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'Going to be a party': Dua Lipa teases festive vibe for upcoming Seoul concerts

Published: 01 Nov. 2024, 07:00

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Dua Lipa performs during the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Zilker Metropolitan Park in Austin, Texas. [AP/YONHAP]

Dua Lipa’s first Korean concert in seven years is only weeks away, and the Grammy-winning pop star has just one spoiler for everyone.

“It’s definitely going to be a party,” Lipa told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an email interview held prior to her grand concerts set to take place on Dec. 4 and 5 at the Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul.

“There’s a lot of dancing,” she continued. “And it’s the first time I’m getting to perform some of the new songs from my album, so we’re just having a lot of fun right now figuring out how we’re going to bring those to life.”

These are Dua Lipa's first Korean shows since performing in 2017 at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. The Seoul concerts come as part of her global "Radical Optimism Tour" that began in Berlin on June 5.

Dua Lipa Seoul concert poster [LIVE NATION KOREA]

“I think what stuck with me the most is the energy of the fans,” Lipa said, when asked about the memorable moments she had during her last Korean concert. “It’s always so fun to get to play a show in Korea because the fans really bring it. Can’t wait to be back in the same room with them in just a few weeks!”

Dua Lipa released her third full-length album, “Radical Optimism,” on May 3. The album topped Britain's Official Albums Chart and ranked No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on the first week of its release. She won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 with her album “Future Nostalgia” (2020).

“With ‘Radical Optimism,’ it was about making a body of work that for me represented being in a stage of my life where I am constantly learning and growing, and I really walked into the studio this time around with so much more confidence,” Lipa said.

Dua Lipa attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating ″Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion″ at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2024 in New York City. [GETTY IMAGES/YONHAP]

“The idea of radical optimism really resonated with me during the making of this album. I think it’s important to take the good and the bad and to appreciate something great can come from both and that we always become stronger because of it. And through that process, I was able to work with people whom I’ve looked up to for so long — Kevin, Danny, Tobias and Caroline — and I was able to create something that I’m very proud of.”

Born in 1995 and debuting in 2017 with her first album “Dua Lipa,” the singer shot to stardom with singles “Be the One,” “IDGAF” and “New Rules.” She became one of the most influential pop stars in the world with her catchy and empowering dance tracks, winning three Grammy Awards and seven Brit Awards so far.

She has also been headlining some of the biggest events around the world, including the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this year, which she described as “one of the biggest dreams that came true.” Lipa has been known to write her wishes down and cross them off the list as she goes along.

Dua Lipa performs during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. [AP/YONHAP]

“It’s something I dreamt about since my early days of going to the festival,” she said, describing her Glastonbury performance. “And being up on stage in front of the crowd and hearing everyone sing back my lyrics was very surreal and something that I will never forget.

“And of course I have lots more dreams, but a girl has to keep some secrets,” she said, when asked about the other items on her list.

Lipa has especially been a familiar name to K-pop fans thanks to her collaborations with girl group Blackpink, “Kiss and Make Up” (2018), and Mamamoo’s Hwasa on “Physical” (2020). Lipa singled out members Jennie and Lisa and their solo works released recently, Hwasa's single “NA” and girl group Le Sserafim, when asked whether she still listens to K-pop.

“K-pop is always bringing such a great energy, and you know I love to dance, so of course I’m a big fan,” Lipa said.

Dua Lipa poses for a portrait to promote her new album ″Radical Optimism″ on Friday, April 26, 2024, in New York. [AP/YONHAP]

“Working with Blackpink and Hwasa, it all started because I was a fan of their music in the first place. After writing ‘Kiss and Make Up,’ I had this thought that Blackpink would be perfect for it, but had no idea they would actually say yes! The stars really aligned there for us.”

“I’ve loved seeing the girls from Blackpink grow over the years, and now they’re blossoming into their own solo careers, so obviously I’d totally be up for doing something with one of the girls. Le Sserafim has had a great year too, and I think it’d be so fun to do something with them,” Lipa added.

Coming to Korea, Lipa is ready to get her hands on traditional Korean food during her stay.

“When I’m in a new place, I’m always excited to try something new, and I’m such a fan of Korean food,” she said. “With my Service95 Book Club, we had Michelle Zauner’s ‘Crying in H Mart’ [2021] as one of our monthly reads earlier this year, and in her book, Korean food is such a central theme to the way she tells her story, and so reading that and getting to talk to her about it has definitely made me add some traditional Korean dishes to my list of things to try when I’m in Seoul.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]