NEWS
Dua Lipa
Hugo Comte*“That song has really taken a whole life of its own… it’s just absolutely mind-blowing to me,” says Dua Lipa about the extraordinary success of her smash hit single “Levitating.” The track was recently crowned the No. 1 song of 2021 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, following its record-breaking run on the weekly edition of the list.
The superstar singer-songwriter joins the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below) to discuss “Levitating’s” year-end coronation on the Hot 100 (and many other charts) and also a bevy of other topics.
On the show, Lipa discusses what it’s like to see the song and her March 2020 album Future Nostalgia keep finding new fans more than a year and a half after its release. Plus, hosts Keith and Katie chat with Lipa about finally touring around her sophomore album, her hit collaboration with Elton John on “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” and her new Service95 venture, which includes a newsletter and podcast.
And, we all saw those pictures of her in the studio – does that mean new music is on the way?
Below are some highlights from Dua Lipa’s interview on the Pop Shop Podcast:
On having the No. 1 song of the year on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Levitating.”
It is just so exciting. Thank you so much. … It’s nice after you work so hard, especially despite the pandemic happening, and you know, trying to figure out new ways to keep the music going, even when you’ve got limited resources. So, it means a lot to me. Thank you. And, “Levitating” just doing its thing on the Billboard chart is absolutely surreal. I mean, that song has really taken a whole life of its own and it’s been my baby for so long, and to have it out in the world, and for people’s response to be the way that it is, it’s just absolutely mind-blowing to me. So I’m really really really grateful for it all.
Billboard tells Lipa that “Levitating” is also No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end 2021 Global 200, Radio Songs, Streaming Songs, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Billboard Canadian Hot 100 charts…
That… is… mad. That’s mad! Wow. Thank you. Thank you so much. I mean, really, it’s the fans, and everybody that’s just been listening to it — and really just making it their own, so I’m really proud of that. I’ve always wanted my songs to find a home with different people so I’m happy that song did that, for sure.
Why she thinks her top 20-charting Hot 100 collaboration with Elton John on “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” has resonated so strongly with a huge audience around the world:
Well, I mean, the song in itself, the remix of two incredible songs (John’s “Rocket Man” and “Sacrifice”), you know, that already did the rounds on the charts that people love and already know. To put a very modern twist on it, with the remix and him so kindly asking me to sing alongside him — I think it’s just a testament of how an artist like Elton can really just … as a musician, be able to live through so many decades of music and constantly reinvent himself and create something really special and unique. And he has such a massive love for artists and championing new artists and young artists. He’s incredible like that. So I feel like it was a very natural collaboration.
But the reason I think it works — it’s because it’s just got a lot of love in it, and a lot of soul and spirit. I think sometimes when you hear a song like that you can tell.
On the upcoming launch of her newsletter, Service95… what can fans expect?
For the longest time I’ve been making lists when I’m traveling, when I’m doing stuff at home, whether it’s my favorite restaurants, places to go, artists to see, plays to watch. Movies. Books to read. Interesting ways to get involved in activism. And so this kind of encapsulates all of those things put together. It has really exciting news stories — things that I feel like you wouldn’t really hear or read elsewhere. It kind of challenges perspectives. It’s got very interesting concepts. Weekly, we’re gonna put very different stories.
I want to make activism accessible to people that do want to get involved and help. That’s something that’s really important to me. So, being able to break the barrier there — create content that’s really easy to follow that could help in whatever way. And also just shine a light on artists and designers and musicians and all kinds of people in the creative field. It’s really just of being of service.
And also just telling you about the most bangin’ restaurants all over the world, ’cause that is what I love best.
The podcast that accompanies Service95 is called At Your Service. How is she going to balance being a globetrotting pop star while hosting a podcast?
I’m good at timekeeping. So I’ll always figure it out. …It’s a work in process. But so far it’s been good. I’ve started the recording process, which has been really fun. And I’m really enjoying it. It’s just a completely different thing for me. And I’ve loved diving in and doing research about my guests and learning so much in so much depth. And trying to create a conversation that’s also just going to be really helpful for people who are listening.
There’s gonna be that kind of constant thing of being of service. Of understanding. I think it’s kind of that realization that we’re all really human, you know? And the things that we want to see, and the things we see in each other, our perspectives and what they are and how they can change and shift. I think talking to people like friends will kind of open everybody’s perspective after a little bit and I think that’s gonna be really special.
Lipa’s Future Nostalgia Tour starts in February 2022. Is it safe to say that her Studio 2054 livestream was a teaser of what we can expect on the road?
I think it’s safe to say that Studio 2054 was a teaser. A light teaser of what you’re gonna see on the road … that’s all I can reveal.
