Today (July 7) marks the seventh anniversary of one of Dua Lipa’s signature songs, “New Rules.” This summer anthem captured fans’ hearts with its catchy melody and iconic music video, but not many know that it was originally written for a different act altogether: the English girl group Little Mix.
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The song’s journey began at a writing camp, a creative retreat where songwriters and producers collaborate to craft new music. During one such camp, songwriters Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, and producer Ian Kirkpatrick penned “New Rules” with the intention of it being a potential track for Little Mix. At the time, the group was establishing themselves with their energetic performances, so Little Mix seemed like a perfect fit for the song’s infectious energy.
However, fate had a different plan. As the writing process evolved, “New Rules” eventually found its way into the hands of Dua Lipa. At the time, Dua was rising through the ranks of pop music and already had various hits under her belt, such as “No Lie” and “Be the One.” She was gearing up to release her self-titled debut album. Before that, she traveled to Los Angeles where she met Kirkpatrick, who played her “New Rules.” When she heard it, she immediately connected with the song and decided to record it.
“New Rules” became a pivotal moment in Dua’s career, propelling her to international stardom. Released in 2017 as part of her self-titled debut album, the song climbed to the top of the charts worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK and breaking into the top 10 in multiple countries, including the US. The accompanying music video, featuring Dua and a group of friends enacting the “rules,” went viral and remains her most-viewed music video with over 3 billion views on YouTube.
Dua’s connection with “New Rules” extended beyond just recording it. “I still take a lot of pride in being able to write my own songs. But ‘New Rules’ is a song that I felt like I had been in the room and written,” she once said. “I’m so close with Emily [Warren] and Caroline [Ailin] and Ian [Kirkpatrick], who had worked on it, that I feel like it was a song they had written with me in mind. I’m proud of it as if I had been in that room. I just feel so close to it.”
As “New Rules” continues to be celebrated as one of the defining songs of modern pop seven years after its release, it stands as a career-defining moment for Dua Lipa, illustrating how the right track can elevate an artist and resonate across the globe.
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