"Don't Start Now" is a song by English and Albanian singer
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.
Lipa worked as a model before v ...
. Lipa wrote the song with
Caroline Ailin
Caroline Furøyen (born 1989), also known by her stage name Caroline Ailin, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter based in London. She co-wrote " New Rules", a single by Dua Lipa which reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and US pop radio in ...
,
Emily Warren, and its producer
Ian Kirkpatrick
Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick (born 24 May 1946) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Described as "supremely athletic, fast, fearless and with an uncanny sense of anticipation", Kirkpatrick is widely regarded as one of the greatest flankers ...
. The song was released for digital download and streaming by
Warner Records
Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
on 31 October 2019, as the lead single from her second studio album, ''
Future Nostalgia
''Future Nostalgia'' is the second studio album by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa. It was released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers including Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Mon ...
'' (2020). A
nu-disco
Nu-disco is a 21st-century dance music genre associated with a renewed interest in the late 1970s disco, synthesizer-heavy 1980s European dance music styles, and early 1990s electronic dance music. The genre was popular in the early 2000s, and exp ...
song, it features a
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
bassline, inspired by music by the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
,
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, tech ...
and
Two Door Cinema Club
Two Door Cinema Club are a British rock band formed in Bangor, County Down, Bangor, Northern Ireland in 2007. The band is composed of three members: Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths), Sam Halliday (lead guitar, backing vocals), ...
. Elements used in the production include handclaps, a crowd noise,
cowbells
The cowbell is an idiophone hand percussion instrument used in various styles of music, such as Latin and rock. It is named after the similar bell used by herdsmen to keep track of the whereabouts of cows. The instrument initially and traditio ...
,
synth
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
bursts and
accented strings. Lyrically, Lipa celebrates her independence and instructs a former lover to forget about their past relationship.
"Don't Start Now" received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with many reviewers noting significant growth in Lipa's sound and vocals. Critics also praised the use of
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 335px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Space Shuttle Columbia, Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union, Soviet General Secretary of the Communist Party of ...
and
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
sounds for standing out among other pop releases at the time. At the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...
, the song was nominated in three categories:
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
,
Song of the Year, and
Best Pop Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop S ...
. The song peaked at number two on both the
UK Singles Chart and the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, surpassing Lipa's 2017 song "
New Rules" to become her highest-charting single on the latter. In the UK, the song registered the
seventh-longest top 10 stay on the chart.
"Don't Start Now" is considered to be the beginning of a revival for disco music in 2020 as
downtempo
Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...
, urban-styled music previously dominated mainstream music. The music video was directed by
Nabil Elderkin
Nabil Elderkin (born February 11, 1982) is an American-born Australian film and music video director and photographer, who is of Iranian and American descent. He is mononymously credited as Nabil in his videos. Elderkin has directed videos for ...
and filmed in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. It features
point-of-view and
high-angle shot
A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up".
High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the c ...
s of Lipa dancing at a crowded nightclub and
masquerade ball
A masquerade ball (or bal masqué) is a special kind of formal ball which many participants attend in costume wearing masks. (Compare the word "masque"—a formal written and sung court pageant.) Less formal " costume parties" may be a descend ...
. To promote the song, Lipa performed it on many television programmes and awards shows, including the
2019 MTV Europe Music Awards, the
2019 American Music Awards and the
2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Numerous
remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es have accompanied the song, including an extended Live in L.A. Remix which features a 19-piece live band, for which an accompanying music video directed by Daniel Carberry was also released.
Writing and production
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.
Lipa worked as a model before v ...
wrote "Don't Start Now" with the same team who wrote her 2017 single "
New Rules":
Caroline Ailin
Caroline Furøyen (born 1989), also known by her stage name Caroline Ailin, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter based in London. She co-wrote " New Rules", a single by Dua Lipa which reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and US pop radio in ...
,
Emily Warren and
Ian Kirkpatrick
Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick (born 24 May 1946) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Described as "supremely athletic, fast, fearless and with an uncanny sense of anticipation", Kirkpatrick is widely regarded as one of the greatest flankers ...
.
The song came about after Joe Kentish, the
A&R head at Lipa's label
Warner Records
Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, challenged Kirkpatrick in late 2018 to recreate the success of "New Rules".
The first writing session took place after Warren invited Ailin and Kirkpatrick to her home in
Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
to attend a
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
night at a local
dive bar
A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and local clientele. ...
where songs including
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...
's "
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song recorded by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 by Polydor Records as the second single from her sixth album, ''Love Tracks (Gloria Gaynor album), Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Pe ...
" (1978) were played. Inspired by that night, they decided to write a disco song the next morning as "it's the most fun to dance to".
The song's initial concept was based on Ailin's feelings of responsibility towards her ex following their relationship.
Kirkpatrick also worked with producer J Kash, inviting several writers to help find a sound for the song, which became a back-and-forth between
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 335px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Space Shuttle Columbia, Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union, Soviet General Secretary of the Communist Party of ...
and disco music.
