Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa has wrapped up the Melbourne leg of her Australian tour by bringing out a pair of acclaimed names for her ongoing cover portion.
Lipa launched her live appearances for 2025 earlier this month when she touched down in Australia as part of her ongoing Radical Optimism Tour. With five nights scheduled for Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena and three at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, the excitement for the tour spilled over ahead of time when it was noted that all eight dates on her Australian trek had sold out – resulting in over 120,000 ticket sales.
So far, each of the Australian dates have seen Lipa dedicate the eighth song of her set to a special cover of an Australian artist. On March 17, AC/DC were given the honor when she performed “Highway to Hell,” with Natalie Imbruglia’s version of “Torn” making the cut, and Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head” appearing in the set on March 20.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The final two Melbourne shows were taken up another notch, however, with Lipa welcoming the original artists for a special duet. On Saturday (March 22), Troye Sivan served as the guest of honor, joining Lipa to perform a version of his Grammy-nominated 2023 single “Rush.”
Trending on Billboard
“This next song in the set is different every night,” Lipa explained, noting she had allocated the slot to feature a song “by a local artist” each night. “So tonight, I thought it would be a big mistake if I didn’t play one of my favorite, favorite artists ever who’s also a friend of mine.”
“This is a song I’ve been listening to for a really long time — I mean, 2023 until now, and forever more I’ll be listening to this song,” she added. “But this is a Saturday night banger, so I think it’s going to be a fun one.” Sivan then joined in unannounced to the sound of rapturous applause from the crowd.
The following night (Sunday, March 23), Lipa wrapped up the Melbourne leg of her tour, with the eighth song again being allocated to a song by an Australian artist. This time, she was again joined by the artist in question, with Vance Joy appearing to share a rendition of his 2013 single “Riptide.”
Joy’s “Riptide” topped the Rock Airplay chart upon its release, and was also nominated for both song of the year and best video at the 2013 ARIA Awards. It hasn’t, however, ever topped the Australian charts, though ARIA’s 2024 end-of-year report included the song as one of only five local songs in the chart, with its No. 24 placing being the highest for an Australian song that year.
Notably, Lipa’s point of sharing a song by a “local artist” each night seems only to extend to the nationality of each artist. While both Joy and Minogue are from Melbourne, Sivan hails from Perth (by way of South Africa), and Imbruglia and AC/DC are noted Sydney names. It’s currently unclear which Australian acts Lipa will add to her set in Sydney, though she will launch those dates on Wednesday (March 26).
Dua Lipa has again proven her status as a major drawcard on Australian shores.
The U.K. singer is readying herself to head Down Under in a matter of days for the Australian leg of her global Radical Optimism Tour. Launching on March 17, the singer will remain in the country for just under a fortnight, with five nights scheduled for the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and a further three at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. Lipa will then jet over to New Zealand for two sold-out dates at Auckland’s Spark Arena in early April.
Ahead of the tour’s kick-off, promoters have now revealed the entirety of her Australian trek has sold out, adding another feather to her already-decorated cap. Lipa’s last visit to Australia, in 2022 for the Future Nostalgia Tour, also saw her visit neighboring capitals Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. With that entire tour selling out as well, Lipa’s decision to instead consolidate her current efforts across just two cities has paid off. The previous seven-date trek brought in just under 100,000 fans, with her nascent visit set to exceed 120,000.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Australian and New Zealand legs of the Radical Optimism Tour will also see Lipa joined by Brisbane musician Kita Alexander. Having been releasing music since 2013, Alexander issued her debut album in 2024, with Young in Love reaching No. 61 on the national ARIA charts, and her 2023 “Atmosphere” collaboration with FISHER receiving four nomination at last year’s ARIA Awards.
Trending on Billboard
Dua Lipa’s upcoming Australian visit will be her first dates of 2025 and takes place in support of her third album, 2024’s Radical Optimism, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The record also spawned her single “Houdini”, which took out top dance/electronic song at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
On Saturday (March 1), Lipa appeared at the Brit Awards ceremony in London, where she was nominated for four awards, including British album of the year, British artist of the year, best pop act, and song of the year for “Training Season.” Ultimately, she walked away empty-handed, with Charli XCX dominating instead, taking out five of her six nominations.
Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism Australian Tour Dates
March 17 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 19 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 20 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 22 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 23 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 26 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSWMarch 28 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSWMarch 29 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW
Sabrina Carpenter is in the midst of a major battle, and her fiercest competitor is none other than herself.
