fans to make donations to the UNHCR agency to deal with COVID-19 pandemic. Also in the same month, she was part of a television special called "Home Fest" on The Late Late Show with James Corden From His Garage where she performed her song, "Don't Start Now" (2019).

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April 2020: Future Nostalgia at number one on the UK Albums Chart

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

April 2020: Participated in BBC Radio 1's "Times Like These" cover

On 23 April 2020, Dua Lipa took part in a charitable project operated by BBC Radio 1 for a cover version of "Times Like These" for the Live Lounge segment. She was part of the charity supergroup Live Lounge Allstars. Profits from the single primarily went to Children in Need and Comic Relief, as well as COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

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April 2020: Ben Howell's remix of "Hallucinate"

On 27 April 2020, DJ Ben Howell released a remix of Dua Lipa's song "Hallucinate" with the BBC news theme.

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May 2020: Lowest one-week sales at top of chart

During the week beginning 15 May 2020, Future Nostalgia had the lowest one-week sales while at the top of the chart in the 21st century, with only 7,317 sales.

May 2020: Performed "Break My Heart" at "Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020"

On 16 May 2020, Dua Lipa did a live performance of her song "Break My Heart" (2020) on the television special Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020. She also participated in a digital event called "Dream with Us" with the aim of raising funds, whose event consisted of a streaming concert at which a portion of proceeds would go to organisations which help fight COVID-19 at the end of May 2020.

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June 2020: Criticizes Israel Defense Forces' treatment of Palestinians

In June 2020, Dua Lipa shared an Instagram post criticizing the Israel Defense Forces' treatment of Palestinians and made references to Israeli and American political figures, leading to calls for her songs to be banned from Israeli Army Radio.

July 2020: Signs open letter to ban conversion therapy

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

July 2020: Supports "Let the Music Play" campaign

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

July 2020: Shares post about Kosovo and Greater Albania, faces backlash

On July 18, 2020, Dua Lipa shared a post explaining "why Kosovo is not and will never be Serbia", and on July 19, 2020, she published an image of a banner containing an irredentist map of Greater Albania. She received a backlash on social media and was accused of ethnic nationalism and fascism. She later said her post had been "misinterpreted".

2020: Guinness World Record for livestreamed concert tickets sold

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

2020: Disco revival and recognition as the "Future of Pop"

In 2020, Dua Lipa was credited by Billboard as the protagonist in disco's revival with her song "Don't Start Now" (2019) and was called "the Future of Pop" due to the success of her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia.

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2020: Future Nostalgia album release

In 2020, Dua Lipa's album Future Nostalgia was released.

2020: Release of Future Nostalgia

In 2020, Dua Lipa's second album, Future Nostalgia, became her first UK number-one album, featuring singles like "Don't Start Now", "Physical", and "Break My Heart".

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2020: Supports Joe Biden in U.S. presidential election

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

2020: Urges followers to vote against Donald Trump

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

January 2021: Encourages Kosovo citizens to vote

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

May 2021: Criticizes The New York Times over advertisement

In May 2021, after expressing solidarity for the death of Palestinian civilians, Dua Lipa criticized The New York Times for publishing an advertisement characterizing her, along with Bella and Gigi Hadid, as antisemitic.

July 2021: Joins "Adopt a Kindergarten" initiative

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

October 2021: "Sunny Hill Kindergarten" completed

In October 2021, the reconstructed kindergarten, named "Sunny Hill Kindergarten", was completed.

December 2021: Ended relationship with Anwar Hadid

In December 2021, Dua Lipa ended her relationship with American model Anwar Hadid.

2021: Performed at Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party

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

2021: Guinness World Record for Spotify monthly listeners

In 2021, Dua Lipa received a Guinness World Record for most monthly listeners on Spotify for a female artist.

2021: "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" Number One Hit

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

2021: Success of "Levitating"

In 2021, Dua Lipa's single "Levitating" topped the Billboard year-end Hot 100 chart and received a RIAA Diamond certification in the US.

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2021: Raises awareness of Taliban takeover in Afghanistan

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

April 2022: "No Lie" music video surpasses 1 billion views

In April 2022, the music video for "No Lie", featuring Dua Lipa and Sean Paul, surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube.

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August 2022: Named Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo

In August 2022, Dua Lipa was named an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani. Lipa expressed her support for the right of Kosovans "to visa liberalization, freedom to travel and to dream big".

November 2022: Granted Albanian citizenship

On 27 November 2022, Dua Lipa was granted Albanian citizenship by President Bajram Begaj, one day before the country's 110th independence celebrations.

November 2022: Dismisses reports of performing at FIFA World Cup opening ceremony

On November 13, 2022, Dua Lipa dismissed reports that she would perform at the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and called out the host country of Qatar for human rights violations.

December 2022: "No Lie" most-streamed song for Sean Paul

As of December 2022, "No Lie", the song where Dua Lipa featured with Sean Paul, became Sean Paul's most-streamed song.

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2022: Runway debut at Versace's Spring/Summer show

In 2022, Dua Lipa made her runway debut at Versace's Spring/Summer show at Milan Fashion Week, which was soundtracked by tracks from her album Future Nostalgia (2020).

July 2023: "Hallucinate" remix reaches one million views

As of July 2023, Ben Howell's remix of Dua Lipa's song "Hallucinate" has garnered more than a million views on YouTube.

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October 2023: Signed Artists4Ceasefire campaign open letter

In October 2023, Dua Lipa, alongside 185 other artists, signed an open letter for the Artists4Ceasefire campaign, urging President Biden to push for a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid.

2023: Dated Romain Gavras

In 2023, Dua Lipa dated French film director Romain Gavras.

2023: Acting debut in Barbie and release of "Dance the Night"

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

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January 2024: Began dating Callum Turner

Since January 2024, Dua Lipa has been dating British actor Callum Turner.

2024: "New Rules" views on Youtube

As of 2024, the music video for "New Rules" has streamed over three billion views on YouTube.

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2024: Release of Radical Optimism and role in Argylle

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

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2024: Included in the Sunday Times Rich List

In 2024, Dua Lipa was included in the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated net worth of £90 million.

2024: Billboard Music Award for 'Houdini'

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.

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2024: Included in Time 100 list

In 2024, Time magazine included Dua Lipa in the Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

July 2025: Formally announced engagement to Callum Turner

In July 2025, Dua Lipa formally announced her engagement to British actor Callum Turner during her British Vogue cover story.

July 2025: Granted Kosovar citizenship

On 31 July 2025, Dua Lipa was granted Kosovar citizenship by President Vjosa Osmani. She speaks Albanian fluently, and has described her "dual identity" as her "strength".

2025: Ranked on Billboard's Top 100 Women Artists list

In 2025, Billboard ranked Dua Lipa at number 25 on its "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" list.