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      This is the most fired up we’ve been for an album in years, says Kings Of Leon frontman Caleb Followill

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      WHEN Kings Of Leon were in the studio making their ninth album, there was one song that had frontman Caleb Followill convinced they were on to a good thing.He says of the atmospheric Rainbow Ball, a standout track on their new record, Can We Please Have Fun: “I heard Jared playing that bass line and it just had this drive, which I loved.Kings Of Leon started work on new music with Grammy and Brit winning producer Kid Harpoon, known for his work with Harry Styles and Florence And The MachineCredit: SuppliedTalking of Can We Please Have Fun, Jared says: ‘It feels like a new chapter, and it makes us feel like we have many more albums to make’Credit: Supplied“But I had gone to the restroom. So when I heard it, I came running out with my pants still undone and told Nathan to get on the drums and play.“I love the song and its vigour, and whenever inspiration strikes, you got to go for it. Even when you’ve not buttoned your pants!”Caleb and younger brother Jared are holding court in a suite of a Mayfair hotel.They flew in from Nashville a few hours earlier and if there’s any jet lag it’s not on show. They are guzzling electrolyte-infused water (“They need their electrolytes,” their management assistant tells me) while comparing films they watched on the flight with a colleague, who is filming the band’s every move.READ MORE ON THE KINGS OF LEON“It’s the most fired-up we’ve been for an album in a while,” says Caleb. “It feels like a new chapter,” adds Jared. “And it makes us feel like we have many more albums to make because we were allowed to make an album the way we wanted to.”It felt kind of like a big, big rewash. Making the record, we didn’t have a record label. We were independent and it made a difference.With debut album Youth & Young Manhood turning 20 years old last year, it had been suggested the family band — brothers Caleb, Jared, drummer Nathan and cousin Matthew on guitar — should mark this as a celebration.Caleb explains: “It was suggested that we should do an anniversary tour and release a Greatest Hits and add one or two new songs on there.“When that was suggested, we all looked at each other as it scared us. I definitely wasn’t ready for that.Most read in Music“So, I thought we’d just fully commit to making one more great album, and then decide what we were going to do. But this album was a real joy to make and we learned a lot, so now, we can’t wait to make another album.”Moving with manager Andy Mendelsohn to Full Stop Management, home of Harry Styles, Mark Ronson and Travis Scott, in 2019 and leaving their record label gave the band a fresh start. ‘How am I only just realising they’re hot-’ ask rock fans as noughties band join TikTok and look unrecognisable‘ Caleb says: “It felt kind of like a big, big rewash. Making the record, we didn’t have a record label. We were independent and it made a difference.”Jared adds: “I joined the band when I was 15, so we’ve been having day sheets with times on it under our studio doors all of our adult life.”Kings Of Leon started work on new music with Grammy and Brit Award-winning producer Kid Harpoon, known for his work with Harry Styles and Florence And The Machine.Caleb says: “A lot of Kid’s success, or at least his trophies, happened after we’d already started working with him.“Our manager also manages Harry so knew Kid and suggested we try some songs out with him. As soon as we got in the studio with him, it was refreshing.”Jared adds: “When Kid first started off, he was in the indie world but later became known for pop music. We met with him in January 2023 and then the album Harry’s House cleaned up at the Grammys in February.“Working with him, we were always moving forward. Kid would not let us get stagnant on stuff. It was like running across a tightrope. You never stopped and it was exciting.”Rainbow Ball, Don’t Stop The Bleeding, Split Screen, Actual Daydream and Nowhere To Run are all songs that prove the band aren’t ready to call it a day yet.‘Shed old skin’Caleb says: “I love Ballerina Radio. Jared was so fired up about that one. I also love Rainbow Ball, and my wife [supermodel Lily Aldridge] loves and will be livid if Actual Daydream doesn’t find itself as a single.“But Don’t Stop The Bleeding was the first moment when it was like, ‘Alright, I think we’re ready to make an album’.“Every now and then, you got to shed your old skin. We’re not making this for anyone but us. There was a point where we knew it was good and hopefully the world will love it too.“But the point of art isn’t to make something for someone else. I was reading a book that really inspired me when I was writing this record, and I bought copies for everyone. It’s called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. And you read a little bit and you apply it.”My son was wearing a shirt that said Mustang, while my daughter was watching YouTube videos of cats — that’s where the line ‘Are you a Mustang or a kitty’ comes from.The band chose the album title Can We Please Have Fun as it was “so open to interpretation”.Caleb says: “It can be a statement or a question but we’re going to make this record and can we please enjoy this process.