They contemplated emulating music by
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
, and created more than 10 reference tracks for Lipa to sample and choose from. Ailin, Warren and Kirkpatrick eventually co-wrote the song with Lipa in January 2019.
The
cowbell
A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell (instrument), bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. ...
used on the song was present on the first demo and inspired by
Two Door Cinema Club
Two Door Cinema Club are a British rock band formed in Bangor, County Down, Bangor, Northern Ireland in 2007. The band is composed of three members: Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths), Sam Halliday (lead guitar, backing vocals), ...
's music. Kirkpatrick based it on Lipa's phrasing in the chorus.
According to him, the strings are a combination of
Kontakt Session Strings, "some weird Nexus
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War ...
string patch", and live strings.
Although the bassline of "Don't Start Now" sounds live, Kirkpatrick created it with
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...
. It was influenced by similar basslines the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
and
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, tech ...
used in their music that he had listened to in his youth.
Kirkpatrick used a Scarbee MM-Bass plug-in for the leading bass sound and played it on a keyboard before modifying it. He wanted to abstain from disco for a more
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American jets fly over burning oil fields in the 1991 Gulf War; the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993; the World ...
sound in the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
by adding
sub-bass
Sub-bass sounds are the deep, low-register pitches below approximately 70 Hz (C2 in scientific pitch notation) and extending downward to include the lowest frequency humans can hear, approximately 20 Hz (E0).
In this range, human hea ...
combined with thumb bass guitar and
slaps in the
drop from
Trilian.
Lipa recorded most of her vocals with either a dynamic
Shure SM7 or a Telefunken ELA M 251 tube
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...
. Kirkpatrick said he understood the song better after Lipa sang it and was told by Kentish that the
middle eight
The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Th ...
sounded like an "after-thought".
He thus spent a further two weeks completing the song before sending
stems to Josh Gudwin for mixing. To improve the middle eight, Kirkpatrick added a "vocal chop", and extra drums inspired by the Weeknd's song "
Can't Feel My Face
"Can't Feel My Face" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his second studio album, ''Beauty Behind the Madness'' (2015). The song was released on June 8, 2015, as the album's third single. It was written by Max Martin, Pe ...
". He recalled, "The first version of the drums didn't sound as fat. I was worried that the song would sound too disco, too classic. It needed something new, to make it the perfect mix of old and new".
Kirkpatrick had a separate project for the
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...
before the drop to help him decide which combination of piano and
synths
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
to use. For this section, he went through 25 different ideas and incorporated them into four versions. His final rough mix included nearly 100 tracks.
Kirkpatrick sent the final version to Lipa when she was attending
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
in June 2019. "Don't Start Now" was recorded at Zenseven Studios in Los Angeles while the vocals were recorded at TaP Studio in London. Gudwin mixed the song at Henson Studios in Hollywood while
Chris Gehringer
Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in New Jersey.
Gehringer is known for having mastered recordings by popular artists such as AJR, Dua Lipa, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Gwen Stefani, Harry Styles, ...
mastered it at
Sterling Sound
George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s.
Biography
Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...
in
Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 14,336, an increase of 2,823 (+24.5%) from the 2010 census count of 11,5 ...
.
Music and lyrics
Musically, "Don't Start Now" is a
nu-disco
Nu-disco is a 21st-century dance music genre associated with a renewed interest in the late 1970s disco, synthesizer-heavy 1980s European dance music styles, and early 1990s electronic dance music. The genre was popular in the early 2000s, and exp ...
song. It features elements of
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
,
Eurodance
Eurodance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of Hip-hop, rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use ...
and
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
while channeling modern disco antecedents such as
French house
French house (also referred to as French touch, filter house, or tekfunk) is a style of house music devised by French musicians in the 1990s. It is a form of Eurodisco and a popular strand of the late 1990s and 2000s European dance music s ...
and
Italo disco
Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, pop, ...
. The song has a length of 3:03,
and is composed in
time and the key of
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
The B natural minor scale is:
Changes need ...
, with a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 124 beats per minute. Constructed in
verse-chorus form, the verses and first two choruses have an Em–Bm–G–D–A chord progression, and the bridges chorus follows a Bm–D–Em7–Fm7–Gmaj7 sequence.
Several 1980s and disco
tropes
Trope or tropes may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept
* Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device
* Trope (music), any of a variety of different things in m ...
are included in the French bloghouse production,
which also makes use of
laser weapon
A laser weapon is a type of directed-energy weapon that uses lasers to inflict damage. Whether they will be deployed as practical, high-performance military weapons remains to be seen. One of the major issues with laser weapons is atmospheric ...
sound effects, electro-violin stabs and handclaps.
It additionally has a percolating
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
bassline that interchanges with piano chords and the
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
beat.
The song opens with a three-chord piano intro from the first part of the chorus and a fuzz sound of a spinning record.
