To truly understand Amy Winehouse, you have to be in tune with the unfiltered version of yourself. Through her whiskey-soaked vocals and lyrics that sang more like ripped diary pages, the singer pulled at heartstrings worldwide.

A Southgate, North London native, Winehouse first emerged onto the music scene with 2003’s Frank. Partly inspired by Frank Sinatra (one of her many influences), the debut album was an engaging collection of breezy, jazz-soul ditties that commented on everything from local gold diggers (the cheeky "F*** Me Pumps") to annoying boyfriends ("Stronger Than Me"). 

But the artist’s global breakout moment is attributed to 2006’s follow-up and final album, Back to Black. While Frank teased Winehouse’s innate talent, this sophomore record showcased a budding legend before the world’s very eyes. The album is unabashed in its rawness, with Winehouse triggering listeners with once-deeply hidden memories of the emotional rollercoaster that relationships bring: the distracting love bombing, the painful heartbreak and trying to pull yourself out of the pits. Back to Black’s foundation is honesty, reflecting the artist’s own personal life at the time — from her tumultuous relationship with then ex-beau and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil to her battle with addiction and the mobs of British paparazzi tracking her every move.

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Back to Black was a refreshing fusion of ‘60s girl group doo-wop, contemporary R&B, pop, reggae, and soul. The magic that Winehouse created with collaborators Mark Ronson, producer    Salaam Remi and Sharon Jones' band The Dap-Kings led to massive success. Back to Black took home five out of six GRAMMY Awards (including Record of the Year for "Rehab" and Best New Artist). Following her untimely death, Winehouse won best Pop/Duo Performance in 2011 for her "Body and Soul" collaboration with Tony Bennett, as well as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Nas’ "Cherry Wine" in 2012.

Along with her gripping music, Winehouse made a stamp on pop culture through her nostalgic fashion style. A mix of ‘60s Motown, rockabilly and British ‘80s punk, she became known for her signature to-the-sky beehive hairdo, overly extended winged eyeliner, cherry-red lips, Monroe piercing and love for short cocktail dresses. In 2020, her style was commemorated in the GRAMMY Museum’s "Beyond Black – The Style Of Amy Winehouse" exhibit with assistance by her stylist Naomi Parry and longtime friend Catriona Gourlay. Winehouse’s legacy remains strong to this day: she paved the way for artists like Adele, Duffy, Estelle to cross over stateside, and also inspired a new generation of singers who admired her musical bluntness.

On the 10th anniversary of her passing today (July 23), GRAMMY.com honors Amy Winehouse with an industry round-table tribute featuring the artists, creatives and journalists she's inspired through her music and style.

The quotes and comments used in this feature were edited for clarity and brevity.

She Tapped Into Everyone’s Emotions

Alessia Cara (GRAMMY-winning Canadian singer/songwriter): I remember seeing the "Rehab" video for the first time and being glued to the television. She had big curly hair like mine, sitting on a stoop and singing with the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard. From then, I watched every video I could find on YouTube and learned every song. She made me want to learn the guitar, made me fall in love with jazz, and made me understand the undeniable power in simplicity and honesty. I saw so much of myself in her, in ways that I just couldn’t find in a lot of people on the radio at the time. To this day, if I write a lyric that feels a little too close for comfort, I think of her and how she would have said it anyway and it puts me right back on track. The real magic lies just past discomfort. It’s embedded in the truth. There is no one who did it more impactfully than her, but I always keep that sentiment in my pocket when speaking of my own feelings in my music; It’s shown me the reason for music in the first place. It’s an escape, a shoulder, a mirror. She never took it lightly and because of that  —  neither do I. 

Charlotte Day Wilson (Toronto singer/songwriter): Amy's music was soulful, unafraid and deeply personal. As a teen who was obsessed with Motown, I was instantly hooked when I heard Back to Black for the first time. Her swagger as a vocalist, her crass yet timeless lyrics, the production, everything just hit perfectly and I know those elements/ influences live in me in many ways as an artist. 

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (London-based journalist, comedian and performer of "I Miss Amy Winehouse" show): When I look back at my memories of the 2000s, so many of them are soundtracked by Amy’s music. I was born in the same year as Amy Winehouse – 1983 – and she’s six months younger than me. She was born in a suburb of north London, and I was born in a suburb of east London. We could’ve gone to the same school. She moved to Camden and made it her home in the 2000s; I worked and partied in Camden during the same period. 