“This is a great opportunity for us to show the world who we are as people and how much this actually means to us.”Their families were also a huge influence on the record.Caleb says: “We all have such strong foundations and support systems at home. My family inspired me in every way on this album to just take chances. I really want to make them proud.”Mustang, the first single released from the record, was influenced by Caleb’s two kids, Dixie, 11, and Winston, five.The singer recalls: “My son was wearing a shirt that said Mustang, while my daughter was watching YouTube videos of cats — that’s where the line ‘Are you a Mustang or a kitty’ comes from.“My son hadn’t really reacted to our music before, so I put Mustang in the song to make him flip his s**t. Now friends’ kids always say, ‘Play the Mustang song’, so if nothing else, kids love it.” While his kids are an influence on Caleb’s new music, it is Taylor Swift who has made the biggest impression on daughter Dixie.He says: “Dixie started wearing Kings Of Leon shirts around the house, but Taylor has made her see music differently.“She’s impressed how she can walk in with a guitar and write a song. A new generation are discovering what it’s like to organically make music because of Taylor Swift.”When Kings Of Leon kick off their UK tour in June, the Followill kids will be in tow.Jared, who welcomed his second daughter, Charlotte, on Tuesday, with wife Martha, says: “I’m bringing my family over. We are all renting houses.“I’m excited that the kids are all meeting up and the cousins can all go to the pub and get drunk for the first time as they don’t check IDs in the UK.”When they were younger, the band were as famous for their drunken brawling as their music. Today, life is much calmer.Prepared for DoomsdayCaleb says: “We try to avoid being on the road for three months at a time.“When we were starting, we were like zombies and living on buses and in each other’s hair.”Jared adds: “It was crazy. How did we survive that?“But we’re healthy adults and in a good place. It’s boring, and people want us to still be fighting and drunk.”The brothers agree that the only thing that gets them down these days are negative comments on social media.I feel this album is the most concentration we’ve all had on a singular goal. We are inspired again. This album was a real joy.Jared says: “I read all of it, everything.“I recently read someone say my bass playing sounds like the Home Depot theme song, and that hurt.” Caleb adds: “I see so many great ones, but it’s the one bad comment that will keep me awake at night.“When we released a new song, I typed ‘Kings Of Leon’ into Google and before I’d even typed ‘Leon’, it said, ‘Kings Of Leon singer dead’; ‘Kings Of Leon singer problem’; ‘Kings Of Leon break-up’.“I’m now prepared for Doomsday.”The band are looking forward to playing Hyde Park in summer as the UK holds a special place in their hearts.Caleb says: “We love our fanbase in the UK.“When you have nine albums you want to have fun with the set list, but those big shows you want to give the people what they came for.“You guys had real love for us from the beginning. The UK has always kept us in check.”Jared adds: “The UK appreciates authenticity and, when we first started, we were as authentic as it gets. We were just learning how to play in front of everybody.” Caleb says making Can We Please Have Fun reminded them of the early days without co-writer Angelo Petraglia.He adds: “Like on the second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak, when Angelo had taken a step back and was just a mentor rather than co-writer, we wanted people to know that this was coming from us.“People would always mention Angelo, and I’d be like, ‘What the f***?’. So, that album was about being super-independent and us showing what we were capable of.”Jared adds: “Now we just want to show how well we can play these songs live.“I like playing stuff that fans don’t know, even though it can be a little painful to not get that instant gratification.“We played Mustang in Mexico but played it before Sex On Fire. It was a safety spot because if it doesn’t go over well — boom!”The band has moved with manager Andy Mendelsohn to Full Stop Management, home of Harry Styles, Mark Ronson and Travis ScottCredit: SuppliedThe band has spoken about their love for their UK fanbase ahead of the Hyde Park gig in JuneCredit: GettyThe band have also toyed with the idea of playing shows of just early albums.Jared says: “We talked about it when Youth & Young Manhood turned 20. There was a lot of hair back then so we would have to wear wigs.”Laughing, Caleb adds: “Hair extensions on our bald spots. I get more embarrassed by outfits from five years ago than the moustaches. But we don’t look back now. We have more to give.“I want my kids to not be able to escape my memory because our music has been ingrained.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I feel this album is the most concentration we’ve all had on a singular goal. We are inspired again. This album was a real joy.”Can We Please Have Fun is out todayKINGS OF LEONCan We Please Have Fun★★★★☆ More