Lipa eschews modulation in her vocals and build from a lower
register
Register or registration may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc.
* ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller
* Registration (organ), ...
to a natural use of
melisma
Melisma (, , ; from , plural: ''melismata''), informally known as a vocal run and sometimes interchanged with the term roulade, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in ...
, spanning from the low note of
A3 to the high note of
D5.
It builds with the addition of
accented disco strings,
and bursts of disco synths.
It has a strong
kick
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of ...
and
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
pattern that uses the
low-end sparingly. After every fourth
measure, a
fill is used; for example, in the
snare
SNARE proteins – "Soluble NSF attachment protein, SNAP REceptors" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts and more than 60 members in mammalian and plant cells.
The primary role of SNARE proteins is to m ...
-kick sequence that precedes the second verse.
A cowbell in appears in the anthemic, 1980s synth-pop chorus, which is backed by strings.
The second verse adds a rhythm guitar loop and crowd noise is added in the second chorus.
During the final chorus, chordal devices from the
breakdown reappear for
texture
Texture may refer to:
Science and technology
* Image texture, the spatial arrangement of color or intensities in an image
* Surface texture, the smoothness, roughness, or bumpiness of the surface of an object
* Texture (roads), road surface c ...
, and Lipa sings in
call and response
Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...
.
Various critics viewed the song as a sequel to "New Rules" as both have similar themes whereas "Don't Start Now" proves that the rules created to get over an ex in the former track actually work in a breakup. According to Lipa, the lyrics have a theme of
empowerment
Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...
and are about "moving on" from a past relationship and "not allowing anyone to get in the way of that", while also finding confidence and happiness.
She celebrates her independence, and uses
bullet point
In typography, a bullet or bullet point, , is a typographical symbol or glyph used to introduce items in a list. For example:
* Monica
* Erica
* Rita
* Tina
* Sandra
* Mary
* Jessica
The bullet symbol may take any of a variety of shapes, s ...
instructions to address a needy former lover directly,
with lyrics including, "Don't show up, don't come out / Don't start caring about me now / Walk away, you know how / Don't start caring about me now". Music critic
Maura Johnston
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
interpreted the lyrics as "post-breakup rebirth".
Release and promotion
Prior to the single's release, Lipa panicked, never having asked for feedback on the song. Her manager, Ben Mawson, was concerned that its disco sound was too different from music popular on American radio at the time. However, Mawson was assured by his radio promotion executive that it was "the kind of song that could change the radio".
On 10 October 2019, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' mentioned the single's release date in an article about Lipa's management but subsequently edited the release date to "soon". Fans of Lipa leaked the song's title and lyrics on Twitter on 14 October 2019.
Later that month, the singer cleared her social media accounts to announce the release of "Don't Start Now". She first shared two teaser videos on social media featuring snippets of the song on 22 and 23 October 2019.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by the American video platform YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. The service is designed with an interface that allows users to simultaneously explore music audios and music videos from YouTu ...
promoted the release on billboards in London and
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
. The song was also promoted with its own
lens filter on
Snapchat
Snapchat is an American multimedia social media and instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of the app are that pictures and messages, known as "snaps", are usually availa ...
.
"Don't Start Now" was released for digital download and streaming on 31 October 2019 as the lead single from Lipa's second studio album, ''
Future Nostalgia
''Future Nostalgia'' is the second studio album by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa. It was released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers including Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Mon ...
'' (2020).
''
The Radio 1 Breakfast Show
''Radio 1 Breakfast'', also known as ''The Radio 1 Breakfast Show'', is a radio show that is broadcast across the UK on BBC Radio 1. It is hosted by Greg James since 20 August 2018 as the show's 16th presenter.
The show ran six days a week u ...
'' played the song exclusively to an eight-year-old fan of Lipa before its release. The song was sent for
radio airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
in Italy the following day.
It impacted
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
formats in the United States on 5 November 2019.
"Don't Start Now" has been promoted with several
remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es. Ones by
Dom Dolla
Dominic Louis Matheson (born 18 January 1992), better known by his stage name Dom Dolla, is an Australian house music producer, DJ, songwriter and remixer, acclaimed for his distinct style of house music and high-profile collaborations. He has b ...
,
Purple Disco Machine
Tino Piontek (born 12 February 1980), better known by the stage name Purple Disco Machine, is a German nu-disco and house music record producer and Disc jockey, DJ.
Early life and career
Tino Piontek was born in Dresden on 12 February 1980, an ...
,
Zach Witness and
Kungs were released throughout November and December 2019.
A remix
EP which includes all the aforementioned remixes along with one by Pink Panda was released 10 January 2020, followed by a remix by
Kosovan DJ
Regard on 24 January.
A "Live in LA" remix that features Lipa performing with a 19-piece band was released on 21 February 2020. It was preceded by the release of a music video directed by Daniel Carberry on 10 January 2020, which includes dancers and rollerbladers in the background.