Amy always felt three steps away, perhaps pulling pints in The Hawley Arms or listening to the after-hours rockabilly music in the backroom of Marathon Bar (a kebab shop that used to host late-night parties), or having a smoke as she invited a gang of people back to her Camden flat for an after-party. Yet, she was a record-breaking global mega-star that I somehow didn’t run into around Camden!

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The Amy I read about and saw in interviews was incredibly likable and unafraid of the media machine. Her kind of London accent wasn’t (and still isn’t) often heard on TV, and she would not play by the rules of a nice, media-trained pop starlet, choosing instead to criticize other acts, talk about her relationships and bare her soul, or storm off, depending on her mood. She could give as good as she got, particularly towards older male journalists who wanted to view her with an objectifying eye. 

Most of all, she was funny. Earlier on in her career, she could undercut the dramatically heartbroken image of herself that her songs suggested by just turning up to interviews and being her own sarcastic, quick-witted self. Amy entertained the public off-stage as well as on, and I always wanted to know what she would do next. I was always rooting for her. 

Lolo Zouaï (R&B/pop singer/songwriter): My favorite part about her music is her songwriting; her voice sounds so timeless but her lyrics have an edge to them. She doesn't filter what she wants to say which is such a beautiful contrast that I try to emulate in my lyrics.

Daya (GRAMMY-winning pop singer-songwriter): Amy’s ability to pick you up wherever you are and place you right in the middle of whatever she was going through was transcendent. To see the world through her lens has impacted me greatly as a person, songwriter and artist. What I love most about her as a person was her stubbornness and reluctance to compromise  —  she knew exactly what she wanted and didn’t care to cater to industry expectations or appeal to any specific audience. I constantly find myself trying to channel that energy when I’m met with resistance to my work. She’s easily one of the greatest artists that’s ever lived, and I feel lucky to have been alive at the same time as her.

Mike Spinella (Senior Director, Original Content at Pandora): I had the privilege to work with Amy in 2007 when she came to the United States to promote Back to Black. I had been booking talent and developing new content at AOL Music and became aware of the U.K. buzz surrounding her talent and instantly iconic voice. The record felt timeless immediately, it was brilliant — perfect, really. I had the opportunity to book Amy in our studio, where she gave a remarkable stripped-down performance, it was the first time I had seen her perform in person. Her extraordinary talent was undeniable at that moment. This was a very impactful moment in my career, being able to share her performance with the world. I am extremely proud to have played a role in reaching a large audience in the U.S. at that stage of her career with this timeless content.

Her Music Was Both Charming & Timeless

Alessia Cara (singer): Amy had this unmatched ability to tap into specific details of her life in a way that made you think of your own. She was brutally honest, sometimes to the point that made you uncomfortable. But it’s only that type of honesty that can hit a certain nerve in people —  one that feels like she’s holding a mirror right up to your face. The older I get, the more her lyrics shape-shift their meaning to me. She detailed the human experience (specifically sadness) in ways that if you didn’t relate to in the past, you eventually will. You can go back to those songs and think, "Wow I get it now." Her music is timeless because the shared experience of love and loss is timeless. 

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): Her music is about the biggest things in life: love, sex, trust, pain, emotion. Amy’s songs manage to make each of us the "Main Character" in the imaginary film of our life, her dramatic soundtrack scoring our highs and lows, our sadnesses and our triumphs. That’s why she seemed like the perfect fit for a Bond theme; it’s a shame that it didn’t work out. 

I’ve been researching a lot of media from the time to write my show, and Mark Ronson’s quote about Amy writing the single "Back to Black" in two or three hours really stuck with me. Her lyrics could have been diary entries, polished into poetry and set to melodies that can make you jump onto the dancefloor or fall onto your bed in despair. Her pain was raw, and part of her processing it was to make it into music. That part made sense, but it was sharing it with the public that I think took its toll on her. 

The contrast between her stage presence and her "real" presence in interviews and on the streets of Camden was utterly fascinating. She didn’t need to try to capture our attention with a fancy home, designer clothes or perfectly prepared soundbites for headlines. The talent reeled us in, and we just wanted to know everything about the person who could make this music at such a young age. She burst into fame apparently complete, any apprenticeship in music already done and dusted. 

