THIRTY AND THRIVING

THE POP POWERHOUSE HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO CELEBRATE AS SHE NEARS HER BIRTHDAY

- Olivia Harrowell

With chart-topping albums, a triumphant world tour and wedding bells not too far off, Dua Lipa is truly in her element.

As she prepares for her 30th birthday on August 22, it's clear the singer is taking stardom in her stride.

"I feel the most confident I've ever felt," she told British Vogue in June - and it's no surprise why. With just three albums under her belt, she's already a three-time Grammy Award winner and has bragging rights to seven Brit Awards on top of that. Five of her singles 'New Rules', 'Levitating', 'Don't Start Now', 'One Kiss' and 'Cold Heart' have each surpassed two billion streams on Spotify, which is the first time a woman has hit that milestone with five separate tracks.

By night, she zips up glitter boots over fishnet stockings, accompanied by designer corset bodysuits, and waits for the roar that thunders through stadium rafters.

"Adrenaline is an incredible drug," she told British Vogue. "I can hear people screaming before I'm even on.

That's when my heart starts racing.

Moments before, I'm like: ‘Oh, my God, we're doing this.’ And I'm ready to go.”

Her Radical Optimism Tour, which launched in Singapore in November 2024, sold 960,000 tickets and earned more than $170 million from its first 44 shows, surpassing her previous arena run in 2022. London felt the quake most keenly - across one weekend at Wembley Stadium, she played to more than 140,000 fans, with every ticket snapped up in minutes.

Behind the glitter and choreography, Lipa treats her body like an athlete and her voice like a finely tuned instrument.

“I've become better at taking care of myself and working out and dancing,” she said of her preparation for the tour. “I feel very empowered and strong in my body.”