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      I won Eurovision but lost EVERYTHING after my marriage ended & career failed – I had to move into a caravan

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      SANDIE Shaw shot to fame with her winning Eurovision belter Puppet On A String – but she ended up losing everything. The UK pop star became a national treasure when she was crowned victorious in the 1967 competition.Sandie Shaw was regarded as one of the most successful female British singers of the 1960sCredit: GettyThe UK pop singer after winning the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest with Puppet On A StringCredit: AlamyShe did Dagenham proud, amassing 47 votes for Britain with her smashing entry. Sandie sung her heart out barefoot on the Vienna stage, which later became a staple look during her performances.The singer, whose real name is Sandra Ann Goodrich, was recognised as one of the biggest British female singers of the time. She had already earned herself a spot at number one in the UK charts in 1961.Read More on EurovisionDuring her impressive career, Sandie bagged three number one songs with There’s Always Something There to Remind Me in 1964 and Long Live Love the following year.But, the iconic pop star tragically saw her success take a nosedive, along with her marriage in 1968.Her relationship with ex-husband Jeff Banks broke down, and she was left with little money.The singer and her daughter Gracie were forced to live in a caravan after Jeff had flushed all their money down the drain in his bid to become a fashion designer.Most read in ShowbizIn 1982, Sandie re-married, and tied the knot with psychiatrist Tony Bedford.Two years later the resilient Eurovision winner released a cover of The Smiths Hand in Glove in 1984 which ranked within the UK top 30.The singer and her second husband welcomed two children together before calling it quits on their 13 year partnership in 1995.Sandie announced her official retirement from the music industry in 2013, and had been mainly working as a psychotherapist throughout the 90s. ‘I was stressed!’ admits ‘emotional’ Olly Alexander as he reveals blunder that threatened Eurovision performanceShe won an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2018 which was awarded by the then Prince Charles.He asked her why it had taken so long to receive the gong, to which she said afterwards: “I told him the truth.”The truth is that women in music haven’t tended to be honoured in the past, certainly not in the Sixties.”He said he was glad I was here now. He was a bit stunned it had taken so long.”UK Eurovision winners THERE have been five winning British Eurovision entries since the competition began in 1956.
      Sandi Shaw – Puppet on a String 1967
      Lulu – Boom Bang-a-Bang 1969
      Brotherhood of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me 1976
      Bucks Fizz – Making Your Mind Up 1981
      Katrina and the Waves – Love Shine a Light 1997

      When is Eurovision 2024?Eurovision Song Contest final will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2024.This year Sweden will do the hosting honours after singer Loreen notched up her second Eurovision win with Tattoo in 2023.The Swedes have chosen Malmo as the city to welcome acts and fans from across the globe, with the local arena being used as the venue.In 2023, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Liverpool.READ MORE SUN STORIESThis was because Ukraine wasn’t able to host the famous song contest, after Kalush Orchestra won in 2022.Thanks to Sam Ryder we finished second that year and therefore the hosting duties were down to the UK.Everything you need to know about EurovisionHere’s your complete guide to all things Eurovision:
      Sandie performing on stage in the height of her careerCredit: PA:Press AssociationSandie sung for fans in Liverpool watching the Eurovision Song Contest final on a giant screen in the Eurovision Village on May 13, 2023Credit: GettyThe singer performed during the ‘Vintage at Goodwood’ summer festival in 2010Credit: Alamy More

