Be the One (Dua Lipa song)


"Be the One" is a song by English singer Dua Lipa from her eponymous debut studio album. The song was written by Lucy Taylor, Digital Farm Animals and Jack Tarrant, with the second and third of the three handling production and vocal production, respectively. It was released for digital download and streaming through Dua Lipa Limited as the second single from the album on October 30, 2015. A Europop, power pop and synth-pop song, it contains elements of gospel and dream pop as well as a tropical R&B beat. The lyrics have Lipa begging for her partner to give her romantic redemption.
"Be the One" received generally favorable reviews from critics, with many praising the production. Upon release, the song failed to chart, but it became a sleeper hit in 2016 after being picked up by German radio stations. In 2017, the song peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. On 21 March 2017, the song was sent to US contemporary hit radio by Warner Records as the second American single from Dua Lipa, where it became the most added song of the week and Lipa's second US Dance Club Songs number one. The song entered the top 10 of nine other territories worldwide.
The music video for "Be the One" was directed by Nicole Nodland and filmed in Soho, London. After the song became a sleeper hit, a second music video was filmed, directed by Daniel Kaufman and features Ansel Elgort as Lipa's love interest. The video was made in collaboration between Vevo and Lexus, with it including Lexus IS covered in LEDs appearing. Lipa promoted the song with numerous live performances, including ones for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Good Morning America, and Later... with Jools Holland.

Background and composition

"Be the One" was written by Lucy Taylor, Digital Farm Animals and Jack Tarrant, being given to Lipa by the former of the three. It is one of the two songs on Dua Lipa that Lipa does not have a writing credit on, with the other being "New Rules". Initially, she was reluctant to record the song due to that fact, though Lipa ultimately formed a connection to it and forced herself to get over the fact. Lipa called her connection to the song "different" than that to ones she has written due to the fact that when performing a song, she reminisces about having wrote it.
"Be the One" was first announced by Lipa during an interview with Nylon in October 2015 for her previous single "New Love". The song was released for digital download and streaming as a single on 30 October 2015 through the singer's independent record label Dua Lipa Limited. Lipa later admitted that she lacked excitement to release it due to the writing credits. It appears as the fourth track on her eponymous debut studio album, released on 2 June 2017. The song was interpolated by English singer Ellie Goulding in her 2020 single "Power".
"Be the One" is an uptempo Europop, power pop, and synth-pop song, which includes gospel and dream pop elements. It is composed in time and the key of B major, with a tempo of 176 beats per minute. The intro follows a chord progression of F–E–Emaj7–F–Fsus4 while the rest of the song has an F–E6–Emaj7 sequence. It has an airy production, containing a tropical R&B beat, 1980s grooves, electropop riffs, layered melodies, calypso synths, handclaps, a vinyl hiss, and a guitar arpeggio. Lipa uses sensuous alto vocals, spanning a range of F3 to D5. Described by Lipa as about "self belief, perseverance, and fighting for what you want," the song sees her pleading for a romantic redemption after a falling out with her boyfriend.

Critical reception

"Be the One" was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. Claire Biddles of The Line of Best Fit called the song a standout on Dua Lipa and compared it to Shura, while she also called the song "gorgeous enough to warrant a reappraisal ." In a separate review for the same magazine, Paul Bridgewater labelled it a "fresh breath of pop air." Writing for musicOMH, Ben Hogwood called the song "utterly beguiling," praising the production and also stating that it is "arguably her best song to date." The Young Folks Manzanares de la Rosa compared the song to the works of Haim. For DIY, Jamie Milton described the song as "a sweet club track given pop takeover potential," as well as comparing it to Justin Bieber's My World 2.0. Alim Kheraj, also of DIY, stated that the song has an "airy wistfulness," while he also viewed it as "transcendent" and a "euphoria." Carl Williott of Idolator called the track "bouncier and catchier" than Lipa's "New Love". For The Fader, Jeff Ihaza branded the song "blissful."
In a review for Clash, Alex Green stated that "Be the One" "sparkles" with the "zeal" that "Hotter than Hell" misses. Richard Jones, in a separate Clash review, called the song a "dark and seductive anthem." In the Evening Standard, Rick Pearson labelled its chorus "irresistible." Sean Ward of The 405 called the song a standout on Dua Lipa, categorizing the chorus as "rushing" and lyrical structure as "sophisticated," as well as comparing the song to Body Talk by Robyn. Nylons Laura Studarus described the song as "perfect club music," while also calling its hooks "sticky" and melodies "moody." For Vice, Alexandra Hayward branded the song "glossily" and "anthemic" as well as commenting on the "desperation" of Lipa's vocals. The staff at The Singles Jukebox gave the song an average of 6.83. Crystal Leww praised the production but criticized its meaning, writing that the song does not "make sense," while Thomas Inskeep praised Lipa's vocals for being "rich" and "luscious." In April 2020, Glamours Christopher Rosa ranked "Be the One" as Lipa's third best song, calling it "ethereal" and comparing the song to the music of Florence and the Machine.

