How often have you been introduced to an artist through a friend, hearing their music on the radio or even seeing them perform live for the first time? And then you go home and start watching every single interview they’ve done and you get invested in the artist behind the art and their overall story. That’s how we came across our favorite artists before TikTok and how most of us got to know Dua Lipa. I’m pretty sure that a lot of people are familiar with some of her biggest hits, but haven’t quite connected it with one of the UK’s biggest pop queens of our generation. I bet if you’d listen to New Rules or One Kiss right now, it will prove my point.
While Dua is known for writing music that moves people – spiritually and physically – and delivering some of our favorite dance music, there is so much more to her that a lot of people don’t see. Described by her fans as ambitious, hardworking, generous and unstoppable, she has fought for her dreams and succeeded with a lot of perseverance, passion and love for the incredible work she does. She is constantly doing her best to improve, to make even better music and to deliver all kinds of different projects while always staying true to who she is.
Throughout her career and her two studio albums, Dua has experimented with different sounds and styles which makes her discography extremely versatile and definitely captivating. If you ask her fans directly, they will tell you that it never fails to boost your happiness, to teach you beautiful lessons on topics that can help you with whatever you’re going through. And according to them, once you get into her music, you can’t just pull a Houdini. I mean why would you?
Her upcoming third studio album might just include her best work yet, because Dua has rewritten every song on it over and over again until it felt perfect, which is something she didn’t really have the confidence to do on her previous records. Knowing how much thought went into this new body of work, there is no doubt that it will take on a life of its own and leave its positive mark on everyone who listens to it.
Apart from being an artist and making music for a living, Dua also made her acting debut in Barbie and came back to our screens in the newly released movie Argylle. Additional to that, we have seen her involvement in the fashion world and her commitment to philanthropic work. Being an Ambassador for her home country Kosovo, she has dedicated a lot of her time to honor her roots, to give back and to pay it forward.
In 2018, Dua and her dad brought the Sunny Hill Festival to life – the biggest music festival in South East Europe, taking place in Prishtina, Kosovo. Every year – apart from the two years during the global pandemic – the city has hosted more than 100.000 music lovers from around the world and has really shined a light on the country overall.
And a lot of its success is not only thanks to its well-known co-founder, but performances from big international artists and DJs each year. If this is something you want to experience, go get your tickets for this year’s festival taking place July 25-28 at Sunny Hill Festival Park in Prishtina. It’s also a great opportunity to explore the city itself, its beautiful culture and the home of pop music’s biggest Kosovan artists: Dua Lipa and Rita Ora. They’ve truly put their country on the map and we can only applaud them for that.
Being able to give back once you’ve reached a certain level of success and have built a platform big enough for your voice to make a difference, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Through the Sunny Hill Foundation, Dua has made it her mission to offer help and support to the most vulnerable and in-need parts of the community. The foundation’s goal is to give support that shows direct improvement on people’s lives and to provide a space for young talents to unleash their creativity in music and arts. And that is only a part of the incredible work the foundation has done so far.
As you can tell, Dua Lipa is an inspiration and an empowering woman in many ways. She has taught her fans that anything is possible, that no dream is too big and hard work always pays off. She encouraged them to be themselves, to fight for what they know they deserve and how important it is to pay it forward. No matter if it’s through her music and entertainment, her Sunny Hill work or global editorial platform Service95, Dua has become a role model to so many fans around the world and there is so much more still to come.
At the end of the day, our dedication to support our favorite artists doesn’t just come from our love for their music, but for everything they do, what they stand for and how much we love them as human beings. They become a part of our journeys as much as we have become a part of theirs. And if you have been levitated by the beautiful sound of Dua Lipa, you are definitely here for the longrun.
ROARA Magazine 