Dua Lipa is ready to get "raw" in her upcoming album.
In a cover story for Rolling Stone, published online Tuesday, the Grammy-winning superstar, 28, gave some hints about what fans can expect from her third album and opened up about how her love life influenced the psychedelic-pop record, which pays tribute to U.K. rave culture. Lipa, who is a London-born Albanian, also delved into why she has been outspoken about calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"This record feels a bit more raw," she told the magazine, citing influences such as Scottish rock band Primal Scream and British collective Massive Attack. "I want to capture the essence of youth and freedom and having fun and just letting things happen, whether it’s good or bad."
Lipa has been writing for her third album since 2021, before she embarked on a world tour for her hit sophomore album, "Future Nostalgia."
When she started working with some new collaborators, including Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, in 2022, the record started taking shape, telling stories about late nights out and dating in your mid-20s. In one song, according to Rolling Stone, Lipa compliments an ex's new partner, calling her "really pretty" and reflecting, "I must have loved you more than I ever knew. ... I’m not mad/ I’m not hurt/ You got everything you deserve."
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In recent years, Lipa has reportedly dated model Anwar Hadid and French filmmaker Romain Gavras.
"When you have a feeling like that one, you feel really grown because you’re like, 'Oh, whoa, I’m such an evolved human being that I can see my ex move on and feel good about it,'" Lipa told Rolling Stone.
She added, "I think I’ve had breakups in my life where I felt like the only kind of breakup you could have was when things just ended really badly. Things ending in a nice way was such a new thing. ... It taught me a lot."
Musing about her romantic life, Lipa said, "Dating, I think overall, is just a little confusing. ... It’s either through friends of friends or people you trust where you can meet new people, because (dating) is not really so straightforward when you are, I guess, a public person."
This year, Lipa has been romantically linked with British actor and model Callum Turner. On Wednesday, paparazzi photos published by the Daily Mail showed the two out in Los Angeles, embracing each other and kissing.
The two have yet to confirm the romance.
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Though Lipa can be reticent in speaking publicly about her relationships, she has been more vocal about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the past few years.
In her Rolling Stone interview, the singer addressed why she feels compelled to speak up.
"My existence is kind of political, the fact that I lived in London because my parents left from the war," said Lipa, whose parents left Kosovo when the Bosnian war broke out. "I feel for people who have to leave their home. From my experience of being in Kosovo and understanding what war does, no one really wants to leave their home. They do it for protection, to save their family, to look after the people around them, that kind of thing, for a better life. So I feel close to it."
Lipa was born in London, and her family later returned to Kosovo. When she was 15, she moved back to London alone to pursue her musical career.
"My feelings on displaced people [are] very real and raw, and it is a difficult subject to speak about because it’s so divisive," she said. "But there is a world where you can feel for all lives that are being lost."
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She doesn't "condone what Hamas is doing" and also feels "so bad for every Israeli life lost and what happened on Oct. 7." However, "At the moment, what we have to look at is how many lives have been lost in Gaza, and the innocent civilian. ... There are just not enough world leaders that are taking a stand and speaking up about the humanitarian crisis that’s happening, the humanitarian cease-fire that has to happen."
In December the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to demand a cease-fire in Gaza, with the U.S. and Israel among the few countries that voted against the resolution. More than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli forces launched an offensive in Gaza following Hamas' unprecedented surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed at least 1,300 people; more than 100 people are still being held hostage by Hamas.
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"I feel like just being a musician and posting about something doesn’t make enough of a difference," Lipa admitted. "But hopefully, just showing solidarity, which is sometimes all you feel like you can do, is important."