The video was nominated for Best Live Video at the
2020 UK Music Video Awards
The 2020 UK Music Video Awards were held on 5 November 2020 to recognise the best in music videos and music film making from United Kingdom and worldwide. The nominees were announced on 29 September 2020.
Four new categories were included, R&B/Sou ...
.
Critical reception
"Don't Start Now" received widespread acclaim from music critics. In her review for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', Brittany Spanos called the song "the peak of pop catharsis" and "a
Studio 54
Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...
fantasy"; she said it evolved Lipa's sound and that she "finally finds her pop footing".
Nick Malone of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' wrote that the song displays significant growth in Lipa's sound and identity, and that she is "springing forth in full colour" with sharper and more distinguishable vocals. For ''
Under the Radar'', Conrad Duncan observed the "fantastically sleek" song played to Lipa's strengths. ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' pop critic Mikael Wood felt Lipa's vocals had grown more soulful and suited the "delightfully rubbery" song's retro sound. Similarly, ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
''s Matthew Strauss thought that the production suits Lipa and appreciated her non-modulated vocals, writing that "her voice sounds stronger than ever".
Laura Snapes of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' cited Lipa's vocals as the song's best feature, writing that she distinguishes herself from her contemporaries with a classic style, rather than "the charts' predominant rap-influenced sound".
Writing for ''Variety'', Chris Willman felt it brought "a certain kind of deep groove and attitudinal buoyancy back onto the radio at a time we needed it most, which is anytime at all". ''
Gigwise
''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England.
History
Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...
''s Jordan Emery complimented its "satisfyingly catchy hooks and interesting ideas", and "slick bassline that just breathes effortlessness and joy". Jolie Lash of ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' viewed the bassline as "pop's best in recent memory" and called the song "an '
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song recorded by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 by Polydor Records as the second single from her sixth album, ''Love Tracks (Gloria Gaynor album), Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Pe ...
' for an era when we really need the reassurance". Writing for ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', Brad Garcia says "it wasn't until she released 'Don't Start Now' that Dua Lipa became a household name."
In her review for ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', Rhian Daly deemed the song "powerful pop perfection", while ''
musicOMH
''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
''s Nick Smith described the song as a "
Moloko
Moloko () were an English-Irish electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and music producer, producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their ...
-esque nu-disco treasure".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Neil Z. Yeung appreciated Lipa's "endless supply of confidence, charm, and cooler-than-you attitude", and called it an "immediate
earworm
An earworm or brainworm, also described as sticky music or stuck song syndrome, is a Catchiness, catchy or memorable piece of music or saying that continuously occupies a person's mind even after it is no longer being played or spoken about. In ...
".
Jon Freeman of ''Rolling Stone'' similarly wrote that it has instant appeal, with "hooks piled upon hooks" and "a recipe for club glory". ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
''s Marc Snetiker described it as a "dance floor jawdropper". ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
''s music critic
Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been the chief music critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV (TV channel), Vintage TV i ...
regarded it as "a fantastic put-down of a needy ex". In ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'',
Jon Caramanica
Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music.
Biography
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...
explained the song was "effective but not overambitious", arguing that Lipa sells its "kiss-off sentiment with rhythm but not punch".
Accolades
''
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' placed "Don't Start Now" fifth in its list of 2019's best songs,
while ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' and ''NME'' ranked the song at number 41 and 17 respectively.
In 2020, ''Variety'' named it the best song of the year, and ''
Consequence'', ''Gigwise'' and ''Spin'' placed it in the 9th, 8th and 20th positions in their year-end lists, respectively. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song sixth on its 2020 year-end list. "Don't Start Now" won the
American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Song at the
2020 ceremony, giving Lipa her first
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
. It received nominations for
Best Song at the
2020 MTV Europe Music Awards as well as Best British Song and Best Song in the World at the
2020 ''NME'' Awards. At the
2020 Nickelodeon Mexico Kids' Choice Awards and
2020 LOS40 Music Awards, the song received respective nominations for Global Hit and Best International Song. It was awarded an
iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast, radio streaming and Music Streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. Founded in August 2008, iHeartRadio serves as the national umbrella brand for iHeart ...
Titanium Award for receiving one billions spins on the station in the United States. The song was nominated for
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
,
Song of the Year and
Best Pop Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop S ...
at the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...
, marking Lipa's first acknowledgment in all three categories. The song won Most Performed International Work at the
APRA Music Awards of 2021
The APRA Music Awards of 2021 are the 39th annual series, known as APRA Awards. The awards are given in a series of categories in three divisions and in separate ceremonies throughout the year: the APRA Music Awards, Art Music Awards and Scree ...
.
