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Dua Lipa’s latest campaign is in full swing and, according to Joe Kentish and his team at Warner Records, Houdini is set to cast a lasting spell as her third album looms. Released last week, Houdini was at No.2 in Music Week’s latest sales flash, marginally behind Jack Harlow’s Lovin On Me. Dua Lipa has 10 UK Airplay No.1s and could extend that record tally to 11 with Houdini this week. Houdini has 18,867,879 streams on Spotify and 27m views on YouTube. The star wrote the track with core third album collaborators Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. The song, which has drawn attention for incorporating elements of disco, psychedelia and a prominent synth solo, was produced by Parker and Harle. Of its 21,653 sales so far this week, 19,068 derive from streams, with 1,485 sales from downloads and 1,100 from CD and cassette editions. Here, Kentish, together with Warner MD Alex Burford and SVP, promotions Jane Arthy dissect the campaign and look ahead to what’s to come. Can you share some of the thoughts behind the planning of the campaign? AB: “We wanted to have a very fan-focused strategy. With artists of Dua’s scale, everything can feel slightly untouchable and very big, but it's very important for us that the fans come first. The marketing strategy was driven through direct conversations with fans and revealing the key beats of the pre-release strategy, like revealing the title and artwork, was all directly done to fans and playing on the Houdini title, being able to unlock bits of information. And that felt like a massively impactful strategy because you go directly to the fans, and then fans spread the word on socials. We started with a new platform that drove people to sign up when we first started teasing and in the first week 100,000 people had signed up to her WhatsApp group. It allows for direct communication with fans that isn’t just about selling them stuff. It's about engaging them in the campaign and making them part of the reveal.” JA: “We’ve quite conscious of positioning. The video is such an iconic pop video on one hand, but she’s also really down to earth and doing great content pieces with Greg James at Radio 1, for example, or turning up to the YouTube event for the video premier. It’s a perfect balance of being an iconic pop star and being very much available in the right way. We’re super selective with that availability, and obviously with an artist at this level you’re going to be limited in terms of time. We've always made, and will always make, a real effort to be loyal to the people who were there at the beginning, particularly with UK media where she broke out. We’re always keen to be really loyal.” Why was Houdini the lead single? JA: “To quote Dua pretty verbatim from a conversation last week, Houdini is first in a chronological run of stories that make up the album. Houdini references the most fun parts of singledom, when we’re out, we’re meeting people, we're having fun, we're in the club. And as the project progresses, the stories will continue to progress as well.” How do you plan to capitalise on Houdini’s success? JK: “We want Dua’s campaigns to be long campaigns. We love day one success, but it’s not a North Star. We want her songs to be everywhere. We want her songs to be the finales of huge stadium shows. We want her songs to be number one radio records in multiple territories. We want her songs to go on and have viral moments. We want her songs to be sung at festivals. A successful Dua campaign is one that lasts a couple of years or more. We want more diamond records. We want streams of two billion plus. We want her to be the most streamed artist in the world.” AB: “We went into the campaign thinking, ‘Judge us in two years’ and we want to have huge culturally important moments in that time, in the same way Future Nostalgia defined a particular time and became a really important album. The goal is not to have success in any one week, the goal is to change pop culture. JK: “And this isn’t the ravings of despotic label heads. This comes from Dua. I can’t tell you how energising it is for our whole team to work with someone who expresses, daily, what her ambition is.” https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/her-ambition-is-energising-joe-kentish-team-warner-salute-dua-lipa-s-return/088857

Dumb question but what does OGH mean?

She should've won for Shallow, Always Remember Us This Way, The Edge of Glory and Record of the Year for Bad Romance or Poker Face.

Maybe it's just me but whenever people say "you know where to find them" I really don't.

this partnership literally gave us bad romance…imagine what they could do together now. the limits do not exist!

I've always found the addition of You were in my in the chorus unnecessary, I prefer to focus on those amazing synths. I also like the lyrics of the demo's bridge WAY more, as it also fits the whole concept better.

I love how her management is excited about her career and has a clear vision on where she should go next. We sometimes forget how important a good team is required for an artist's success.

The real telephone part II

One of ATRL’s credible insiders, RideOrDie, has weighed in on Gaga’s recording studio pic… 👀 Let’s go, girls! We got clown **** to do l!

Once again, we will not be tolerating this hateration and holleration in this dancery.

That one with the hat looks like Gaga in disguise. Like one of those cops that goes undercover at a high school. Are we sure it isn't?

Each generation have one. And this gen Main Pop Girls aka MPG are: Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, & Olivia Rodrigo Tell us why do or don't you agree.

Whoever is this: LEAK ACT II and stop the agony, thanks. Again, you know where to find it.

I know I know this been discussed to death. I partly blame Gaga but mostly her team for not making this song one of her early classics. I mean its the first track on the album but was the last released? It doesnt make sense! Other songs on the album that are controversial like GH, Judas, and Bloody Mary have had their time to shine later because of their subject matter but MTN is just forgotten. Left on the curbside. When I listen to it it almost brings tears to my eyes for how beautiful it is! The way Gaga was finally honest with the music video. The winter vibes. The vulnerability and fierceness of it. But it was too late and the era just crashed. I know its a classic for us but this deserves to be played and be remembered with the public! So energetic and hopeful and emotional! Instead the butchered BR wannabe got the attention. Even Gaga wanted MTN as the 2nd single!!! Honestly the wannabe could have been released later and it still would get attention because its "controversial ". But MTN deserved to be an early single and be huge hit! Im not gonna lié it reminds me of Madonna's "Like A Prayer" in that it is danceable but emotional, a religious experience! Praise to Marry The Night, one of her best songs ever!!!