Daya (singer): Her honesty, pain and the blatant rawness with which she talked about the struggles of love, sex, drugs, addiction, and temptation cuts through. It’s timeless because it touches on universal human emotion and experiences that will exist and be shared as long as humans are alive on earth. She was completely unfiltered, politically incorrect and unconcerned with what others think, and I think that is and will always continue to be a refreshing take, especially now at a time when art/music can feel increasingly watered down or made "safe" to cater to whatever will work in a mainstream or commercial way.

Mike Spinella (Senior Director, Original Content at Pandora): What struck me right away was Amy's unique style. Her sound was modern and classic all at the same time. Having witnessed Amy perform several times, including in an intimate studio session, it was easy to see how her sheer talent and captivating presence would inspire musicians for generations to come. Beyond the music, what also struck me was her sincerity, love and appreciation for the artists who influenced her as well as her peers. Amy embodied the creativity of a true artist and it showed in her work. Her career will continue to inspire those who have not yet discovered her brilliance.

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Her Sense of Fashion Style Was Unapologetic

Nicholas Vega (GRAMMY Musem’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions, who helmed the "Beyond Black – The Style Of Amy Winehouse" exhibit last January): Amy’s style has proven to be timeless and has influenced a number of artists (and continues to do so). This is undeniable. There are certain elements of her style that other artists have adopted —  whether it is the beehive hairdo, eye make-up, tattoos, or fitted dresses. But the most influential attribute of her style has to be her sense of individualism. Her stylist and friends were influential in helping her develop her look, but ultimately Amy took bits and pieces of trends and styles that she admired to create her own look. This is so essential because she could have very well let her team tell her what and what not to wear. Her interest in fashion extended well beyond her own personal wardrobe, as this is clearly visible in her direct involvement in 2010’s Fred Perry campaign and the different looks she developed with her stylist Naomi Parry. When talking about Amy’s style or "look," this is what stands out the most to me.

Daya (singer): Her style and image were provocative in a way that really drew you in immediately. It was very "cool girl who doesn’t give a f***" while still alluding to glamour and opulence that kept it interesting and mysterious and elevated. She was beautifully extravagant without trying too hard, and she showed her body in a way that felt empowering and emboldening to me. Her general attitude toward style has influenced me heavily: she single handedly got me into eyeliner when I was a teen and it’s still my favorite item of makeup.

Opening night of the Beyond Black - The Style Of Amy Winehouse Exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles | Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

She Created Soulful Hits

Charlotte Day Wilson (singer): [Back to Black single] "Love Is A Losing Game" was an instant classic and remains one. It's a song I turn to when I need someone to echo my pessimism towards love & its potential for longevity. 

Nicholas Vega (GRAMMY Musem’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions): My all-time personal favorite Amy Winehouse song is "In My Bed" off the Frank album.  Sampling Nas’ [2002 hit] "Made You Look" was genius! Sampling is such a huge part of hip-hop and the beat from "Made You Look" was actually lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache” from 1973. There are few instances where hip-hop beats are used by artists from other genres of music  — it’s usually the other way around. With a hip-hop beat serving as the record’s backbone, combined with her soulful voice and emotionally raw lyrics, Amy’s creativity is certainly on full display. 

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Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): "Tears Dry On Their Own" is my favorite song and video. From the sample of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's soaring "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" from 1967 to the lyrics speaking of growing up, changing her ways and being her own best friend, this should be Amy’s anthem rather than "Rehab." The sample draws a direct comparison between the two songs: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is about two people whose love cannot be dimmed by distance, whereas "Tears" is about one codependent person finding the strength to walk away, no matter the imagined obstacles, or the urge to try just one more time. 

The other songs on Back to Black are about the pain and of surrendering to one’s own destructive patterns in love, but "Tears" is a manifesto for change. There’s much more hope in the lyrics, even though it can sound more downbeat in the melody than "Rehab" or "You Know I’m No Good." That’s the sly secret at the heart of Amy’s songs: the lyrics and the melody work beautifully together, but they each provoke two different emotions in us. 

The video has always struck me as being inspired by two memorable Richard Ashcroft videos from the Britpop era. The obvious one is his strut down East London’s Hoxton Street as the frontman of The Verve in 1997’s "Bitter Sweet Symphony." Amy, being a woman and (despite the beehive, only 5’3") emulates on Hollywood Blvd.

The quieter scenes with Amy in a hotel room call to mind Richard Ashcroft’s "A Song For The Lovers" in 2000. While he moves around his large hotel room with a sense of joy, Amy longingly sits alone in her small room. I think that we would have got more songs like "Tears Dry On Their Own" as Amy got into her 30s. There’s self-acceptance and maturity that makes it stand out from the other tracks on Back to Black. Plus, it’s just a great song to belt out at karaoke.

