Maps of Music

Dua Lipa (2017)

Where the lyrics of Dua Lipa take you, and where it was really made.

The album was made across six cities, yet it became a commercial success only after its release, reaching its peak popularity in 2018, a year after it came out.

Key places

Pulse Recording, Los Angeles (2017)

Recording site Pulse Recording — A Los Angeles studio linked to the album's recording sessions. The album was created in studios across six cities, Los Angeles among them. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Sarm Music Village, London (2017)

Recording site Sarm Studios (London) — A London studio linked to the album's recording sessions. The album was created in studios across six cities, London among them. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Paramount Recording Studios, Los Angeles (2017)

Recording site Paramount (Hollywood) — A Los Angeles studio linked to the album's recording sessions. Lipa took two trips to Los Angeles to finish the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Strongroom, London (2017)

Recording site Strongroom — A London studio linked to the album's recording sessions. The album was created in studios across six cities, London among them. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

NRG Recording Studios, North Hollywood (2017)

Recording site NRG Recording Studios (Hollywood) — A North Hollywood studio linked to the album's recording sessions. The album was created in studios across six cities, Los Angeles among them. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Dua Lipa: debut studio album by English singer Dua Lipa
• Released 2 June 2017 through Warner Bros. Records
• Dance-pop, electropop and R&B record with disco, hip hop and tropical house elements
• Production by Digital Farm Animals, Andrew Wyatt, Greg Wells, Ian Kirkpatrick, Axident and James Flannigan, among others
• Sole guest appearance by Miguel, who also received production credits
• Additional vocals from Chris Martin of Coldplay on Homesick
• Eight singles released; New Rules became her first UK number one
• Reissued in October 2018 as Complete Edition with eight extra tracks

Background

• Lipa began singing at age five; her father performed in the Kosovan rock band Oda
• At 15 she moved from Pristina to London, where she was born
• Signed a publishing and management deal with TAP, then a record deal with Warner Records
• Early sessions ran five days a week with different writers under TAP's artist development
• A monthly salary from TAP let her quit waitressing to focus on songwriting
• She wrote upwards of 160 songs for the album, many never finished

Recording

• Created in studios between Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Stockholm and Toronto
• Finished on 20 March 2017
• Koz produced nine of the 25 original songs on every edition
• Release pushed back twice, first to 10 February 2017, then to June 2017

Cover

• Cover art revealed in July 2016 drew negative fan reviews, and a revised cover followed
• Lipa said the self-titled name reflects who she is as a person and an artist
• Standard cover shows the singer in a scaly jacket over a blue-purple background
• Deluxe edition uses a purple background; Complete Edition uses a glittery one

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born 22 August 1995 in London, to Kosovo Albanian parents.
• Influenced by her father, lead singer of Kosovar rock band Oda.
• Moved to Pristina after Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

Career

• Signed with Warner Bros. Records in 2014.
• Debut album Dua Lipa (2017) included UK number-one single "New Rules".
• Second album Future Nostalgia (2020) became her first UK number-one album.
• Third album Radical Optimism (2024) debuted atop the UK Albums Chart.
• Has won seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Generally favourable reviews from music critics
• Metacritic: average score of 72 from eight reviews
• AnyDecentMusic?: 6.8 out of 10 from nine reviews
• Financial Times (Ludovic Hunter-Tilney): predominated by upbeat dance-pop of solid quality
• Evening Standard (Rick Pearson): high-quality work from an artist headed for big things
• The 405 (Sean Ward): singer comfortably anchored in the category of pop innovator
• AllMusic (Neil Z. Yeung): praised as a delightful collection of catchy pop gems
• NME (Jamie Milton): praised Lipa's voice and the debut's confident flow between styles
• Clash (Alex Green): debut brimming with confidence in her voice and her eye for a chorus
• Q (Kate Solomon): praised Lipa's voice and said she turned throwaway filler into anthems
• The Guardian (Hannah J. Davies): mixed review; solid pop debut high on summery nonchalance despite generic offerings
• DIY (Alim Kheraj): bangers aplenty, but much of the album feels overthought and calculated

Reappraisal

• Despite release in 2017, the album reached peak popularity and became commercially successful in 2018
• Appeared on numerous year-end lists, including ones by Billboard and Rolling Stone
• Rolling Stone named it the year's ninth-best pop album; Billboard ranked it 43rd best album of 2017
• Nominated for British Album of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards

Records

• UK Albums Chart: debut at number five in June 2017; peak at number three in its 38th week
• Rose from number 56 to number nine after the Complete Edition release in October 2018
• UK: BPI 4× platinum certification in 2025; 720,505 units as of April 2021
• Billboard 200: debut at number 86 on 24 June 2017; peak at number 27 in February 2018
• United States: RIAA platinum in June 2019 for one million album-equivalent units
• Canada: quadruple platinum for 320,000 units
• Australia: gold certification for 35,000 units; peak at number eight
• New Zealand: double platinum for 30,000 units
• Six million units sold worldwide as of February 2021

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Lipa wrote the album's first two songs, Hotter than Hell and Thinking 'Bout You, in the early sessions arranged by TAP.
• The album was pushed back a second time to June 2017 so Lipa could fit new songs and exciting collaborations on it.
• Ian Kirkpatrick played Lipa New Rules during a Los Angeles trip, which led to her recording it.
• Lipa got a palm tree tattoo on her left elbow to mark her first month of writing songs in Los Angeles.
• Lipa got the word patience tattooed to remind herself to wait until everything was perfect.
• Warner Records wanted Lipa because the label did not have a big female pop artist.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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