DUA LIPA, At Your Service

DUA LIPA likes to stay busy. When most musicians were scrambling to delay their album releases in the spring of 2020, Lipa did the opposite. She dropped her neo-disco masterpiece, Future Nostalgia, in the peak of early pandemic pandemonium. Though industry experts advised against it, the release of Future Nostalgia brought Studio 54 quality light and celebratory sounds to a period of darkness and uncertainty.

While people spent their days in lockdown playing chess and alphabetizing spice racks, Lipa fought to stay in her fans’ lives. She released singles and music videos, did an elaborate livestreamed concert, and made TV appearances from her home. Her hard work paid off. These acts of musical service catapulted the Kosovo native into the uppermost echelon of fame. Lipa has now amassed three Grammys, and her track “Levitating” was the most played song on US radio last year.

But the reigning queen of millennial pop has further ambitions. On Feb 3, 2022, Lipa launched SERVICE95, a “global style, culture, and society concierge service,” in the form of a weekly newsletter. Available in 12 different languages, the free subscription service will deliver a range of stories, recommendations, and travel tips to readers’ inboxes. The first edition spotlighted South African house music, a roller derby team in Hong Kong, and Lipa’s favorite homeware hotspot in Paris.

In celebration of her new media venture and world tour, we’ve digitized the highlights from her legendary shoot with Jordan Hemingway from Issue #39 – and got the latest from Lipa, 032c’s gothic girlfriend with a heart of gold.

CASSIDY GEORGE: You’re about to tour Future Nostalgia. How has the time off changed who you are as an artist, or what you value?

DUA LIPA: Beyond just letting me sharpen what I wanted to deliver with a tour of this size and scope, having the past two years off the road grounded me. It made me realize the importance of connection and community, the value my friends and family hold in my heart, and the ways in which I can be of service in a bigger way than ever before.

Would you say there’s something inherently service-oriented about pop music as a genre?

Definitely. It’s so easy to write pop music off – many have! – but we’ve seen its power continue to grow, especially as music becomes more globalized through streaming platforms. Lyrics can connect with listeners and melodies can speak to those who might not understand my every word. Sometimes the service is a good, sweaty night out on the town. Other times, it’s letting someone know they’re not alone, that they’re heard and seen. It’s a joy and a privilege to get to tick any of those boxes.

Future Nostalgia brought people a lot of light and warmth to a period of darkness and uncertainty. The endless trove of information that is the internet can also be quite overwhelming and chaotic. Is your aim with Service95 similar, albeit in a different medium?

I see Service95 as a curated, global platform, one that gives voice and a spotlight to causes, artists, trailblazers, and stories that need our attention. The mix and curation is really inspiring to me. Some issues will be focused on one story, giving it space to breathe; others will pair lighthearted features with hard-hitting reporting. It’s exactly how I enjoy reading the most, so I’m confident it will translate to our readers, too.

After the explosion of Goop, the role of the “lifestyle guru” carries stigma. With Service95, which I assume is named after your birth year, are you specifically trying to speak to your own generation – and create something that’s fresher and more aware?

You’re right, it’s a reference to my birth year, and yes, in some ways I’m hopeful that Service95 will connect with and reach my generation in ways that other publications might not, merely because of who they target and how they choose to do so (I think there’s a way to live in harmony in that regard). But I’d also say, and I really mean this: Service95 is meant for anyone who’s curious. Come with an open mind and a willingness to learn something, and I guarantee you’ll feel full by the end of your meal.

I understand you’re a compulsive list maker. Where does that drive come from? Fear of forgetting?

Fear of forgetting to share, maybe! The lists I keep – extensive ones that touch on everything you could imagine – are my way of connecting to the people in my life, regardless of where they are. I have also just loved documenting my experiences just for myself, and now I’m excited to share those experiences.

What are some of the most recent lists in your Notes app?

With my tour taking me around the world for the next eight or nine months, the lists I’m making focus on that, from restaurants and galleries I want to go to in cities I’m visiting, to books and documentaries to keep me busy on the road.

What role does writing play in your own life? Do you have a daily practice?

Songwriting often scratches the itch of creative writing for me, as does the listing that inspired Service95. Just as I obsessively write down lines and ideas for songs as they come to me, I’m also constantly scratching down notes for upcoming newsletters based on things I’ve seen and loved. Writing in those ways really helps center me.

Is it important to you to make a contribution to culture that expands beyond music making? Are you afraid of being pigeon-holed as a hitmaker?

I think making music is making a contribution to the culture, first and foremost – I know just as well as everyone else the power music can wield. But to your larger point, yes, I’m certainly always not just excited but also intentional about my mark on the world and culture more broadly. With something like Service95, especially, I’m eager to let readers in on the pieces of my brain and heart they may not have been able to access solely through my music until now. But I think both speak in conversation with each other in quite an important way.

You plan to expand Service95 into a website, but have you ever fantasized about manifesting it in print?

Never say never!