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      Huge American rock group break major Oasis music record with one of their most iconic tracks

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      IT’S a song that means so much to many of us – and was the last dance at my best friend Charlie’s wedding.And now The Killers’ track Mr Brightside has reached a new high after it became the UK’s official biggest single of all time . . . that never reached the No1 spot.An Oasis record has been broken by a US bandCredit: GettyThe Killers’ track Mr Brightside has become the UK’s official biggest single of all time that never reached number 1Credit: SuppliedThe band, fronted by Brandon Flowers, have taken the record from Oasis’ song Wonderwall, written by Noel Gallagher.It has been confirmed by the Official Charts.And it couldn’t have come at a better time, as the tune celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.As well as taking the accolade, with 1.066million sales and 530,340,000 streams, Mr Brightside is also now the UK’s third-biggest song of all time, beating WHAM!’s classic Last Christmas.READ MORE MUSIC NEWSBrandon said of the song: “It’s funny, I almost don’t feel so much a part of it any more.“It’s just this thing that exists in the world. “It’s amazing I had something to do with it, but I almost feel a little bit removed from it because it’s so big. “It’s incredible. I went to see Ed Sheeran in Las Vegas and I joined him for a version of Mr Brightside. Most read in Bizarre“We also did Castle On The Hill. “These are people that may not be Killers fans, but it just lit up like a casino in this place when we started playing Mr Brightside.Liam Gallagher’s Zen Retreat: Inside the Rock Legend’s Country Estate“It was an amazing thing to see that transcendence. “It doesn’t matter how old, young or what sex you are.”The track first came out in 2001 but Brandon said he only knew it was going to become something special when they played Glastonbury three years later.He said: “We’d been coming to the UK and had some great experiences, but we’d been away for a little while. “We came back and when we played that song, something had obviously happened.“Something shifted in the way that the audience physically responded, and it set us off on this path to become the live band we are now.”Fans of the band will be able to hear them play Mr Brightside live all over again this summer as they are coming back to the UK on their Rebel Diamonds Tour.The 16 dates include four performances at the Co-op Live in Manchester and six gigs at London’s O2 Arena.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt is going to be incredible to see The Killers back on stage.Congrats, lads.Mr Brightside usurped Wonderwall, written by Noel Gallagher, for the top spotCredit: GettyBiggest songs of all time (that have never been number 1 in the charts)

      1. Mr Brightside – THE KILLERS. Chart position: 10.
      2. Wonderwall – OASIS. Chart position: 2
      3. All Of Me – JOHN LEGEND. Chart position: 2.
      4. Take Me To Church – HOZIER. Chart Position: 2.
      5. Fairytale Of New York – POGUES ft KIRSTY MacCOLL. Chart position: 2. More

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      Who was Game of Thrones star Ian Gelder and was he married?

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      TRIBUTES have flooded in for Game of Thrones star Ian Gelder.The beloved actor lost his battle with bile cancer at age 74.Ian Gelder has died at age 74Ian Gelder’s husband Ben Daniels has paid tribute with this photoCredit: Instagram/bendanielsssWho was Game of Thrones star Ian Gelder?Ian Gelder is an actor well known for his role as Kevan Lannister in Game of Thrones.After an absence of three years, Gelder reprised his role in Season 5 and Season 6.What other shows and movies did Ian Gelder star in?Ian donned stages, TV and silver screens in hundreds of roles over the last 50 years.Fans will remember him for the part of Mr Dekker in Torchwood: Children of Earth.MORE ON GAME OF THRONESIn 2019, he guest-starred as Librarian Scholar Charles in the BBC TV series His Dark Materials and in 2020 guest-starred as Zellin in Doctor Who.Was Ian Gelder married?Ian was married to fellow actor Ben Daniels who announced his passing on InstagramThe couple had been together since 1993 after meeting during a production of Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane.The Crown star wrote: “It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder. Most read in Showbiz“Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and yesterday he passed at 1.07pm. “I’d stopped all work to be his carer but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.First look at Line of Duty and Game of Thrones stars as they transform for new BBC drama Miss Austen“He was my absolute rock and we’d been partners for more than 30 years. If we weren’t together we spoke to each other everyday. “He was the kindest, most generous spirited and loving human being. He was a wonderful wonderful actor and everyone who worked with him was touched by his heart and light. “I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him by my side. He coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity. Ever. “He was remarkable and will be so missed. This pic was taken at Christmas time after I’d got him out of hospital and even though he’d gone through the worst three weeks there you can still see his joy and love shining through. “Rest well my sweet Chianni. Xxxx” More