Lolo Zouaï (singer): I love so much of her music but the song "Wake Up Alone" is my favorite. I love to listen to her music in the morning because of the way it makes you feel so present.

Daya (singer): You Know I’m No Good" holds a special place in my heart because it was my favorite song to sing when I was 10 and still is one of them now. I used to cover it on the ukulele all of the time, and I was always drawn to the seduction and provocation of it without even knowing it at the time. It’s interesting to fully comprehend the layers of the lyrics as an adult now. It also really made me want to work with a big band at some point in my career.

Mike Spinella (Senior Director, Original Content at Pandora): It is hard to have a favorite song when Amy made so many perfect ones. But I will choose the song I probably have listened to most: "Tears Dry on Their Own." It encapsulates everything I love about Amy's music: an ear-worm tune that showcases Amy's one-a-kind vocals, blending struggles, heartbreak and truth into a candy-coated melody, all while paying homage with an interpolation of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

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She Was A Budding Icon Gone Too Soon

Alessia Cara (singer): I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. It was my second year of high school, so I was sitting on my bed writing an essay on my laptop. My mom came in, sat on my bed with me, and told me. I remember feeling my heart sink. One of my first thoughts after the initial questions of how, why, and where, was selfishly: "Oh my God. I will never meet her." Looking back, it’s kind of an ambitious thing to say. The thought that me, a high school student from Brampton, would have definitely met her had it not been for her passing was so far-fetched, yet it was crushing. As long as she was alive, there would still be the one percent chance that I’d run into her and get to tell her what she meant to me. But this solidified that I would never have that chance. 

That moment sparked so many devastating truths. She was never going to write a song again. We will never hear her sing again. How was someone so poignantly human, with an endless stream of emotions, never going to feel a single emotion again? It felt like she was robbed of the chances she was supposed to have. I felt her pain through her words and the thought that her life ended within that pain felt so wrong. Death never feels right, but this felt especially wrong. 

Thinking back now, her passing ultimately taught us all the true purpose of songwriting and how music lives on despite any circumstances. Her words continue to touch whoever hears [them]  — even 10 years later  —  and will continue to for generations. She’s still very much alive within that. I didn’t get to know her, but her art makes us all feel like we do. Her spirit is transcendent and her heart is still on earth, every time we dance around our kitchens to "Tears Dry On Their Own" or ugly cry to "Love is a Losing Game." Through her beautiful work and the awe she continues to leave us in, Amy will always be here.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): It was a Saturday lunchtime when the news broke. I was at home in Finsbury Park, which is about a 10-minute drive from Camden. I couldn’t tell you which medium brought me the news first  —  radio, TV, or online  —  but the moment I knew, I was on all three at once, trying to find out more. 

I was utterly shocked. Amy had been photographed walking around London just two days earlier, looking much healthier and stronger than she had in a long time. I genuinely thought that she would be able to turn things around. She was only 27, six months younger than me. Of course, there would be more songs, there would be more sightings of her around Camden, she would shepherd her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield into a promising music career of her own... 

I was working in broadcast news at the time and two days after her death, I was sent down to the scene outside her flat to collect interviews. It was an extraordinary scene. The buildings on Amy’s streets are gorgeous mid-19th-century townhouses arranged around a large rectangle of grass, and every inch of it was covered in mourners. 

These were teenagers, not 20-somethings like Amy or myself. They had created their own festival outside Amy’s home: drinking, smoking, and smearing their black eyeliner with their tears. It seemed like a strange tribute to a singer who had probably died due to drugs or alcohol  —  at this point we didn’t know for sure  —  and I still wonder now what those fans got from being there. I suppose they felt that they were being witnesses to the private, lonely death of such a public, much-photographed star. 

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Her Artistry Impacted A New Generation

Charlotte Day Wilson (singer): Just that the world of music was a better place with her in it. There will always be an empty space where she should've remained.

Nicholas Vega (GRAMMY Musem’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions): As I closely worked with her family and friends to develop the "Beyond Black – The Style of Amy Winehouse" exhibition, it became immediately clear that there are so many rich layers to her story. Having been able to hear first-hand accounts from those who knew her best and to be able to examine and analyze different objects from her personal collection, I learned that she was truly dedicated to her craft. Her passion for music and [music-making] was such a huge part of her DNA. Although she was blessed with a beautiful and soulful voice, she did not take that for granted. This really stands out as something special, as many people do not know this side of her story.  

