9781422270844

CHAPTER 1

A STAR

IS BORN

Journey to Greatness Dua Lipa’s music has been beautiful, brilliant, and breathtaking ever since she arrived on the scene with her hit “New Rules.” Super-talented, charismatic, and oozing confidence, she was never destined to fall into the abyss of one-hit wonders whose time in the spotlight is fleeting and, sadly, often forgotten about, too. Instead, “New Rules” was simply a significant moment in a journey that has been filled with many of them, as Lipa continues to dazzle, entertain, and often amaze fans with an array of stunning songs and must-see music videos. Her trek to superstardom has been equal parts fascinating and inspiring, punctuated with the resolve of a young woman with a laser focus on refusing to back away from her dreams no matter how many obstacles she bumps into along the way. London Calling Dua Lipa was born in northwest London on August 22, 1995, to her parents, Dukagjin and Anesa. The oldest of three, she also has a sister Rina and a brother Gjin. Her parents fled their native country of Kosovo—a country in southeastern Europe surrounded by Serbia to the north, North Macedonia to the south, Albania to the west, and Montenegro to the east—years earlier amid conflict and war in the region. Prior to celebrating her 12 th birthday,

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a star is born