Commercial performance
In November 2019, "Don't Start Now" debuted at number two on the
UK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 49,334 units, making it Lipa's highest debut on the chart and seventh UK top-10 single. It spent three consecutive weeks at number two; "
Dance Monkey
"Dance Monkey" is a song by Australian singer Tones and I, released on 10 May 2019 as the second single (first in the US) from Tones and I's debut EP, '' The Kids Are Coming''. The song was produced and mixed by Konstantin Kersting.
"Dance Mon ...
" by
Tones and I
Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her breakout single "Dance Monkey", which reached number one in over 30 countries including her home country ...
kept it from the top spot. "Don't Start Now" charted for 25 weeks in the top 10, the
seventh-longest overall, and spent 67 weeks on the chart in total.
In July 2023, the song was certified quadruple platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) for track-equivalent sales of 2.4 million units.
"Don't Start Now" topped the
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...
for two consecutive weeks, making it Lipa's fourth chart-topper in Ireland.
In Australia, "Don't Start Now" entered the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
at number eight; it was Lipa's fifth single to reach the top 10 on the chart. The song spent 10 non-consecutive weeks at number two, placing it in joint-second with "
Moves like Jagger
Moves may refer to:
* ''Moves'' (ballet), by Jerome Robbins
* ''Moves'' (magazine), a periodical
* ''Moves'' (Singing Adams album), 2012
* ''Moves'' (Kirara album), 2016
* "Moves" (Big Sean song), 2017
* "Moves" (Olly Murs song), 2018
* A mo ...
" (2011) by
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...
featuring
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
for most weeks spent at number two without reaching number one.
It was blocked from the top spot by "Dance Monkey".
The song charted for 29 consecutive weeks in the top 10,
the fourth-longest top 10 stay in the chart's history.
It was certified eight-times platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) for track-equivalent sales of 560,000 units.
The song reached number three in New Zealand and was certified 7× platinum by
Recorded Music NZ
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RMNZ) for 210,000 track-equivalent unit sales.
"Don't Start Now" debuted at number 30 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 with a first-week tally of 14,000 downloads sold, 13.2 million streams and 10.2 million radio impressions. In its nineteenth week on the chart, the song rose to number two, held off the top spot by
Roddy Ricch
Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. (born October 22, 1998), known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Compton, California, Moore rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his song "Die Young ...
's "
The Box". It became Lipa's highest-charting single in the US, and her second to reach the top 10.
"Don't Start Now" spent 52 weeks on the chart, becoming Lipa's first song to spend an entire year on the chart.
In March 2021, the song received a
quadruple platinum certification from the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for track-equivalent sales of four million units.
In Canada, it peaked at number three on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
and was certified nine times platinum by
Music Canada
Music Canada is a non-profit Industry trade group, trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to s ...
(MC) for track-equivalent sales of 720,000 units.
In September 2020, almost a year following the song's release, ''Billboard'' introduced their
Global 200
The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or w ...
chart and "Don't Start Now" debuted at number 37 and later reached a peak of 30 the following March.
Elsewhere, and especially in Western and Northern Europe, the song was a smash hit, reaching the top ten in several countries, including Norway, The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It reached equally the top twenty in France, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Sweden and Spain and top thirty in Brazil.
Music video
The music video for "Don't Start Now" was filmed on 14 October 2019 in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
.
It was directed by
Nabil Elderkin
Nabil Elderkin (born February 11, 1982) is an American-born Australian film and music video director and photographer, who is of Iranian and American descent. He is mononymously credited as Nabil in his videos. Elderkin has directed videos for ...
, who had previously worked with Lipa during her 2019 campaign for
Yves Saint Laurent's Libre fragrance. The video was produced by Eric Brown with Operator Media serving as the production company. Elderkin found inspiration for the
treatment by skating around London while listening to the song. He used darker lighting and moods in a balance he felt complimented "Don't Start Now". Various concepts and edits were explored before Lipa and her management signed off on the final cut. Lipa decided at the last minute to use the final scene at the start of the video.
The music video premiered on YouTube on 1 November 2019.
The video opens with a
point-of-view shot
A point-of-view shot (also known as POV shot, first-person shot or subjective camera) is a film scene—usually a short one—that is shot as if through the eyes of a character (the subject). The camera shows what the subject's eyes would see ...
of Lipa leaving a nightclub and throwing the camera onto the pavement. The clip blacks out briefly before rewinding to a scene from five hours earlier.
In it, Lipa enters a pub and removes her orange
Raf Simons jacket to perform on stage in a yellow
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
bra top and
Marni
The name Marni originates from several languages, including Hebrew, meaning "rejoice", and Latin as a variant of "Marina (given name), Marina", meaning "of the sea". It also has derivations from Goidelic languages, Gaelic and Swahili language, Swa ...
jeans.
The video then cuts to a crowded nightclub where Lipa dances under a
disco ball
A disco ball (also known as a mirror ball or glitter ball) is a roughly sphere, spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions, producing a complex display. Its surface consists of hundreds or thousands of facets, nearl ...
and spotlight.
