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For several years, Dua Lipa has been pop’s improvement project. She may now look like a vision of a polished pop star but, as her fans and admirers are keen to point out in every comment on social media, she’s done a lot of work to get there. “She’s come so far!” “I love how much Dua has worked on her dancing!” “We stan a queen who’s honed her craft!” “Her voice has really improved!” These are some of the slightly backhanded compliments that are front and centre on videos of Lipa rasping, writhing and wriggling through her numerous No 1 hits, which, it’s true, are a lot more honed, worked on and improved than some of her early performances.

When she broke through to the mainstream in 2017, she was beautiful, cool and had catchy songs, with all the promise of pop’s next big star. But performing live she was also wooden, shy and unexpressive, becoming queen of what the internet would come to know as “giving us nothing”. Tonight on Glastonbury ’s Pyramid Stage, in the headline slot she’s dreamed of playing since she was a child, Lipa, 28, may finally have transcended that role.



Where she has previously been hesitant, unsure or generic, here, on her home soil as a self effacing British gal, your coolest mate’s coolest, hottest mate, she was composed and charismatic. Her voice, a unique, husky alto, was on top form, and her dancing, universally perceived to be her weak point, was slick and sexy, with all the energy and excitement that becomes .

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