As the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart reaches its midweek point, Carpenter’s smash hit “Espresso” remains piping hot and is neck-and-neck with “Please Please Please” (both via Island Records) as both singles vie for the coveted No. 1 spot.
“Espresso” debuted straight in at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart upon its release, and on May 3, 2024, it became Carpenter’s very first U.K. leader. It also marked the highest-charting U.K. No. 1 about caffeine in 24 years, since All Saints’ 2000 hit “Black Coffee.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Meanwhile “Please Please Please,” the second single from Carpenter’s sixth studio album Short ‘n’ Sweet, toppled Eminem‘s “Houdini” back in late June to secure Sabrina her second U.K. No. 1 single in less than two months, while “Espresso” stayed at No. 2. In doing so, Sabrina set a new Official Chart record, becoming the youngest female artist in history to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Official Singles Chart in the same week.
Trending on Billboard
In other U.K. singles chart news, rising star Chappell Roan is also making waves. Her catchy and heartfelt single “Good Luck, Babe!” (via Island) is poised to hit a new peak at No. 4, up from its debut in the top 10 last week.
Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (via EMI) is expected to re-enter the top 10 at No. 10, riding the wave of excitement from her The Eras Tour. Swift’s ability to keep her music relevant and engaging is once again on full display, as fans continue to support her timeless hits.
Dua Lipa, fresh off her headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, is seeing her track “Illusion” (via Warner Records) re-enter the top 20, currently at No. 13. The festival’s influence is also boosting Coldplay, with their new song “feelslikeimfallinginlove” (via Atlantic) set to reach a new peak at No. 21. Both acts have clearly benefited from their standout performances, drawing renewed attention to their latest releases.
BTS icon Jimin is aiming for his third top 40 U.K. single with “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” (via Big Hit Music) featuring rapper Loco, with the track projected to land at No. 18. Inspired by The Beatles‘ iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the K-Pop star’s latest solo effort sees him once again collaborate with renowned producers Pdogg, GHSTLOOP, and EVAN, who previously worked on his debut solo album, FACE.
Stay tuned for the final chart results at the end of the week to see which tracks secure their positions.
Dua Lipa announced the third season of her popular podcast, Dua Lipa: At Your Service, on Wednesday (June 28) with a slew of star-studded guests. Billie Eilish, BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim, You star Penn Badgley, drag superstar Sasha Velour and relationship expert Esther Perel are all set to join the podcast as guests this season, which […]
Artikal Sound System has moved to drop their copyright lawsuit against Dua Lipa; this comes days after a federal judge said its case had serious flaws. Blueface has been arrested in Vegas; the arrest comes less than a year after the rapper was taken into custody for attempted murder. Killer Mike stopped by Billboard News […]
This Barbie is ready to “Dance the Night” away. Just three days after she announced her new song “Dance the Night” off the Barbie: The Album, Dua Lipa unveiled the disco-tinged track on Thursday (May 25). “Watch me dance the night away / My heart could be burnin’ but you won’t see it on my face […]
Dua Lipa turned all heads at GCDS’ fall 2023 show at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday (Feb. 23), when she sat front row wearing a stunning, completely see-through lace gown with a simple black bra and briefs underneath.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
To complete the look and add a pop of color, the “Levitating” singer painted her nails red and held a heart-shaped red purse. She kept her hair sleek and straight, along with a simple smokey eye for makeup to let the dress do all the talking.
Lipa’s style never goes unnoticed, and last month, the star was announced to be one of four 2023 co-chairs for the prestigious Met Gala, which comes around every first Monday in May. Joining the pop star as fellow co-chairs are Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel and Roger Federer, a lineup that spans “every realm of popular culture,” according to Vogue. The four of them will assist Anna Wintour in planning a night based around this year’s theme — Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty — which pays tribute to the late German fashion designer.
Following the pop superstar’s appearance at GCDS’ fashion show, fans on Twitter went wild for Lipa’s sheer, lacy look. See some fan reactions below.
The long-awaited Barbie movie is finally hitting theaters on July 21, 2023, and the first teaser trailer was shared to the film’s new Instagram page on Friday (Dec. 16).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
And while it’s known that Margot Robbie stars as the iconic blonde doll, and Ryan Gosling will take on the role of her handsome boyfriend Ken, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the official Instagram for the film was following 15 people involved with the movie — including Dua Lipa.
