Arts & Entertainment
Dua Lipa drops new video and album
Pop sensation Dua Lipa did her part to help relieve the monotony of self-isolation this week by releasing a new video for her latest single, the day before making an early drop of her highly anticipated new album, “Future Nostalgia.”
The singer, who exploded onto the music scene in 2015 with a self-titled, chart topping debut album which eclipsed 4 million sales worldwide, on Thursday revealed the pop art video for “Break My Heart.” Taking viewers on a rollercoaster of a journey through the trials and tribulations of relationships, the track is the third single from “Future Nostalgia,” following the the number one global hit single “Don’t Start Now,” and her current UK smash single “Physical.”
On Friday, Dua released the entire album, which is now available for download on all digital platforms, as well as in physical formats which include pink neon vinyl, CD, picture disc, gold cassette and a deluxe box set.
In addition, she released an announcement of rescheduled dates for her upcoming “Future Nostalgia” UK and European Tour, which was originally set for this year but has now been pushed back to early 2021.
Dua Lipa made history with her debut album, which became the most streamed album by a female artist in Spotify history. The video for her breakout global #1 hit “New Rules” made her the youngest female solo artist to reach one billion views on YouTube, and the track was the first to spend a record 45 weeks on the Billboard Pop Songs Chart. She set another milestone in 2018 by becoming the first female artist to pick up five BRIT Award nominations, with two wins for British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist, and in 2019, she received two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Dance Recording.
The adrenaline-fueled lead single from “Future Nostalgia,” “Don’t Start Now,” has over 600 million streams and hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 – Dua Lipa’s highest position on that chart to date. Her newest UK smash single “Physical” was released with an accompanying super-charged rainbow-colored video and immediately hit the Billboard Hot 100.
You can watch the video for “Break My Heart” below.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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