Dua Lipa‘s dance floor pop track, “Levitating,” is the latest song to be certified Diamond in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America. The accomplishment was issued on Monday November 6, 2023 for selling 10 million units in streams and sales.
“Levitating” was the fifth single from Dua Lipa’s second studio album, “Future Nostalgia,” released on October 1, 2020. The song was co-written by Dua Lipa herself, along with Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and producer Koz, who also played a pivotal role in the creation of the track.
The track effortlessly blends a variety of musical elements, including electro-disco and nu-disco, dance-pop, pop-funk, power pop, and even space rock. It’s a musical journey through different eras, combining the sounds of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with a dash of pop and R&B styles from those decades. The lyrics of “Levitating” revolve around the idea of falling in love, likening the experience to “levitating”.
American DJ the Blessed Madonna, Madonna herself, and Missy Elliott did an EDM remix of the song. This version of the song injected fresh energy into the track, categorized as EDM, electro-disco, electro house, future bass, and techno. With a throwback disco vibe and an up-tempo rhythm, this remix has further solidified the song’s popularity.
Rapper DaBaby, also added a pop rap verse and intro to the original production. This remix became the album’s third single in the United States and made a significant impact on the charts. Despite not reaching the number one spot in the U.S., “Levitating” achieved the remarkable feat of being named the number-one song of 2021.
It is the longest-charting song by a female artist in the Billboard Hot 100 chart history, spending a total of 77 weeks on the chart. This impressive achievement speaks to the song’s enduring popularity and its place in the hearts of music lovers around the world. It also reached number two on the Billboard Global 200 chart and secured the top position on the 2021 year-end chart.
The song’s success wasn’t limited to the United States; it is certified 3x Platinum in the U.K. by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 1.8 million units.
To accompany the song, Dua Lipa released two captivating music videos, each corresponding to one of the remixes. The videos added a visual dimension to the song’s cosmic theme, with the Blessed Madonna’s remix video featuring scenes from London and Atlanta and a story of love conquering all. The DaBaby remix video, created in partnership with TikTok, showcased Lipa and DaBaby dancing in an art-deco-styled elevator, incorporating TikTok users as part of the cast.
Dua Lipa promoted “Levitating” with live performances on various platforms, including “The Graham Norton Show,” the American Music Awards of 2020, and “Saturday Night Live.
The global hit peaked at No. 1 on weekly charts in, Bulgaria (PROPHON), Canada (Canadian Hot 100), Canada AC (Billboard), Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard), Canada Hot AC (Billboard), Croatia (HRT), Hungary (Single Top 40, Hungary (Stream Top 40), US Adult Contemporary (Billboard), US Adult Top 40 (Billboard), US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)
