Dua Lipa

Two years after New Rules made her a global star, Dua Lipa is back with an album of sheer disco pop perfection – and plenty to say about sex, politics and her night in a strip club with Lizzo.

The 25-year-old pop-star was born in London but spent the majority of her childhood living in Kosovo after moving there in 2011. She was born to Albanian immigrant parents Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa and is the eldest of three children. She clarified with fans that while Dua Lipa may sound like somewhat of a “stage name”, it is in fact her birth name and ‘Dua’ can be translated to mean “love” in Albanian. While her parents never pushed her toward music, her love for it was undeniably inevitable considering her father was a musician.

Four weeks ago, Dua Lipa flew back to London after playing Sydney's Mardi Gras to discover her flat had flooded. The singer-songwriter rented an Airbnb while the repairs were carried out. Now, she and her boyfriend are stuck there for the duration of the lockdown. "I'm really enjoying it," she tells the BBC over the phone. "I'm doing stuff that I don't normally get the chance to do, just sleeping in and reading a book and catching up on TV shows."