In the next scene, filmed in the Manhattan social club The Players, she dances at a 19th-century-themed
masquerade ball
A masquerade ball (or bal masqué) is a special kind of formal ball which many participants attend in costume wearing masks. (Compare the word "masque"—a formal written and sung court pageant.) Less formal " costume parties" may be a descend ...
, and notices eyes on paintings coming to life. She runs down a staircase to return to the nightclub, and is later shown washing her face in the bathroom there and strutting its hallway. The video ends with a cumulative montage of the evening's events.
Amy Francombe of ''
The Face'' said Elderkin's signature directing style "shines through" in the neon colour schemes and
high-angle shot
A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up".
High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the c ...
s.
Writing for ''
Paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
'', Brendan Wetmore described the video as "something straight out of the POV
TikTok
TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
genre and put onto
Vevo
Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...
". In her review for ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ' ...
'', Rachel Hahn called it "a fine showcase for Lipa's expert post-breakup style".
''
Nylon
Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups.
Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...
''s Allison Stubblebine compared the crowded nightclub scene to one in
Harry Styles
Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture.
Styles's musical ca ...
' music video for "
Lights Up".
For the video, Elderkin was nominated for
Best Direction at the
2020 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2020. Keke Palmer hosted the 37th annual ceremony, which was presented primarily from New York City, but with a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lady Gaga was the most award ...
, while the visual itself was nominated for Best Music Video at the
2020 Urban Music Awards.
Live performances
Lipa gave her first live performance of "Don't Start Now" on 1 November 2019 on ''
The Graham Norton Show
''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton ...
''. Two days later, she performed the song at the
2019 MTV Europe Music Awards. She wore a black leotard and was surrounded by a float of 40 dancers in yellow bodysuits during the performance, which was directed by
Es Devlin
Esmeralda Devlin (; born 24 September 1971) is an English artist and stage designer who works in a range of media, often mapping light and projected film onto kinetic sculptural forms. She has received several accolades including a Tony Award ...
;
it was acclaimed by the media.
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
reporter Mark Savage said, "Fans who'd previously made fun of her stage presence were won over by the dance moves and staging".
''
Clash''s Zoya Raza-Sheikh wrote, "All it took was a few minutes for the singer to – yet again – prove a questioning audience wrong". Writing for ''PopMatters'', Evan Sawdey praised Lipa for "nailing tight choreography and delivering a striking stage presence heretofore unseen".
Lipa's other renditions also featured floats of dancers and used the same dance routine, but were modified slightly to resonate on various stages.
On 10 November 2019, she sang the song on the
ninth season finale of ''
The Voice of Germany
''The Voice of Germany'' is a German reality television, reality talent show created by John de Mol, based on the concept ''The Voice of Holland'' and its The Voice (franchise), international series. It began airing on ProSieben and Sat.1 on 24 ...
'' with contestant Freschta Akbarzada.
At her
2019 American Music Awards performance on 24 November, she wore a red bodysuit and was backed by a float of dancers in silver costumes during the 1970s-inspired rendition, which featured a giant disco ball and cube-shaped side tables as props. The performance ended with silver, cushion-shaped balloons falling from the ceiling. In Australia, Lipa presented the song at the
2019 ARIA Music Awards on 27 November 2019, and on the breakfast television programme ''
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon.
Terminology
Although the S ...
'' the following day. In Japan, Lipa sang "Don't Start Now" in an all-black Versace outfit at the
2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards on 4 December 2019; South Korean singer
Hwasa
Ahn Hye-jin (; born July 23, 1995), known professionally by her stage name Hwasa (; sometimes stylized as Hwa Sa), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Mamamoo in ...
of
Mamamoo
Mamamoo (; commonly stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by RBW (company), RBW. The group is composed of four members: Solar (singer), Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa. Known for their strong live vocals, Harm ...
opened for her, staging "New Rules". On 17 December, she performed the song on the
17th US season finale of ''
The Voice'' surrounded by roller skaters in a
showgirl
A showgirl is a female performer in a theatrical revue who wears an exotic and revealing costume and in some shows may appear topless. Showgirls are usually dancers, sometimes performing as chorus girls, burlesque dancers or fan dancers, and ...
-inspired set. Lipa performed the song on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...
'' with a
string section
The string section of an orchestra is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the standard orchestra. In ...
on 19 December 2019, and on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'' the following day. On 31 December, she played "Don't Start Now" in a chequerboard miniskirt on ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE''), billed since 2008 as ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'', is a New Year's Eve television special broadcast by American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The special broadcasts ...
''. On 9 January 2020, Lipa performed the song on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
''. During the presentation, purple and blue lights were projected on stage, creating silhouettes of Lipa and her dancers against a white backdrop.
Lipa gave a virtual performance of "Don't Start Now" for ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden
''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known simply as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023. It is the fourth and final iteration of '' The Late Late Show'', and aired in the United Sta ...
