Dua Lipa: “[Glastonbury is] going to be a whole new set of emotions”

Today, MusicWeek have shared more of their interview with Dua Lipa back in May to celebrate her performance at Glastonbury tonight!

How have you approached preparing for your Pyramid set?
“In terms of musical direction, we’ve really gone through the show and the stage design, changing little bits, adding samples here and there, ideas, what we think could be there… I like to put in as much rehearsal time as possible to make sure I give myself that space so when I get up on stage I just feel good about the performance and performing. I’ll try to shed some of the adrenaline before, but I think it will be impossible. By the time Glastonbury comes it’s going to be a whole new set of emotions.”

Now you have Radical Optimism to draw from too. Do you feel the vibe of the album means it lends itself to a Glastonbury set?
“I was in a room with my friends who I just could be so open and free and myself with. So it was very fun, we laughed a lot and there were tears too. With my previous records, whatever I would write on that day would probably end up being the thing that I would record in the end from the demo. Whereas this album, I went and rewrote it so many times because every time I would go back to that, I’d be like, ‘Actually, I’m not really feeling this way anymore.’ And I think how you feel 24 hours after you’ve put something onto paper is very different to how you feel a month later, so the songs were ever-changing. I’m happy that I had the courage to just keep going back. Before I used to think that that one idea was the best idea. Whereas this time I was so much more willing to just keep digging to get better.”

You have Dance The Night in your locker too… How do you reflect on making that song?
“I was working on my album while I was doing my tour. And then Mark [Ronson] asked me to do the Barbie song, so then I had to carve out time… We also said, ‘Maybe let’s try and write for Radical Optimism,’ but Barbie just took over so any time we spent together, we worked on Barbie and then when I came back to London, I worked on my album. I was dipping into so many different worlds wearing so many different hats, but it made it exciting. It was a crazy year.”

What does the song mean to you now?
“It’s just such a feelgood song, but it’s also about resilience. It was so fun to create a song that was tailored for a purpose, which I’d never really done before. You know, when I’m in the studio, you kind of invite the muse and you go, ‘I hope she shows up and we create something out of nothing.’ Whereas we had a very clear assignment. And it was very unique to work in that way. And I really enjoyed it, it was a massive learning experience and something I’d like to do more of, for sure. I really enjoyed writing for film. It was also the last disco-y thing that I was going to do for a while. I might do something else in the future. But that was my final hurrah of the Future Nostalgia era.”

It’s safe to say Glastonbury is the biggest moment since you launched Radical22 and formally announced your new management set up with your dad. Is this a time to stop and think about how far you’ve come together?
“It’s wonderful, honestly. My dad’s my best friend, we have such an open dialogue, I can talk to him about anything. He comes to me for advice, I go to him for advice. We discuss everything and I think that’s why I feel like I’m in control of my career so much because there’s not a single email or thing that we wouldn’t sit down and talk about. Everything is together and I love that. There are so many things to look forward to.”

Has your relationship changed since it became official?
“Honestly, no. We see each other even more than we saw each other [before] and we saw each other a lot – I spend a lot of time with my family. And now when we see each other in a work sense, it’s like, ‘Alright, dad’s coming over…’ But it’s great. We don’t talk about work when it’s just family time, or just us hanging out. And then we love talking about work. I think we’re both also serious workaholics and we really thrive on being busy, so we bounce off each other in that way, which is great.”

You’ve been in the music industry for a while now, how do you deal with the various pressures it presents?
“Well, I’m in the music industry by trade, it’s my job. But I just do my job and I leave. I dip in, I do my thing, and I dip out, and I think that’s important. Two things can exist at the same time and that is what keeps me sane and allows me to have normal experiences. I love my job, I love that I get to do music, but It’s not what defines me completely, and I’m happy about that. I like having that duality and music being a big part of my life and the way I choose to express myself, but I don’t think I should base my whole existence on being a musician. I just don’t reflect on it in that way. It’s my job, I wake up every morning, I do it and I love it. But it’s my job. [Laughs]. I’m doing what I love and touring the world and seeing different places and having these incredible experiences and I get to do that because of my job. I’m having the time of my life.”

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Interviews, News

Posted by admin on Jun 28, 2024


Current Projects
Planet of the Koalaroos (202?)
Role: Vicky (Rumoured)
A live-action comedy spoof inspired by Planet of the Apes and featuring humanoid kangaroos and koala bears, collectively known as the Koalaroos and ruling a post-apocalyptic Earth where only Australia has survived and few humans remain in that land down under of Kylie Minogue, Aborigines, shrimp on the barbie, Fosters beer, and random violence...

The Cincinnati Spin (2025)
Role: Unknown
A young female reporter, recently divorced and down on her luck, gets a chance to write an article for the cover of Time Magazine, in which she finds herself becoming the very story.

Yves Saint Laurent Beauty (2024)
Role: Brand Ambassador
Dua Lipa is a brand ambassador for YSL Beauty, launching YSL LOVESHINE, their brand new makeup collection.

Radical Optimism (2024)
Dua Lipa's uncoming third studio album will be released on May 3rd.

Argylle (2024)
Role: LaGrange
A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent and a global spy syndicate realizes the plot of the new book she's writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time.

Service95 (Since 2022)
Dua Lipa's global platform which includes a website, a weekly newsletter, podcast, and book club.
Cover Girl
Tour Dates
2025
  • Mar 20 | Rod Laver Arena | Melbourne, Australia
  • Mar 26 | Qudos Bank Arena | Sydney, Australia
  • Apr 2 | Spark Arena | Auckland, New Zealand
  • May 11 | Wizink Center | Madrid, Spain
  • May 12 | Wizink Center | Madrid, Spain
  • May 15 | IDLC Arena | Lyon, France
  • May 16 | IDLC Arena | Lyon, France
  • June 20 | Wembley Stadium | London, England
  • June 21 | Wembley Stadium | London, England
  • June 24 | Anfield Stadium | Liverpool, England
  • More tour dates
    Service95 Book Club: February


    Dua's pick for February is The Bee Sting by Paul Murrayk.

    See past book club picks.
    Family Sites