Dua Lipa hasn’t put a foot wrong since she became a household name with last summer’s star-making video for ‘New Rules’ (1.1 billion views and counting). With her self-titled debut album already released at that point, the 22-year-old continued to make her name with sold-out tour dates bursting with undeniable pop bangers, and visuals to match them: the recently released ‘IDGAF’ generated a beautiful self-love meme, and her virtuoso live performance of that song on Jimmy Kimmel Live topped Youtube’s trends in March. Even more recently, she’s toured with pop heavyweight Bruno Mars, quite rightly hit back at a journalist who suggested she had illegitimately cancelled dates for medical reasons, and spoken frankly about #MeToo, sexism and harassment in the music industry. With a voice that’s immediately recognisable, an attitude that resonates perfectly in 2018, and a unanimous groundswell of support around the globe that’s only going to grow, she’s approaching the level of pop stardom most can only aspire to: Madonna, Rihanna, Dua.
It’s therefore no surprise to learn that her first new song in almost a year is yet another perfect move – though a slightly unexpected one. Following the gigantic pop of her debut album, this Calvin Harris collaboration (co-written with Jessie Reyez) is a comparatively dreamy whirlpool of deep house – but it’s one Dua nonchalantly sails through. Her untouchable vocals cut right through Harris’ moody keys and house beats as she delivers the track’s club-ready lines: “One kiss is all it takes / Falling in love with me / Possibilities / I look like all you need.” It’s instantly familiar, but it’s brimming with fresh energy, too. Really, we’ve only seen the beginning of Dua Lipa, an artist glowing with potential – but for now, she can be happy with having co-written the song of the summer.