Pop singer Dua Lipa has opened up to fans about the role of "persistence" in her journey to success.
During her appearance at the Hay Festival in Wales last Saturday, 3 May, the singer reflected on her childhood experiences of moving between Kosovo and London, sharing how being adaptable and embracing change had been crucial to her later success.
She told the audience: "From a young age, I had the dream to be a pop star but it never seemed like something that was actually possible," adding: "I've been a new girl all my life.”
Dua’s upbringing saw her born in London to parents who had fled the war in former Yugoslavia.
She later returned to Kosovo with her family at the age of 11 but came back to the UK at 15 on her own and shared a flat with the daughter of family friends from Kosovo to complete her GCSEs and pursue a career in music.
She explained: "There was always the idea of being from two places at once. I understood the duality of my heritage from an early age. People would always ask where my name is from.
"I was really proud of it, but when I was younger I wished my name was, say, Hannah – something 'normal' and English."
As well as "making up dance routines in the playground at school", the singer said "reading was also such a big part of my life".
By age 17, however, Dua said she was “determined” to focus on her music career and embarked on fulfilling her dream after completing school.
"I was really persistent. I just started writing a lot, worked with a producer. I was 17. I was offered a publishing deal but [producer] Felix told me to go to a lawyer, who said, 'Don't sign that deal!' They then helped me get into the studio."
Aside from her hugely successful music career, Dua has reportedly landed a role in the upcoming Barbie film, having set her sights on carving out a career in Hollywood. Dua will make her acting debut later this year in spy thriller Argylle, which she filmed back in 2021.
An insider told the Sun: “Dua is making waves in both music and movies. She really impressed in Argylle and word spread around Hollywood about how good she was."
“Now she has joined the cast of Barbie alongside big names including Margot, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell and Saoirse Ronan. Although Argylle is a big film in its own right, Barbie will be a breakthrough part for Dua because there is so much hype around it."
“Dua is quickly proving there is far more to her than just being a pop star. She has an exciting future ahead of her in films," the source added.
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