'' on 30 March 2020, while in
self-isolation
In health care facilities, isolation represents one of several measures that can be taken to implement in infection control: the prevention of communicable diseases from being transmitted from a patient to other patients, health care workers ...
during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Her band, backing singers and dancers also performed from their respective homes via
Zoom in a changing split-screen. On 22 April, she sang the song virtually on ''
Big Brother Brasil 20''.
On 17 September 2020, the singer presented the song for a second time on ''The Late Late Show with James Corden''; this time as a parody version with "New Rules", titled "New Rules For COVID Dating", where Corden sang backing vocals. Lipa wore an
Alexandre Vauthier disco dress, covered in gold studs, as well as sheer black tights and black
platforms, with two gold hair clips. For some parts of the show, she also wore a sparkly face mask that matches the dress. Lipa performed the song as the closing track on her
Studio 2054 livestream concert, which took place on 27 November 2020. On 19 December, she performed the song on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. For the performance, she wore a belted leopard-print top with black leggings and a gold chain necklace with a diamond, while dancing with backup dancers and a band. In 2021, Lipa performed the song as a medley with "
Levitating" at the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...
and it was also included in a medley of ''Future Nostalgia'' tracks for her performance at the
2021 Brit Awards. The song was later included on the setlist of Lipa's 2022
Future Nostalgia Tour, in the encore and closing the show.
Awards
Impact and legacy
"Don't Start Now" is considered to be the start of what would become a revival for disco music in 2020. At the time of its release, top 40 radio had been dominated by downtempo urban-styled music, and the song was one of very few dance tracks.
Due to this, the song was also thought to have started a new wave of disco-oriented music in radio format.
Some suspected that the song served as a "refuge" for some listeners during the COVID-19 pandemic as they were unable to attend hangouts with other individuals. Its bullet point lyricism was used as an instructional
meme
A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
for
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...
protocols associated with the pandemic.
It was included on the soundtracks of ''
Love Island'', ''
Love, Victor'', ''
Riverdale'', ''
Just Dance 2021
''Just Dance 2021'' is a 2020 dance rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on August 26, 2020 during the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase August 2020 web presentation as the twelfth main installment of the series, ...
'' and ''
Resident Evil
''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
''. The video game ''
Fortnite
''Fortnite'' is an online video game and game platform developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in seven distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: '' Fortnite Battle Roy ...
'' also used the song in its soundtrack, where a dance created by Filipino TikTok user Hannah Kaye Balanay was used as an
emote
An emote is an entry in a text-based chat client that indicates an action taking place. Unlike emoticons, they are not text art, and instead describe the action using words or images (similar to emoji).
Overview
In most IRC chat clients, enteri ...
.
Various vocal parts from the song were sampled by vaporwave group
Death's Dynamic Shroud for their track “See Me” from their 2021 album ''Faith in Persona.''
Several artists have
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of ...
"Don't Start Now". American singer
Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist and only constant member of the rock band Paramore, which she co-founded in 2004.
Williams was born and raised in Meridian, Miss ...
covered it for
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cott ...
in February 2020, along with her song "
Simmer". The cover was categorised as an
R&B song with jazz elements; it retained the funk elements of the original but used sultry and raspy vocals, backed by drums.
American band
Echosmith
Echosmith is an American indie pop band formed in February 2006 in Chino, California. Originally formed as a quartet of siblings, the band currently consists of Sydney, Noah, and Graham Sierota, following the departure of eldest sibling Jamie in ...
performed an
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
rendition of the song for a ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' live at home concert, along with a cover of
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
's "
Fix You
"Fix You" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all four members of the band for their third studio album, '' X&Y'' (2005). It was released on 5 September 2005 as the second single from ''X&Y'' and reached number 4 on the ...
". Australian rapper
Illy
Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on sh ...
performed a rap over the song that addresses social distancing, the Australian government's
COVIDSafe
COVIDSafe was a digital contact tracing app released by the Government of Australia, Australian Government on 26 April 2020 to help combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic. The app was intended to augment tradition ...
app, and ''
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare''. For
Spotify Singles
Spotify (; ) is a Swedish audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services, with over 678 million monthly active users com ...
,
Ingrid Andress
Ingrid Elizabeth Andress (born September 21, 1991) is an American country pop singer-songwriter. She has released two albums: '' Lady Like'' (2020) and '' Good Person'' (2022). She has achieved commercial success with " More Hearts Than Mine" (2 ...
recorded the song, converting it into an upbeat
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
ballad. On ''
The Masked Singer'', "Don't Start Now" was a part of
Chloe Kim's setlists. In ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
'' and ''
Strictly Come Dancing
''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'', actress
Anne Heche
Anne Celeste Heche ( ; May 25, 1969August 11, 2022) was an American actress, known for her roles across a variety of genres in film, television, and theater. She was the recipient of Daytime Emmy, National Board of Review, and GLAAD Media Awards ...
and television presenter
Clara Amfo
Clara Amfo is a British radio broadcaster, television presenter, podcast host and voice-over artist. She is known for presenting her shows on BBC Radio 1.