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      Sydney Sweeney’s savage Met Gala revenge on film producer who claimed she ‘can’t act’

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      ACTRESS Sydney Sweeney used the Met Gala’s after party to seemingly take a swipe at a film producer who claimed she “isn’t pretty” and “can’t act”.Sydney, 26, wore a brown MiuMiu backless dress — and a dark wig that looked remarkably similar to tormentor Carol Baum’s hairstyle.Sydney Sweeney used the Met Gala’s after party to seemingly take a swipe at a film producer who claimed she ‘can’t act’Credit: SplashSydney wore a dark wig that looked remarkably similar to tormentor Carol Baum’s hairstyleCredit: GettyAn insider said: “Sydney’s wig was the talk of the Met and everyone was commenting on it at the after party.“It definitely looked like she was having a dig at Carol by wearing it because it looked so much like Carol’s hair.“If Sydney wanted to make a statement, she definitely did.”Last month, executive producer Baum, whose credits include Father Of The Bride, mocked Sydney for her turn in rom-com Anyone But You.READ MORE ON Sydney SweeneyShe said: “She’s not pretty, she can’t act. “I don’t get Sydney Sweeney.”She called the film “unwatchable”, adding: “I wanted to know who she is and why everybody’s talking about her.”Euphoria actress Sydney later responded by wearing a jumper that read: “Sorry for having great t**s and correct opinions.” Most read in CelebritySydney took a break from promoting her new film Immaculate to attend the gala in New York. At the gala, she appeared in a one-shoulder, light blue ballgown paired with long, black gloves. Sydney Sweeney stuns in wet t-shirt as she enjoys wild day out at Disney World amid rumours she’s the next Bond girlThe black wig remained in place. As she set off for the event, her hairpiece was covered by a black veil dotted with rhinestones. Since finding fame in Euphoria, she has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actresses. But the pressure of her back-to-back schedule has taken its toll, with Sydney admitting: “I still can’t get my mind to shut up, and I don’t sleep.” Working hard is ingrained into her, however. She said: “I had no idea getting into this industry how many people have connections.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I started from ground zero, and I know how f***ing hard it is. “Now I see how someone can just walk in a door, and I’m like, ‘I worked my f***ing a off for ten years for this’.”Sydney took a break from promoting her new film Immaculate to attend the gala in New YorkCredit: Getty More

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      Noughties singer songwriter, 42, has barely aged a day 18 years after number one smash hit

