After wiping her entire Instagram profile of around 1500 posts, Lipa shared a teaser video with the caption “I’m not here for long”. The snippet showcases the singer’s new auburn look in a series of close-up shots set to an italo-disco-inspired groove, culminating with the lyrics “catch me or I go”. The video has since been deleted.

Fans will have noticed that keys played a significant role in the teaser: Lipa opens her mouth to reveal a key lying on her tongue, while the sound of metallic rustling and unlocking prematurely cuts off the music, leaving bewildered listeners with an enigmatic impression.

Indeed, the pop star’s online behaviour has been particularly cryptic as of late. As well as wiping her Instagram feed, Lipa changed her various social media profile pictures to an image of her eyes reflected in a kaleidoscopic diamond shape. 

Not only that, but upon closer inspection, it seems all of her YouTube thumbnails, as well as album artworks on streaming platforms such as Spotify, have been swapped with kaleidoscopic versions of the original depictions.

Every sign points towards a much-anticipated third studio album – and a new Dua Lipa “era”. In August, the singer revealed that her new record will be coming out in 2024, but will mark a departure from the house-inspired sound of Future Nostalgia. 

Listen to “Don’t Start Now” off Future Nostalgia:

According to Lipa, the new collection of songs is heavily informed by “1970s-era psychedelia”, which the new imagery she has been teasing seems to support. In an interview with Variety, the pop star explained:

“The album is different – it’s still pop but it’s different sonically, and there’s more of a lyrical theme. If I told you the title, everything would make sense – but I think we’ll just have to wait.”

Lipa is said to be working with a smaller group of collaborators, including modern psychedelia wizard Kevin Parker of Tame Impala – a songwriting partnership the former “all but confirmed” during an interview with The New York Times Style Magazine in August.

Meanwhile, producer Mark Ronson, who worked with Lipa on Barbie smash-hit “Dance The Night”, revealed that he has heard some of the new album, describing it as “incredible”.

Listen to “Dance The Night” below:

In the meta new video, Dua stars as herself making a music video. Dressed in pieces from her new clothing line, La Vacanza, in collaboration with Verscace, the star weaves between giant falling disco balls, pink polished cars, and shimmery clothing rails whilst singing “I’ll still keep the party runnin’, not one hair out of place”. Watch Dua dance the night away below:

Chatting to Dazed this month, Dua Lipa revealed, “Greta said that the whole film was inspired by disco. There’s a lot of very glittery and pop moments in it.”

One of the most anticipated films of the summer for lovers of kitsch, Barbie is set to arrive in cinemas worldwide on 21^st July. With the elite team of Margot Robbie in the titular role, Ryan Gosling playing the beloved himbo Ken, and Ladybird director Greta Gerwig taking the reins, Barbie’s live-action debut seems to be in good hands. Watch the third trailer, released on Thursday the 25^th May, below:

The supporting cast is also jam-packed with A-listers including Helen Mirren, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Macke.

Dua Lipa will make a cameo in the film playing a mermaid Barbie. It was announced last month that the singer would be in the film when a poster of her in character in costume was released.

More details surrounding the rest of the soundtrack were also revealed this Thursday alongside the newest trailer. Ava Max, Charli XCX, GAYLE, HAIM, Ice Spice, KAROL G, Pink Patheress, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, and Tame Impala are just some of the artists joining Dua Lipa on the cheery pop soundtrack. Mark Ronson is the executive producer of the soundtrack which will be released on the same day as the film.

In other news, Dua Lipa will be hosting a live recording of her podcast, At Your Service, at the famous Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales on the 3^rd June. Unfortunately for fans, Dua’s event at the literary festival is now sold out.

Dua Lipa is currently working on her third album which she’s previously told The Wall Street Journal, “I’ve done a big chunk of writing: It’s starting to take shape; I’ve got a lot of it recorded”.

See below for details of Dua’s appearance:

03/06/23 – Hay Festival – Hay-on-Wye

pic.twitter.com/Oo6fCEFN6Q

— Cornershop (@CornershopHQ) April 20, 2023

The track, released today on Ample Play Records, a record label created by Cornershop’s own Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres in 2009, and also on Naya Beat Records, the label Pinky Ann Rihal are currently signed to, is a blissful, disco-pop number, featuring exquisite Hindi vocals from Pinky Ann Rihal and Cornershop’s classic and trademark fusion of psychedelic, electronic pop with sitar-driven Indian music.

Watch the music video for “Disco’s Main Squeeze” below:

Alongside the delightful, psychedelic disco music is a music video featuring Pinky Ann Rihal, clad as Hindi hippie disco titans (naturally), being interviewed and performing on a live music programme, Eastern Eye, sometime in the 1980’s. A subtle ode, then, to better times, when disco-pop was at its peak of its powers?

Cornershop was formed in Leicester in 1991 by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Tjinder Singh, alongside his brother Avtar on bass, Ben Ayres on guitar and keyboards and David Chambers on drums. The band released their first album, Hold On It Hurts, in 1994 and followed this with Woman’s Gotta Have It the following year, but it wasn’t until the release of their third album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997), when the band achieved critical acclaim and found success. The album reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and brought with it the single “Brimful of Asha“, a song that, after a remix by Norman Cook, became hugely popular and soon reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

Watch the music video for hit single “Brimful of Asha” below:

The album also contained a Punjabi version of “Norwegian Wood” and featured the prominent American poet Allen Ginsberg on the track “When the Light Appears Boy“. Cornershop have gone on record nine albums in total, releasing their latest, England Is a Garden, in 2020.

Pinky Ann Rihal first came to fruition in the early 1980s, created by Harry Rihal and Jati Sodhi, two Punjabi musicians who had immigrated to London a decade earlier. The band also consisted of vocalists Pinky Rihal, wife of Harry, along with Anne Barrett, who in turn was married to the band’s producer, John Hamilton. The group’s first and only album, Tere Liye, was released in 1985 but that hasn’t stopped the band having a continued influence on South Asian rock and pop music since.

You can buy the track here.