Dua Lipa defied her critics by shutting out their negativity and focusing on making “Future Nostalgia” the best album ever.
The “Levitating” hitmaker has revealed she was being told she "wasn't good enough" and had a huge weight on her shoulders to make a successful second studio album.
And instead of crumbling under the pressure, the Grammy-winner put her all into being the best she can at her craft.
Speaking in a cover interview with Vanity Fair magazine, she said: “There was just this pressure.
“People just telling me that I wasn’t good enough or that I wasn’t deserving of it or whatever it was.
“I was like, ‘Alright, I’m just going to shut everything out.
“And I’m going to make sure that I get this album the way that I want it to. And I’m really just going to focus on being great at everything that I do.'”
Dua proved her critics wrong, as the disco revival LP topped the charts in 15 countries, while it was nominated for the Mercury Prize and was crowned British Album of the Year at the 2021 BRIT Awards.
However, the 25-year-old pop megastar is not resting on her laurels.
She said: “You want to show that you’re here to stay and you want to show that it’s not just about one album or one big song or whatever it is.
“I just wanted to make sure that this time around, I was very much in control of the fact that I’m going to do the music.
“Then I’m going to rehearse. And then when I come in and I do the performances, they’re all going to be amazing.
“I’m going to prove to people that I can do this and that I’m here to stay.”
While she has mastered the pop world, Dua recently revealed she is eyeing up a career in movies.
The “New Rules” singer is “intrigued and excited” about the idea of building on the experience she’s gained from starring in her music videos but doesn’t want to jump straight into a leading role.
Asked about the possibility of moving into film acting, she said: “I think I would really like to, it’s something that I’m definitely up for exploring and figuring it out maybe with a small role first.
“I feel like I’ve become a bit more confident in myself. I’ve done a little bit here and there so ... I feel I’ve discovered the side of acting within music videos. I am quite intrigued and excited about possibly the prospect of doing something else at some point.”
Dua particularly enjoyed transforming into a cowgirl for her ‘Love Again’ video.
She said: “I loved it, it was really fun. I wanted to try different things.
“Me and [the stylist] Lorenzo just collaborate so well, I felt when we started with the idea it just kind of evolved and evolved and evolved into something we both were super in love with.
“We had a lot of fun. I enjoyed my character for the day a lot.”