SPIEGEL ONLINE: You moved out with your parents in Kosovo at the age of 15 and went to London. How so?
Lipa: That was a return. At eleven, I had to move from London to Kosovo with my parents. When I realized that I would not have the same opportunities to make music professionally there, I went back to London alone at fifteen.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did you not feel a little lost there?
Lipa: Not at all, I felt closer to my parents than before. When we lived under one roof, I never listened to them. But that changed the second I took off. I sought her advice.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Who supported you in London?
Lipa: At first I lived with the daughter of a friendly family. She was a little older than me. Later I moved in with friends. I went to school, jobbed, in restaurants, in sales, in bars, as a babysitter. After graduation I decided against studying and music.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why?
Lipa: My dad is also a musician, he showed me new music, put me together then minidisks. Music was a big thing in my life right from the beginning.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you play an instrument?
Lipa: I once played cello. My parents wanted me to learn piano and guitar. But I took one of the biggest instruments. That was probably an expression of rebellion. When I took my cello to school, it hit the top of my head all the time and down the back of my knees. I was the smallest in the class and had the biggest instrument.
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Dua Lipa: "You put my music under a microscope"SPIEGEL ONLINE: How did you make it into the professional music scene?
Lipa: I put cover songs online and used social media very intensively. There have been many positive reactions, especially from young producers. Finally, I was offered a contract. But I had no idea about it. So I asked a friend I know from Twitter for help. I had never met him personally, but he recommended a good lawyer. He advised me not to sign it. Instead, I found my current manager, Ben Mawson, with his help.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: And who selected a label for you?
Lipa: First we wanted to find out what my genre is, what I really want. He put me in a studio every day, every day! With many different producers. With them I wrote new songs all the time, finally also "Hotter Than Hell". And then we thought: It could go in that direction. It was a team that fit my ideas, rather than imprinting a style on me.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why did Mawson spend this time with you?
Lipa: I played some of my songs for him. After only five minutes he said: Let's try it, no contract, nothing. We just go to the studio and try. After the success of "Hotter Than Hell" I signed a contract.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: First comes the music or only the text?
Lipa: The text, always. I'd rather change the melody to make the verses fit, rather than the other way around.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is it important for you to produce albums?
Lipa: Since the streaming services are so important, you often have to publish singles, so the audience's attention does not diminish. But I personally love to listen to an album from the first to the last song. This is how I get to know a musician. For me, it means a lot to deliver a coherent work product. With an album I show the next chapter of my life.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What does it mean to be the most listened to artist of a streaming service at the age of 23?
Lipa: It's a totally crazy adventure!
SPIEGEL ONLINE: And the dark side?
Lipa: I have to face many opinions. This is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I love hearing from my fans what they like and what they do not like. But the media are too interested in my private life. A new album is placed under a microscope to identify people and find out what connections there are to my everyday life. But music is just music. I want to show that we are all going through similar experiences.