She’s shared on Instagram some photos of her in the recording studio, seemingly maybe working on some new music. And she recently posted a photo of her with previous collaborators WATT and Ali Tamposi. So, Billboard asked Lipa, “are you maybe potentially actively working on some new music?”
‘Maybe potentially actively working on some new music,’ yes. (Laughs.)
Billboard responded with: “That is very thrilling. I’m sure you can tell us absolutely nothing. But…”
Yes, I can tell you absolutely nothing. But I’m really excited. I feel so at home in the studio. There’s no where I would rather be. So, during this time that I’ve been at home in London, it’s just been amazing to get in and write and experiment and try new things and it’s just been wonderful. And I’m very excited for new music, yeah.
Also on the show, we’re recapping some of Billboard’s biggest year-end charts, including the top artists of 2021 and the top Billboard 200 album. Plus, we play a quick round of Quiz Katie, focused on chart trivia about year-end Hot 100 No. 1s of the past.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s deputy editor, digital, Katie Atkinson and senior director of Billboard charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
NEWS
Placebo have kicked off their 30th anniversary tour by dusting off some tracks for the first time in over 20 years, and also playing new single ‘Helen Keller’ live for the first time.
The new dates come as the band are celebrating the 30 years since they dropped their 1996 debut album. To mark the occasion, they have announced a huge UK and European arena tour, where they have vowed to predominantly play material from their first album and their sophomore record ‘Without You I’m Nothing’.
At the opening night at Krakatoa in Mérignac, France, Brian Molko and co. delivered a stacked 19-song set, which began with ‘Pure Morning’, and immediately went into the first rendition of ‘Come Home’ in 20 years.
Another rarity came straight after, with the first live performance of ‘You Don’t Care About Us’ since 2001, as well as ‘Without You I’m Nothing’ and ‘Allergic (To Thoughts Of Mother Earth)’ which were played for the first time since 2018 and 2014 respectively.
‘Drowning by Numbers’, ‘Bruise Pristine’ and ‘My Sweet Prince’ were all introduced into the setlist for the first time since 2001, ‘Brick Shithouse’ was aired out for the first time since 2003, ‘Scared Of Girls’ was played for the first time since 2010, and both ‘Lady Of The Flowers’ and ‘36 Degrees’ were broken out for the first time in nine years.
The rest of the set was made up of ‘Teenage Angst’, ‘Bionic’, ‘I Know’ and ‘Every You Every Me’, and the band wrapped up the performance with two covers: Depeche Mode’s ‘I Feel You’, and Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’.
It wasn’t until a later show at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal, that Placebo broke out their new song ‘Helen Keller’ for the first time – playing it 13 songs into the setlist.
Check out more footage from the tour so far below, as well as the setlist from night one.
‘Pure Morning’
‘Come Home’ (First time since 2006)
‘You Don’t Care About Us'(First Time Since 2001)
‘Teenage Angst’
‘Bionic’
‘Without You I’m Nothing” (First Time Since 2018)
‘Allergic (to Thoughts of Mother Earth)” (First Time Since 2014)
‘Drowning by Numbers” (First Time Since 2001)
’36 Degrees” (Alternate Version – First Time Since 2017)
‘I Know’
‘Brick Shithouse’ (First Time Since 2003)
‘Scared of Girls’ (First Time Since 2010)
‘Bruise Pristine” (First Time Since 2001)
‘My Sweet Prince’ (First Time Since 2001)
‘Lady of the Flowers’ (First time since 2017)
‘Nancy Boy’
‘Every You Every Me’
‘I Feel You’ (Depeche Mode cover, live debut)
‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ (Kate Bush cover)
Placebo dropped the single ‘Helen Keller’ on September 28, and it sees them reach back to ‘H.K. Farewell’, a hidden instrumental from the era of their self-titled 1996 debut. In the track, they retain the eerie keyboard melody from the original, and push it to new dimensions with a heavier, more anguished feeling.
The title refers to the American author, who was also a disability rights advocate and political activist, who became deafblind as a young child and went on to become an internationally renowned writer and campaigner.
As well as the tour, Placebo also celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut by releasing a reimagined version of the record. For the LP, Molko and Stefan Olsdal returned to the original master tapes and reworked all 10 songs from the 1996 record – describing it as a “director’s cut” that helped them inject the original songs with three decades more experience.
The ongoing tour will reach the UK and Ireland in late November and early December, where they will play Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff. See all the dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
Dates will head to Latin America in 2027, beginning in São Paulo on February 20 and running through Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia before wrapping up with shows in Guadalajara and Monterrey in March.
Placebo dropped their last album of new material in 2022, with ‘Never Let Me Go’. That record was given a four-star review by NME, which described it as “a renaissance rock record with an experimental edge”, adding that it found Placebo “inspired and ready for a new era”.