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      IN 2006, this singer was wishing she was a punk rocker with flowers in her hair. And 18 years later, Sandi Thom hasn’t aged a day – and is becoming the revolutionary she spoke about in her hit song. Sandi stormed to stardom in 2006 with I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker with Flowers in My HairCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdNearly 18 years on Sandi is still creating music as an independent artistCredit: @sandi_thom/instagramThe Scottish songstress stormed the charts in the mid 2000s with her catchy bop, reaching number one with I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker in the UK. Starting life streaming from MySpace and gigging from her London flat, Sandi was signed to RCA Records and soon stormed the charts. It even knocked off Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy from the top spot on the UK Top 40. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker gained international attention, even becoming the biggest selling single of 2006 in Australia. READ MORE THROWBACKSShe followed up the success with her debut album, Smile… It Confuses People, which also reached number one, and sold over a million copies across the globe. However, after Sandi’s second album, The Pink And The Lily, was rushed out in 2008, she was subsequently dropped from RCA Records after the record’s poor performance. Sandi later explained she felt too rushed with producing her second record. In the years that followed, Sandi struggled to get her songs played – culminating in a heartbreaking video in which the weeping songstress said radio broadcasters weren’t putting her song Earthquake on their playlist. Most read in ShowbizShe said in part in the clip, which was later deleted: “Honest to God I’m f**king sick to death of the bulls**t this industry pulls on people like me and I’ve had it. Enough. I’m done.” Despite this setback, Sandi has continued to produce and create albums as an independent artist – with four more albums now under her belt.Scots popstar Sandi Thom saves stray dog after finding it wandering aloneShe has been sharing her songs on TikTok, including covers of Abba hits and the iconic What’s Up by 4 Non Blondes, and asking fans for advice on what will make her latest release. In March this year, she released her latest single, folk track Revolution Anthem (Song For The Oppressed), which hits on geopolitical issues including Brexit, and taking aim at world leaders and MPs including Boris Johnson, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.Speaking of I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker, which she remixed and re-released last year, she told PA: “It doesn’t feel like that long ago, it pretty much feels like yesterday to me.”I think because the legacy of the song lives on in perpetuity, it’s always alive for me and for the people that love it.”Sandi has been teasing a new release on TikTokCredit: @sandi_thom/instagramThe singer performs covers online as well as her classic hitCredit: @sandi_thom/instagramSandi’s first album reached number one but her second caused her label to drop herCredit: Getty More

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      Britain’s Got Talent winner left on brink of bankruptcy and living back with his parents after show success

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      ONE man knows better than most that success on Britain’s Got Talent isn’t a golden ticket to “happy ever after”.Singer Jai McDowell found himself on the brink of bankruptcy a few years after taking home the £100k prize in 2011.Jai McDowell found himself on the brink of bankruptcy a few years after winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2011Credit: RexAn audience of 13 million people watched Jai take home the £100k prize moneyCredit: RexHe wowed audiences with his voice when 13million watched him get crowned champion.But for the first time, he has spoken in detail about how the dazzling high was followed by years of lows.With the latest series of BGT in full swing, Jai, said in an exclusive chat: “My experience of BGT was great.“Afterwards, for the first year, obviously you get all the work and all the good things. read more on bgt”And that’s when it starts to go south.“I had about eight months and then Sony didn’t renew my one album deal and it’s still quite a difficult thing to deal with.“I went from a normal guy who wasn’t in the industry, to then being on the telly.“People know your name before you know theirs and it’s such a mindf*** that it’s so hard to deal with.Most read in Celebrity“It created such a tumultuous time for me that I didn’t deal with it very well.” Jai said he erred on the side of caution after his win, choosing to have early nights to protect his voice instead of wild evenings out. Britain’s Got Talent fix scandal after it’s revealed bosses secretly created acts from scratch for show including fan favouriteBut it wasn’t enough.He added: “I’ve done OK. Twelve years on I’m still working.“But there was definitely a period where it took a dramatic drop.“Finances, work, all of that stuff took a very big dive to a point where I did actually think about bankruptcy.“I didn’t do it because, thankfully, I’ve got a brilliant support network.”But I did get to a point where I was like, ‘Is this it, is this over?’.”He added: “I signed with a few people in Scotland and made some bad choices, spent loads of money.“It came to a point where, on paper, you’re asset rich. “But I was cash poor. That was pretty much me.“I moved in with my parents at the time. “I did have property but I had no money.“That took a long time and a lot of grit and determination for me to get back out of that.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHe is now flying high again and has joined operatic quartet G4, who released their new album, called 20, last month, and are currently on tour across the UK.It’s a tough old industry but good on him for sticking with it.Jai has since become a member of operatic quartet G4Credit: Rex More

