Dua Lipa Talks ‘Future Nostalgia’ & Elton John Collab with Stephen Colbert

After two years of whirlwind success following the release of her album Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa went on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to unpack what all of it has meant to her. The 26-year-old pop artist spoke about her upcoming tour, the massive success of “Levitating,” and, of course, her iconic collaboration with Elton John. 

Named the breakout pop star of the pandemic era, Lipa’s career has skyrocketed since the release of her sophomore album Future Nostalgia in March of 2020. Now, nearly two years later, with three Grammys under her belt, she is about to embark on a tour where she will finally be able to share the album with fans in person. 

“It was a body of work where I finally felt like I’d found my confidence and who I was, really, as an artist and a songwriter,” Lipa explained.

The response to Future Nostalgia was explosive, and several songs became instant hits. “Levitating” even went on to become the number one streamed song of 2021. Even though she couldn’t share the music with listeners through live performances due to the pandemic, her music brought a sense of levity during a chaotic and uncertain time. 

Regarding the overwhelmingly positive response to the album, Lipa said, “It was beyond anything I could have ever hoped for, and maybe that’s the fate that the album was meant to have.”

While Lipa told Colbert that she cannot psychically predict which songs fans will like the most, she joked that she manifested a collaboration with one of her musical heroes, Elton John. And when John called Lipa to pitch the collaboration, she was lounging in the pool between writing sessions, wearing a cowboy hat and a bikini. 

“All of a sudden my phone rings, and it’s a FaceTime from Elton and his husband, David — casual,” she laughed. Although he insisted that she listen to the idea for the song before agreeing, Lipa already knew her answer would be a resounding yes.

On August 13, 2021, John and Lipa released “Cold Heart,” mixed by Pnau. The mash-up of John’s “Rocket Man” and “Sacrifice,” with Lipa featured on vocals gives the song a simultaneously nostalgic and entirely fresh sound. Lipa also got the chance to sing one of her favorite songs, “Rocket Man,” on the track. 

“‘Rocket Man’ is my driving song, it’s my shower song, it’s my song I sing along to myself…When I got asked to sing that part, I was like, ‘OK, it was just meant to be,’” she gushed.

While Lipa has not announced what her next career steps will be after the 2022 tour, there are undoubtedly big things in store for her. After two years of postponement, tickets are finally available for Lipa’s Future Nostalgia tour and can be purchased here.