I love how Hallelujah came out of nowhere and we could've gone our entire lives not knowing about it but we still don't have Tea or Temple. Any Act II or Chromatica outtakes for this poor soul please.

That’s really nice they’re excited, optimistic and proud about the work they’ve done. Just wish they’d let the music speak for itself. We know how these things go sometimes with creating high expectations.

So good luck with that Dula Peep.

omggg we are seated

I only believe Mr S. or whatever his name is.

I just think we should all take a moment to thank the universe for everything we've received this week. We've had: - 11 previously unheard ARTPOP demos - Possibly new snippets of the DWUW video - 279 previously unseen ARTPOP photoshoot leaks - The old ARTPOP booklet - The original ARTPOP cover - The Aura stems inc the Acapella that had never leaked prior - Enhanced G.U.Y. stems - The Sine From Above stems - The Alice stems - Possible Stupid Love stems - The Stupid Love acapella - Confirmation Gaga is in the studio Like when does this ever happen? Istg we go through YEARS of drought in this fanbase and then when it rains it pours. Some fanbases like Lana's get by on a steady drip but we get starved then we get FED. I hate the drought by I love the storm. In the style of Lois Griffin: whoever you are.....thank you

Just let them be happy.. that's their own business what shady things they did to their exes. The fact that he's not a conventionally attractive man and he's a broadway actor is indicative to me that they must connect on a level that works for them. Sorry to their exes it didn't work out, but the demonization is tired. Get a life

People are so toxic omg. How are you gonna trash her for being a bad person and then attack his looks and her body. She looks normal. It’s so mean. It was confirmed he and his wife had been separated before he ever met Ariana (just not legally). I remember she posted a cryptic message about not wanting to be in a relationship with someone she feared again. Clearly her marriage was not healthy. Judging them for “throwing away” their marriages is soooo gross.

Whoever posts link here will be exposed to Lady JudgeGa

Lady Gaga on ChatGPT after reading this thread: Great job on the merch campaign for the ARTPOP anniversary. Can you please create an album with music that sounds like Lady Gaga produced by RedOne?

If I see anyone talk sh** about my fav album again I’ll F*** YOUS All UP

I love her ambition - her team sound a little too over the top though. I can’t wait for the album to drop, I like the direction / sound of Houdini, & she’s working with some of the best producers in the business.

Can they just not though? Why do Americans have to make every single event into a movie? Just leave Britney be

When Stef is posting threads you know something is coming

Maybe she’s just not as shallow like all you gays who are implying he’s ugly lmao he’s obviously an accomplished performer

Elton's vocals

Chromatica's stems are leaking like a tampon

yes! I’d actually love to see Gaga play a ruthless villainous type of character, maybe the next Bond movie’s main villain?!

On God

"the video is such an iconic pop video" the one that's like 10 days old???? girl... We love ambition and I'm excited to see what they have planned.

Meanwhile we’re struggling to get a film for a tour that ended 2 billion years ago.

Is this becuz Gaga didn't release act II?

Agreed. Even with a great hair/makeup artist Brad Pitt will never look like Britney.

"Song of the Year is awarded for a single or for one track from an album. This award goes to the songwriter who actually wrote the lyrics and/or melodies to the song. 'Song' in this context means the song as composed, not its recording. The Song of the Year award is presented to the songwriter(s) of a single song." Gaga is such a gifted songwriter and my dream is for her to win a Song Of The Year Grammy. However, I just realized it's probably not gonna happen anytime soon. I was just looking at all the previous SOTY winners and I was SHOCKED to see Taylor Swift has never won SOTY. How can that be? Everyone knows that Taylor's THE greatest songwriter to have ever existed. No one in history has been able to write a song as well as TayTay. Elton John and Bernie Taupin who? So it's mind boggling to think Tay's never won SOTY (especially knowing she's about to win Album Of The Year for a FORTH time next year). TEN studio albums over the past SEVENTEEN years, from not one of, but THE most brilliant songwriter in history, and not one of those albums has produced a song worthy of SOTY (or ROTY)? They didn't nominate Taylor for the Songwriter of the Year Grammy either?? If Tay hasn't snagged one yet, can Gaga win SOTY?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/17wz78z/singers_in_talks_to_appear_in_a_musical_western/ I can't get the link to work, but allegedly Bey and Gaga are in talks for a musical Western directed by Jane Campion. It's so odd, as someone commented on the post, that it's kind of believable.

OMG

that’s literally Ronnie omg

Tbh im here for ANY Gaga movies. if she really wants to break into the acting world then it’s time that she takes up more roles instead of treating her movies like albums and only doing 1 every couple of years

Me leaving the thread after seeing everyone so happy with their copies

That’s so true. It’s really the lost era. We’ll never know what could have been. But the pandemic is also when Dua really flourished. While Gaga and other artists pumped the brakes, Dua released a million singles and videos and ascended to where she is now. I do love Gaga’s heart but I also think they overreacted by essentially cancelling the era.

We kinda did when they said they had spent 18 months planning the campaign for Chromatica and that it was one of the best rollouts ever, just to be hit with a pandemic and then they were only able to save some cookies and a wine brand deal. Will we ever win?

They were the first ones to publish the info that Warner Bros wanted to cast Gaga for the female lead role in Joker 2 back in January 2022, months before it got to the press. And iirc the first tea about the Don't Worry Darling behind-the-scenes mess also came from them. That being said, the truthfulness depends more on the source that sent the message than on DeuxMoi herself. She does tend to eventually reiterate the leaks on her social media tho if she gets further confirmation from other people that there's actually truth to them (that's what happened with the Joker one), but that hasn't happened with this one as of now.

Jane Campion was stanning Gar back in the HoG days so I could believe her wanting to cast her in a future project... this still sounds a bit too good to be true tho

HERE WE GO! it would be the modern day thelma and louise.