Dua is back behind the mic, and DL4 suddenly feels very real
Pop princess Dua Lipa is out here casually dropping the kind of photo dump that sends an entire fanbase into detective mode.
On August 31, Dua shared a new Instagram carousel with the caption “studio rat and other sightings” — and while there were plenty of personal-life snapshots mixed in, the studio photos are thee part getting our attention.
Because yes, she is back at the microphone. And yes, Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin is part of the picture.
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Dua’s Back in Studio Mode
No official DL4 announcement yet, but a studio-heavy photo dump with Greg Kurstin is more than enough to get the pop machinery humming.
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The “studio rat” caption is doing a lot of work here
Dua has not officially announced a fourth studio album, title, tracklist or release date. So no, we are not stamping DL4 CONFIRMED across the building just yet.
But these are not exactly random vacation photos either. Alongside the studio setup, the carousel connects Dua with Greg Kurstin, songwriter Ali Tamposi and singer-songwriter Mustafa — a pretty serious creative room to casually show the internet.
The carousel also included a selfie with Troye Sivan plus the usual Dua mixture of fashion, food and life happening between sessions. Basically: glamorous pop-star photo dump on the surface, possible new-era breadcrumb trail underneath.
Whatever comes next has a big act to follow
Dua’s last studio album, Radical Optimism, arrived in May 2024 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It gave us “Houdini,” “Training Season” and “Illusion,” followed by a massive touring cycle that pushed that era well beyond the record itself.
So the interesting question is not whether Dua can make another polished pop record. We already know she can. It is what she wants the next one to sound like.
Kurstin is an especially intriguing name in that equation. His credits stretch across pop, rock and alternative music, and he is the kind of producer who can make something radio-ready without sanding away every interesting edge.
And after an era literally called Radical Optimism, we are very curious whether Dua goes brighter, stranger, harder, softer — or burns the whole blueprint and starts again.
Dua Lipa Shares Her “Studio Rat and Other Sightings” Instagram Post
Dua’s August 31 photo dump mixes recording-studio moments with friends, fashion, food and everyday snapshots as speculation around her next musical chapter builds.
Sources: Dua Lipa / Instagram; Billboard.
