Dua Lipa

Short Biography

Dua Lipa (/ˈduːə ˈliːpə/; Albanian pronunciation: [dua liːpa]; born 22 August 1995) is an English singer, songwriter and model. Her musical career began at age 14, when she began covering songs by artists such as Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado on YouTube. In 2015, she was signed with Warner Bros. Records, and released her first single soon after. In December 2016, a documentary about Lipa was commissioned by The Fader magazine, titled See in Blue. In January 2017, she won the EBBA Public Choice Award. Her self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017.Early life Lipa was born in London on 22 August 1995 to Albanian parents from Kosovo who had left Pristina in the 1990s. She attended Sylvia Young Theatre School, part-time, moving to Kosovo with her family in 2008. Lipa grew up listening to her father, the Kosovar Albanian rock singer Dukagjin Lipa. At the age of 14, she began posting covers of her favourite songs by artists such as Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado on YouTube. At the age of 16, she moved back to London with aspirations of becoming a singer. Shortly after, she began working as a model.Career 2015–present: Dua Lipa and See in Blue In 2015, Lipa began working on her debut album for Warner Bros. Records. In August 2015, she released her first single "New Love", produced by Emile Haynie and Andrew Wyatt. She released her second single "Be the One", written by Lucy "Pawws" Taylor, in October 2015. Lipa has said that "Be the One is the only song on my album I haven't written ... [but] I couldn't not take it, it's my favourite thing." "Be the One" achieved success across Europe, reaching number one in Belgium, Poland and Slovakia, as well as charting within the top 10 in over 11 European territories. In Australia and New Zealand, the song became an airplay success, reaching numbers 6 and 20 respectively. Lipa describes her musical style as "dark pop". On 30 November 2015, she was revealed as one of the acts on the BBC Sound of...2016 long list. Her first tour in the UK and Europe began in January 2016. In November 2016, Lipa concluded her tour through Europe.On 18 February 2016, Lipa released her third single "Last Dance", followed by "Hotter than Hell" on 6 May. "Hotter than Hell" became a hit worldwide, especially in the UK, where it peaked at number 15. On 26 August, her fifth overall single "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" was released. It became the singer's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 72. "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" also topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and reached number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. Elsewhere, the song enjoyed moderate success, reaching the top 20 in Belgium, Hungary, New Zealand and Scotland. In the UK, the single peaked at number 30, making it the singer's second highest-charting single in British territory. In November 2016, Sean Paul released the single "No Lie" featuring Lipa. In December 2016, a documentary about Lipa was commissioned by The Fader magazine, called See in Blue. In January 2017, Martin Garrix released the single "Scared to Be Lonely" with Lipa.Her self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017.