Dua Lipa Reveals She Was 'Really Upset' After Being Ridiculed Over Viral Dance Meme

Dua Lipa recently opened up about being trolled and mocked online after a video of her dancing on stage went viral, causing her to take a social media break.

Despite initial struggles, her confidence grew with hits like "Don't Start Now." The singer revealed that she found solace in songwriting, acknowledging the vulnerability of sharing her thoughts.

During an interview with The Guardian, Lipa discussed the challenges she faced after a video of her dancing onstage during a 2017 concert went viral. This led to hurtful memes and comments about her looking like a "pencil" in a "pencil sharpener."

The 28-year-old singer described how a specific comment that read, "I like her lack of energy, go girl, give us nothing," triggered a wave of cruel trolling, prompting her to take a break from social media.

"Then 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, people were like, 'She's not deserving of it, she's got no stage presence, she's not going to stick around,'" Lipa recalled. "Those things were hurtful. It was humiliating. I had to take myself off Twitter."

The "New Rules" hitmaker revealed that despite being "the happiest" while performing and writing songs, she was "really upset" with the negativity directed at her stage presence.

Lipa emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of such challenges, especially as she navigated her identity as an artist in the public eye, adding: "You have to build tough skin. You have to be resilient."

During the conversation, Lipa spoke about how the challenges of fame affected her emotional well-being.

While speaking to The Guardian, Lipa admitted that although she never reached a point where she "couldn't get out of bed because of what I thought people thought of me. I didn't care to that degree. But that's when it was most heightened for me."

The Grammy-winning artist added that as she continued to establish her name and skills, she experienced a "real kick" following the release of her 2019 single, "Don't Start Now," as there was a shift in public opinion regarding her performance abilities, which provided a sense of validation for her.

She said, "It was November 2019 when 'Don't Start Now' came out, and it dawned on me that I'm finally going to get up and dance in front of people after what they have thought about me for so long. And I went back, did that performance, and everyone was like, 'Oh, we were wrong.' I got a real kick out of that."

In a separate conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Lipa delved into her latest album, "Radical Optimism," and her newfound confidence in her career.

Reflecting on her journey, she said, "Finally, I'm at a place in my career where I feel really confident. It took me so long to get to this place."

The pop star candidly shared with Lowe that songwriting is a therapeutic outlet for her.

"It's just such a vulnerable thing to do, to write your thoughts down into melody and then have it be consumed by other people," she explained.

In her chat with Lowe, Lipa also reflected on the criticisms she's faced since achieving fame, acknowledging the fluctuations in public opinion.

"I think everything comes in stages and waves. There can be a moment where people really love you, and you feel so supported, and you're like, oh, this is great," Lipa stated.

She continued: "Especially in the beginning. I was doing interviews and people were like, 'How do you deal with hate?' And I'm like, 'I don't get any hate. It's great.'"

Lipa added, "Then that changed really quickly and I remember even when it was Grammys' best new artist nomination and I'd won it, there were people online being like, she's not deserving of it. She's got no stage presence. She can't do this. She's not well-equipped to, she won't be here next year."

"There was a lot of that. That fueled me in a way. I try not to use criticism as revenge," she said.

Rather than succumb to the negativity, Lipa revealed that she found motivation in proving her critics wrong.

The British-Albanian star emphasized that she no longer allows the "background noise" to get to her and instead chooses to "stick" to her path.

She said, "So I think whenever I see or feel or read anything that goes against what I know is coming, or what I've been doing, or how hard I've been working or whatever it is, I just kind of take a step back and I just go, okay, all of this is background noise, and I should just stick on my path."

Lipa added, "Because 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."