New Rules

Dua Lipa's "New Rules" arrived on July 7, 2017, as the seventh single from her self-titled debut album. Written by Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, and Ian Kirkpatrick, who also produced, the track had been rejected by several artists before Lipa recorded it. Musically, it fuses electropop with tropical house, layered over EDM production, dance-pop beats, and dancehall rhythms. Lyrically, Lipa sets three rules to get over an ex: don't pick up the phone, don't let him in, don't be his friend. She has called it the breakup song she wished she'd had during her own difficult splits.

Critics praised the song for its catchy production and relatable, empowering message. It earned a nomination for British Single of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards and landed on year-end lists from Billboard, The Guardian, and The New York Times. Commercially, it became Lipa's first number one on the UK Singles Chart and topped charts in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), Israel, and Romania. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number six, becoming her first top 10 hit. It also reached number one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, and Mainstream Top 40 charts. As of early 2024, it holds the record as the most streamed song by a British female artist in the UK and spent the most weeks on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart. It was the second most played song of the 2010s on that format. The song earned multi-platinum certifications in 13 territories, including quintuple platinum in the UK and diamond in Canada, France, and Poland.

The music video, directed by Henry Scholfield and shot at the Confidante Hotel in Miami, features Lipa in a hotel room with friends who physically block her from reuniting with her ex. Critics highlighted its themes of female empowerment and friendship. The video went viral, making Lipa the youngest female artist to reach one billion views on YouTube; it has since surpassed three billion views, making it her most-viewed video on the platform. It earned nominations for British Music Video of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards and Best Choreography at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. Lipa promoted the song with performances at the 2017 BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards, the 2018 Brit Awards, and the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. Official remixes were released by Alison Wonderland, Kream, and SG Lewis. [edit]