Dua Lipa Warns of ‘Toxic Currency’ on Social Media
Dua Lipa revisited why she left Twitter five years ago during a recent interview. After a short clip of Lipa dancing went viral, she was bombarded with comments that alluded to her being a lazy performer. The negative comments and jokes eventually got to the pop music singer. She decided to leave the social media platform for her mental health. Now Lipa claims negative comments do not have the same effect, but cautions of the harm online jokes can do.
Dua Lipa admits ‘social media just kind of took over’
During an interview with NPR, pop star Dua Lipa discussed the toxic culture of social media that directly impacted her mental well-being years ago.
A 2017 concert clip of Lipa performing “One Kiss” became a viral sensation. In the short video, Lipa is dancing without an expression on her face. It’s only a few seconds of a longer performance, but in the world of social media, anything out of context can turn viral.
Lipa told NPR early in her career, “Social media just kind of took over.” She continued, “People took that one little snippet and decided to base my whole stage presence and who I was as a performer on stage.”
Lipa went on to describe that self-doubt crept in due to comments from strangers. “I think at that point, there were moments of self-doubt, even though it was kind of unfair because a lot of the people that had sent in those messages or were saying things online actually hadn’t been to a show.”
“Social media is kind of run on this toxic currency of ‘who can make people laugh at the expense of others.’”
Lipa says she ‘had to take herself off Twitter’
Lipa told the interviewer it got so bad she left the social media platform. “There were people who made me feel like maybe I wasn’t good enough or I didn’t deserve to be there.” She admitted, “it got to me.”
“I had to take myself off Twitter, but if that’s going to help me and my mental health and allow me to thrive in whatever way I choose to, that has been a saving grace,” Lipa shared.
Luckily, things are better for the “Levitating” singer these days. She’s able to brush off negative comments and focus on the positive. “I realized that what anyone says doesn’t actually matter.”
She said, “Now, if anybody says anything, it doesn’t even bother me” The singer continued, “if you write from the heart, no one can take that away from you.”
She even recreated the dance during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Currently on her successful ‘Future Nostalgia’ tour, Lipa has the last laugh
While the early comments affected her, Lipa has soared in recent years. The pop star is currently on the European leg of her 81-date Future Nostalgia tour. The massive world tour started in Feb. in Miami, FL, and will continue through Nov. with her last date in Perth, Australia.
The reviews for the tour have been positive. Nylon said, “Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia live show proves she’s pop’s newest powerhouse.” Rolling Stone called her the opposite of lazy, “In an arena full of hyped fans in Miami, Dua’s still the most effervescent person in the room.”
Dua is active on Instagram, where she posts backstage photos and pictures of her daily life, on and off tour.