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      Inside Dua Lipa’s incredible rise to stardom from working as a waitress to Glastonbury headliner with £30m fortune

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      POP star Dua Lipa has the world at her feet.In less than a decade, she has gone from waitressing in London’s Soho to become one of the most in-demand stars on the planet — amassing a fortune of £30million and clocking up three Grammys and seven Brit Awards.Dua Lipa has gone from being a waitress in London’s Soho to one of the most in-demand stars on the planetCredit: GettyDua performed at this year’s Grammy’sCredit: GettyWith close friends including designer Donatella Versace, Sir Elton John and supermodel Gigi Hadid, the daughter of refugees from Kosovo has transformed herself into the ultimate global It Girl.And as befits a British superstar, she has an £8million mansion in affluent West Hampstead in North West London, boasting a swimming pool, home studio and ­cinema.Now she is on course to go to No1 this Friday with her third album Radical Optimism — her first since 2020’s Future Nostalgia, which turned her into a major superstar.The new record has already given Dua another three Top Ten singles in the form of Houdini, Training Season and Illusion, bringing her total to 16.READ MORE ON DUA LIPANot too shabby for someone who is still 15 months away from celebrating her 30th birthday.Its release has ushered in the biggest summer of her career, which will include a massive headline slot at Glastonbury Festival next month.The feat solidifies Dua’s spot in music history, as she follows in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, Adele and BeyonceDua said of her milestone: “This is the pinnacle. For me, Glastonbury has always been the biggest dream.Most read in Celebrity“It’s been my barometer every time I go into the studio, when I write a song I love. It’s like, ‘How is this going to sound at Glastonbury? Is it going to work?‘Hurtful and humiliating’“It’s just always been on my dream board of something that I want to do. It’s the biggest show of my career.”How Dua Lipa and Callum Turner are set to be Hollywood’s hottest itemThe set, expected to be attended by 100,000 music fans, will come in stark contrast to the last time she ­performed at the famous festival.In 2017, she sang on the John Peel Stage — known for hosting up-and-coming artists — and was worried no one would even turn up.She recalled: “It was just as I was about to go on and there really wasn’t anyone there. And I was like, ‘Oh, f**k. No one’s going to come’.“But I just went, ‘Do you know what? It doesn’t matter — I’m going to get out and I’m just going to ­perform and I’m going to have fun’.“By the time I went out, the whole thing was full and I jumped out and had the best time.”At the weekend, Dua hosted and performed on one of US telly’s ­biggest shows, Saturday Night Live — becoming the first British star to do so since Harry Styles in 2019.Born in London in 1995 to Kosovo-Albanian parents Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa, Dua grew up in the capital before returning to her parents’ homeland when she was 11.Determined to follow her dream, Dua persuaded her mum and dad to let her return to the UK when she was just 15 years old.She said: “I wanted to do music. As much as I loved living in Kosovo, it was a very different experience. I was living with a roommate and my parents knew her parents. My parents put a lot of trust in me so I really tried to be as good as possible.”Dua worked a series of jobs in the UK, including as a guest list girl on the door of nightclubs, before finding a manager and landing a record deal.The star won the best new artist Grammy in 2019Credit: GettyDua even starred in 2023’s Barbie MovieCredit: Instagram/@dualipaBut before earning fame, fortune and accolades, she had a tough ride following the release of her self-titled debut album.She was criticised for her lacklustre dancing on stage and was mocked online with a comment that went viral, reading: “Go girl, give us nothing.”Speaking to a newspaper about the jibes, she said: “When people took that snippet of me dancing online and just turned it into a meme, and then when I won the Best New Artist Grammy and people were like, ‘She’s not deserving of it, she’s got no stage presence, she’s not going to stick around’. Those things were hurtful. It was humiliating.“I had to take myself off Twitter. The thing that made me the happiest — performing and writing songs — was also making me really upset because people were picking everything apart that I’d been ­working on, and I had to learn all that in front of everyone.