Commercial performance

After its release in October 2015, "Be the One" failed to chart and received little airplay. However, it became a sleeper hit in 2016 after being picked up by radio stations in Germany, and later, across the rest of Europe. The song ultimately peaked at number 11 in Germany. It debuted at number 70 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart dated 13 January 2017. The following week, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 54, becoming Lipa's fourth entry on the chart. It later peaked at number nine on the chart issue dated 17 February 2017, becoming Lipa's highest charting single for that occasion. The song lasted for 25 weeks on the chart. In September 2017, it received a platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of 200,000 units in the United Kingdom. In Europe, the song further peaked in the top 10 of Austria, the Flanders region of Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovenia.
"Be The One" was also a success in Oceania, peaking at number 6 and 20 in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. In the United States, "Be the One" began receiving early airplay in February 2017, before it officially impacted radio on 21 March of that year. After the official US radio release, the track became the most added song of the week, being picked up by 31 Mediabase-monitored pop stations. The song peaked at number 40 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart and reached the summit of the Dance Club Songs chart.

Music videos

Two accompanying music videos were released. The first was directed by Nicole Nodland, who was also director of the video for "New Love". The visual premiered through Nylon on 29 October 2015 and was filmed in Soho, London. The video sees Lipa frolicking around Soho, an empty room, and a field. Writing for Nylon, Sydney Gore praised the video's wardrobe. Ihaza wrote the music video "skips the melancholy, though, instead opting to dance in the face of vulnerability, and who wouldn't." Courtney Buck of The 405 stated that the video compliments the song "seamlessly."
The second music video for "Be the One" was released through Vevo on 5 December 2016. It was directed by Daniel Kaufman and stars Ansel Elgort as Lipa's love interest. The video was made as a collaboration between Lexus and Vevo, and features a Lexus IS wrapped in 41,999 LEDs, which generates visuals based on the song. It was created after Lipa noticed fans asking her on social media for a second video to be shot. The video begins with Lipa and Elgort having an argument in a neon-lit motel room, followed by Lipa storming out while Elgort follows. Elgort follows Lipa down an empty motorway, where flashback scenes are shown. The video concludes with Elgort catching up to Lipa, where she eventually escapes in the Lexus IS. For V, William Defebaugh called the music video "futuristic," while Jordan Miller of Breatheheavy described it as "other-worldly."

Live performances

"Be the One" was performed for the first time by Lipa on 13 January 2016 at the Eurosonic festival for that year. It was also included on the set lists of both Lipa's Hotter Than Hell tour and The Self-Titled Tour. On 29 January 2016, Lipa performed the song for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed the song at the Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, Lipa performed "Be the One" at the Brit Awards for the Critics' Choice Award, EBBA Awards, and the NME Awards. Also in 2017, Lipa performed the song during Capital FM's Summertime Ball and Jingle Bell Ball, at The O2 Arena. That same year, in the US, Lipa performed the song on iHeartRadio, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Good Morning America. The song was part of Lipa's setlists for 2017s BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend as well as Bonnaroo, and 2018s Tomorrowland. On 31 October 2017, she performed it on Later... with Jools Holland. On 16 November 2018, Lipa performed the song at the Bambi Awards.

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dua Lipa.
Recording
Personnel

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
UK Singles 50
US Dance Club Songs 2

Certifications

Release history