SUPERSTAR UNLOCKED: DUA LEVITATES

The on-sale for Dua Lipa’s first U.S. arena tour is boffo, elevating Warner’s Grammy-winning diva to superstar status. Among the new class of pop streamers, Lipa stands out as a global headliner who can not only sell tickets but now has two hit albums' worth of material and multiple smashes under her stylish belt. Fully in command of both her music and brand, she hasn’t lost a step amid the chaos of the COVID era on the way to the next plateau of her career: arena headliner.

Future Nostalgia arrived a couple of weeks into the pandemic. The much-anticipated pop opus—perfect for dance clubs and large gatherings—was thus disadvantaged upon arrival, opening as it did to a world adjusting to closures and assailed by questions.

But as had her self-titled debut, Future Nostalgia sustained an upward trajectory thanks to major DSP action, which set up her star-making performance at the 2021 Grammys. Following Lipa's huge look on Music’s Biggest Night, which included a win for Best Pop Vocal Album, Future Nostalgia gained a 30% increase in activity, settling once more into the Top 10 and staying there for months. Single “Levitating,” meanwhile, became a hit with legs; the track is on pace to be the biggest song of the year in total activity. Both of Lipa's albums are at well over 2m ATD and have combined for more than 7b streams in the U.S. alone.

Numerous high-profile performances and a run of #1 Pop hits combined for a big payoff last week when the British diva announced her upcoming trek. The transition from streaming star to arena headliner, a path that carries considerable risk in the current landscape, was a huge success for Team Dua, consisting of Rob Light’s lieutenants at CAA and manager Ben Mawson of Tap. Lipa sold out The Forum in hours; an additional date was promptly added. More than 550k tickets were sold worldwide before the announcement of six 2022 arena dates in Australia and New Zealand.