What is Dua Lipa’s ethnic background?

In the realm of music, very few possess the capacity or the wherewithal to turn their talents into a big success, but the British singer and songwriter Dua Lipa is one of the few who has not only climbed up to enormous fame but also became one of the powerful forces to reckon with in the musical realm.

Her single “New Rules” catapulted her into stardom, swiftly making her a household name. While Dua Lipa is the most talked-about star in the music industry, success was not a cakewalk for the 27-year-old pop star. At 15, the “Blow Your Mind” singer started to think seriously about her passion and moved back to London to pursue her career in singing.  

She started off her career by covering the famous songs of popular artists like Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys on YouTube, paving the way for an opportunity to work with Tap Management.  

With popularity comes a rising interest in a public figure’s personal life, and Dua Lipa is no exception. Over the years, the pop star’s ethnicity has sparked quite a lot of curiosity. That is, even though she was born and raised in the U.K., fans want to know more about her ancestry and where she came from.

What is Dua Lipa’s ethnicity?

Lipa is of mixed-race origin. Even though the singer was born on August 22, 1995, in London, her parents hail from Kosovo, Albania, and moved to the U.K. shortly before her birth. Her father, Dukagjin, is a member and lead vocalist of the Kosovo-based band Odo, and her mother, Anesa, serves in the tourism industry.

Despite being recognized as ‘white’, Lipa’s sharp features and black hair are a reminder of her Albanian heritage. In fact, there were plenty of occasions when the singer vocally talked about her ancestry and never shied from discussing her parents’ immigration from Albania despite her British nationality and global recognition.

So much so that she explicitly shared how war and ethnic cleansing forced her parents to leave the country for the U.K. Speaking on the subject, she said, “My grandmother on my mum’s side is from Bosnia. I think because of that, my parents moved. There was just too much conflict, my parents wanted to finish their studies so they decided to move to London.”

Standing as an inspiration today for millions of immigrant communities, she was granted Albanian citizenship on Nov. 27, 2022, for promoting the culture of her ancestral home.

Today, Lipa holds both British and Albanian citizenship.