Early life and education
Born to Ghanaian parents. She has five siblings. Her father, w ...
both performed a
cha-cha-cha dance to the song on each show, respectively.
Track listings
*Digital download and streaming
# "Don't Start Now" – 3:03
*Digital download and streaming – Dom Dolla remix
# "Don't Start Now" (
Dom Dolla
Dominic Louis Matheson (born 18 January 1992), better known by his stage name Dom Dolla, is an Australian house music producer, DJ, songwriter and remixer, acclaimed for his distinct style of house music and high-profile collaborations. He has b ...
remix) – 3:31
*Digital download and streaming – Dom Dolla extended remix
# "Don't Start Now" (Dom Dolla remix)
xtended– 4:59
*Digital download and streaming – Purple Disco Machine remix
# "Don't Start Now" (Purple Disco Machine remix) – 3:37
*Digital download and streaming – Purple Disco Machine extended remix
# "Don't Start Now" (Purple Disco Machine remix)
xtended– 6:06
*Digital download and streaming – Zach Witness remix (Malibu Mermaids version)
# "Don't Start Now" (Zach Witness remix)
alibu Mermaids version– 4:52
*Digital download and streaming – Zach Witness remixes
# "Don't Start Now" (Zach Witness remix)
idnight Monsters version– 5:24
# "Don't Start Now" (Zach Witness remix)
alibu Mermaids version– 4:52
*Digital download and streaming – Kungs remix
# "Don't Start Now" (
Kungs remix) – 3:36
*Digital download and streaming – Regard remix
# "Don't Start Now" (
Regard remix) – 3:08
*Digital
EP – remixes
# "Don't Start Now" (Dom Dolla remix) – 3:30
# "Don't Start Now" (Purple Disco Machine remix) – 3:36
# "Don't Start Now" (Zach Witness remix)
alibu Mermaids version– 4:52
# "Don't Start Now" (Kungs remix) – 3:36
# "Don't Start Now" (Pink Panda remix) – 2:05
# "Don't Start Now" – 3:03
*Digital EP – remixes –
Beatport
Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards disk jockey, DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that ...
version
# "Don't Start Now" (Dom Dolla remix)
xtended– 4:59
# "Don't Start Now" (Purple Disco Machine remix)
xtended– 6:06
# "Don't Start Now" (Zach Witness remix)
idnight Monsters version– 5:24
# "Don't Start Now" (Kungs remix)
xtended– 4:59
# "Don't Start Now" (Pink Panda remix)
xtended– 3:31
# "Don't Start Now" – 3:03
*Digital download and streaming – Live in LA remix
# "Don't Start Now" (Live in LA remix) – 5:40
*Digital download and streaming – Kaytranada remix
# "Don't Start Now" (
Kaytranada
Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian music producer, rapper, singer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of m ...
remix) – 4:27
*Digital download and streaming – Yaeji remix
# "Don't Start Now" (
Yaeji remix) – 4:17
Personnel
*
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.
Lipa worked as a model before v ...
vocals
*
Ian Kirkpatrick
Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick (born 24 May 1946) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Described as "supremely athletic, fast, fearless and with an uncanny sense of anticipation", Kirkpatrick is widely regarded as one of the greatest flankers ...
production, engineering, programming, vocal production
*
Caroline Ailin
Caroline Furøyen (born 1989), also known by her stage name Caroline Ailin, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter based in London. She co-wrote " New Rules", a single by Dua Lipa which reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and US pop radio in ...
additional vocal production
*
Emily Warren backing vocals
* Alexander Aleynikovassistant production
* Drew Jurecka string arrangement, violin, viola, baritone violin, string engineer
* Josh Gudwin mixing
* Elijah Marrett-Hitch mix assisting
*
Chris Gehringer
Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in New Jersey.
Gehringer is known for having mastered recordings by popular artists such as AJR, Dua Lipa, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Gwen Stefani, Harry Styles, ...
mastering
* Will Quinnell mastering assistant
See also
*
List of most-streamed songs on Spotify
*
List of ''Billboard'' number-one dance songs of 2020
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
Footnotes
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Lyrics of this songat ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
{{authority control
2019 songs
2019 singles
APRA Award winners
Dua Lipa songs
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Nu-disco songs
Number-one singles in Israel
Number-one singles in Singapore
Songs written by Caroline Ailin
Songs written by Dua Lipa
Songs written by Emily Warren
Songs written by Ian Kirkpatrick (record producer)
Warner Records singles
Vertically oriented music videos
Song recordings produced by Ian Kirkpatrick (record producer)
Music videos directed by Nabil Elderkin
Internet memes introduced in 2020