“In the public eye, I was figuring out who I was as an artist, as a performer. All that was happening while I was 22, 23 years old and still ­growing up. You have to build tough skin. You have to be resilient.”However, she then underwent months of intensive dance rehearsals before her return in order to silence her critics, and she now pulls off complex choreography during her sold-out stage shows.At the 2019 Grammy Awards she won two gongs — Best Dance Recording for single Electricity and Best New Artist for explicit track IDGAF.Two years later, she returned to the US music industry ceremony to pick up her third accolade — Best Pop Vocal Album — for second album Future Nostalgia‘I was over the moon’With three wins and ten nominations to her name, Dua has more Grammys than pop icons Britney Spears (one win from eight nominations) and Kylie Minogue (two wins from six nominations).Even global music legend Cher has fewer, bagging just one from seven nominations. Meanwhile, back on home soil, Dua has won seven Brits.With such star power, it’s no ­wonder the great and the good started lining up to record with Dua.Miley Cyrus enlisted her for 2020 single Prisoner, while the following year Sir Elton John snapped her up to create chart mega-hit Cold Heart.Madonna, the Queen of Pop herself, even gave her royal seal of approval by appearing on a remix of Dua’s smash hit Levitating in 2020, alongside rapper Missy Elliott.Dua said of Madge’s involvement: “It was very much a manifestation thing. I was thinking out loud.“She was so down. I was over the moon. I couldn’t believe that she wanted to do this record with me. I’m such a fan. It was really exciting.”Dua Lipa as a childCredit: InstagramDua Lipa performing at Glastonbury Festival 2017Credit: GettyNot content in dominating the charts, Dua has turned herself into a global brand.She currently has deals with Porsche — said to be worth seven figures — and YSL Beauty.Dua has previously been snapped up by Jaguar, Evian, Mac Cosmetics and Versace, for whom she made her catwalk debut at Milan Fashion Week in September 2021.Last year she co-designed a collection for the Italian fashion house alongside industry powerhouse Donatella Versace.In a gushing statement at the time, Donatella said: “You are now both a Versace supermodel and a Versace super-designer.“We designed this collection with true friendship, love and joy at the heart of every piece.“Your passion and vision have inspired me throughout this creative journey.”The deals have boosted Dua’s net worth to more than £30million — which is set to jump even further in the coming 12 months thanks to a soon-to-be announced global tour.In her last live shows, Dua played to 1.3million fans around the globe over 91 dates — and the ten-month trek took just shy of £100million.Dua appears keen to make her mark on the big screen, too‘Proved them wrong’In 2023, she made a cameo in Oscar-winning film Barbie, playing a Mermaid Barbie alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as topping the charts with Dance The Night from the soundtrack.Earlier this year, she starred alongside Henry Cavill in Apple TV’s spy thriller Argylle.But don’t expect her to call time on creating chart hits.She said at the Golden Globes: “At the moment, music is my priority. I love acting and it was fun — but music is first.”Her love life has also kept her in the news after relationships with model Anwar Hadid and French director Romain Gavras.But she is now in a British power couple with rising screen star Callum Turner, 34.With her album Radical Optimism on track to be another hit, Dua’s sights will now be set on her live shows.Next month she will kick off a series of mini outdoor gigs across Europe before her landmark Glastonbury set on June 26, and a prestigious show at the Royal Albert Hall in October.And she will be making sure there is no reason for people to criticise her performances.READ MORE SUN STORIESShe said: “Every time someone has doubted me, I’ve proved them wrong. And for me, I’m like, this is fuelling me.“This is pushing me to be better, to work hard. And I get a real kick out of proving people wrong.”The family of Dua Lipa, parents Dukagjin and Anesa Lipa and siblings Rina and Gjin attending the Brit Awards 2019Credit: PA:Empics EntertainmentDua Lipa was snapped with boyfriend Callum TurnerCredit: SplashAt the weekend, Dua hosted and performed on one of US telly’s ­biggest shows, Saturday Night LiveCredit: BackGridThis year the artist starred alongside Henry Cavill in Apple TV’s spy thriller Argylle More