Dua Lipa: As women, we avoid confrontation to protect ourselves

Katie Rosseinsky
·2 min read
ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman
ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman

Dua Lipa has revealed how “personal experiences” and “growing pains” of being a woman have shaped her songwriting.

The singer, 24, told ELLE UK that she felt compelled to write Boys Will Be Boys, a track on her latest album Future Nostalgia which grapples with gender double standards, after discussing past experiences with her friends.

She explained that their similar experiences of feeling powerless or intimidated in public spaces had inspired some of the lyrics.

“I often will speak up about female equality, especially in the workplace, but this song is talking about the personal experiences and growing pains of what it’s like to be a woman,” she said.

Lipa's track Boys Will Be Boys deals with double standards (ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman)
Lipa's track Boys Will Be Boys deals with double standards (ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman)

“I’ve spoken to my friends, and they’ve all done the same things, whether it’s holding keys between your knuckles or pretending you’re on the phone while walking alone at night.

“We’ve all tried to avoid confrontation, or worn something we didn’t really want to wear in order to protect ourselves. We’ve all been like, ‘Oh, I can’t bear the idea of wearing this short dress and then hopping on public transport to get to the party.’”

The singer often speaks out about inequaity in the music industry (ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman)
The singer often speaks out about inequaity in the music industry (ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman)

The singer, who grew up between London and Kosovo, regularly speaks out about the double standard in the music industry, recently telling GQ that critics “nitpick” women with ambitious stage shows but will praise male artists for not doing anything on stage.

Dua Lipa appears on the August cover of ELLE UK (ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman)
Dua Lipa appears on the August cover of ELLE UK (ELLE UK/ Zoey Grossman)

“I remember going to a show by… a male artist that doesn’t actually do anything on stage,” she said. “And they got this stellar five star review.

“But then you have women who get up on stage and they’re practically doing cartwheels, costume changes - it’s a spectacle. And then [reviewers] nitpick every little thing.”

Future Nostalgia, Lipa’s second album, was released in April and went on to hit the number one spot.

The August issue of ELLE UK is on sale from Thursday 02 July 2020. During Covid-19, readers can have their copy of ELLE UK delivered to their door, either by purchasing a single copy or by subscribing to get 6 for £15

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