Eagle-eyed fans who noticed began to speculate what the “Levitating” singer’s involvement in the film might be, with the most popular theory being that she’s contributing a song to Barbie‘s soundtrack. However, neither Lipa or the film confirmed any collaboration, and the Instagram account quickly unfollowed the pop star amid the buzz.
Director Greta Gerwig co-wrote the script for the Warner Bros. film with Noah Baumbach. Besides Robbie and Gosling, the jam-packed cast also includes Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and America Ferrera.
The new, 75-second teaser pays tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1968 outer space drama 2001: A Space Odyssey. “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been… dolls,” says a narrator over sunrise scenes in the desert, as a group of girls play with their baby dolls in the dusty expanse. Our narrator continues, “But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls… until,” at which point we see the first glimpse of the towering Barbie posing in white sunglasses and a striped one-piece bathing suit, tilting her shades down to give the girls a wink.
Watch the new teaser for Barbie below.
On Monday, Dua Lipa was still reveling over spending her weekend performing with Elton John at his final U.S. tour date at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium.
“To my most magical friend @eltonjohn thank you for keeping the dream alive!!!” she wrote on social media alongside a video of herself and the superstar performing their hit collab “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” for the first time at the Sunday (Nov. 22) show. “It was an honour, a privilege and a joy to share the stage with you last night on your last show at the Dodgers Stadium. Thank you for everything, forever and always. I love you!!! Still taking this all in…”
Sir Elton returned the love in the comments section of the post, writing, “A magical moment! Thank you for everything, Dua. I love you,” followed by a trio of red heart emojis.
The “Levitating” singer also shared a look at the glam black gown she wore on the red carpet ahead of the star-studded show, which was broadcast live on Disney+. “I never could have imagined I would’ve been a part of a night like this when I was first starting out. A real dream #eltonjohnfarewelltour,” she captioned the Instagram carousel.
Hours later, Lipa followed her posts up with a sweet selfie with none other than Joni Mitchell. In the candid snap, she sits on the armrest of a chair sweetly hugging the folk legend, who is dressed in a head-to-toe red ensemble and braids. The younger pop star seemed positively starstruck by the encounter, only managing to write “JONI MITCHELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” in the caption with a red heart punctuated by just as many exclamation points. Mitchell was also part of the Disney+ livestream, sending a sweet message of support to her longtime friend Elton.
In a final batch of photos, Dua Lipa posed with a few more celebrities at the concert, including Donatella Versace and model Stella Maxwell in the crowd and fellow guest performers Brandi Carlile and Kiki Dee backstage.
See Dua’s posts with Elton John and Joni Mitchell below.
Dua Lipa is the latest pop star to spend time with burlesque performer Dita Von Teese.
The “Levitating” singer sat down with the performer for Friday’s (Nov. 11) episode of her At Your Service podcast, in which the pair spent some time talking about femininity and sexuality and how the two coexist in light of the #MeToo movement.
A thoughtful portion of the interview saw Lipa asking Von Teese about how perception often plays a large part in the way women are viewed, to which the performer clarified that true feminism is about choosing a path that feels most authentic to oneself.
“As a woman in the public eye myself, have you ever felt the need to reassess this persona and the presentation, if at all? Perceptions of sexuality and perceptions of femininity. Perceptions have become so much less binary these days, less black and white,” Lipa mused. “How would you reply to people who would question if femininity and feminism can peacefully coexist, especially in the #MeToo era?”
Von Teese went into a story about promoting one of her books and shared how shocked she was to see is was primarily women coming out to support her.
“By telling my story about why I love [burlesque], it resonated with other women, about harnessing your erotic power, your sensual power,” she told the singer. “Living life on your own terms, a new kind of feminism, because ultimately to me being a feminist means choosing to live your life however you want.”
Last week, Taylor Swift unveiled her “Bejeweled” music video, co-starring Von Teese. In the fairytale-inspired clip, the burlesque performer plays the Fairy Goddess to Swift’s Cinderella, and even performs alongside the superstar in giant matching martini glasses covered in Swarovski crystals. “What a delight to perform alongside her for the video!” Von Teese said in a statement after the video’s release.
Von Teese is the latest celebrity to join Lipa on the second season of the pop star’s At Your Service podcast. Earlier this year, Lipa was joined by Monica Lewinsky, Min Jin Lee, Charli XCX, Bryan Stevenson, Trevor Noah, Brandon Wolf and Dan Levy.
Listen to the episode in full below.