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): While Amy’s music is timeless, she lived in a very specific age. One in which her obvious difficulties were met with mocking headlines, cruel jokes on TV and a lack of support. We watched a career and life unfold, blossom and then end in real-time. So much more has to be done to care for people in her position. It would be nice to think that future generations of fans will find the values of the 2000s archaic, and that Amy’s sad trajectory in full view of the world won’t be repeated. 

Lolo Zouaï (singer): She was always authentically herself and just wanted to make music because that was her way of coping with her life, which was not easy. She never wanted to be famous, she was just born an artist and felt everything so deeply. 

Daya (singer): I would hope that her addiction and death don’t cast a shadow on everything that she was and everything she contributed to the world. I hope her legacy continues to live on as one of the most important and brilliant songwriters and pop culture influences who’s ever lived. She was undergoing heavy personal battles and the people around her  —  combined with the industry/media  —  continued to manipulate and exploit her for their own monetary or social gain. It was completely unfair and tragic what happened to her, which shouldn’t at all take away from the beautiful artist and person she was.

Big Voices, Ballads and Blockbuster Hits: How 1996 Became The Year Of The Pop Diva

As someone who has dedicated her life to being a performer, Dua Lipa's recent admission to Apple Music's Zane Lowe seems almost unfathomable: "I never thought of the idea of being famous."

Stardom may not have been on her mind as a kid, but Lipa is now, indeed, one of the most famous pop stars on the planet as she releases her highly anticipated third album, Radical Optimism. 

In the seven years since her acclaimed 2017 self-titled debut, Lipa has achieved several highs — like three GRAMMY wins, including Best New Artist in 2019 — as well as the subsequent lows that can often come with global stardom. And though the singer also admitted to Lowe that it "took me a while to find my voice," Radical Optimism is her most self-assured album yet — one that hinges on the title being not only the project's name, but also its defining approach to Lipa's present-day vision for her life.

"Radical Optimism and the way that I see it is this idea of rolling with the punches, of not letting anything get you down for too long. Of always seeing the positive side of things. Of being able to grow and move forward and change your perspective regardless of what's happening in your life…I think it's a big part of maturing and growing up."

The entire album was crafted in her native London over the course of a year-and-a-half, with Lipa enlisting a small band of collaborators — including her righthand co-writer Caroline Ailin, Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, Danny L. Harle and Tobias Jesso, Jr. — to create a cohesive, buoyant body of work tinged with disco, funk and bits of psychedelic pop.

Naturally, "radical optimism" is a core thread that runs through all eleven songs as Lipa reflects on falling in and out of love, grapples with her fame and confidently declares that everything that came before Radical Optimism was just a practice run. After all, as she brazenly declares on the LP's second single, "Training season's over." 

As you enter Dua's latest musical world, dive into four major takeaways from Radical Optimism below.

Radical Optimism Isn't Just A New Era — It's A Whole New Perspective

When Lipa accepted her GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2021, she declared she was officially done with the "sad music" that had fueled her breakout debut album. And if 2020's Future Nostalgia was, in context, a kind of clubby, '80s-driven turning point for the artist, she fully embraces the Radical Optimism promised by its follow-up's title. Lipa's newfound attitude is both clear-eyed and relentlessly positive across the album's 11 tracks, whether she's gushing over a new love on giddy opener "End of an Era," being kept up all night by thoughts of a seductive crush on "Whatcha Doing" or cutting her losses and ditching out early on the spellbinding "French Exit."

Even "These Walls," on which she watches a doomed relationship fade to black, is approached with a sense of inevitability laced with clarity and astute kindness. "But if these walls could talk/ They'd say enough, they'd say give up/ If these walls could talk/ They'd say/ You know you're f—ed/ It's not supposed to hurt this much/ Oh, if these walls could talk/ They tell us to break up," Lipa sings over gossamer production and a piano line by Andrew Wyatt.

You Can Still Find Her On The Dance Floor

The rollout for Radical Optimism was front-loaded with the release of three singles ahead of the full album in the form of "Houdini," "Training Season" and "Illusion." Between the three subsequent music videos and a thrilling live performance at the 2024 GRAMMYs in February, Lipa signaled that her third LP would be filled with her signature style of scintillating dance floor bangers.

The rest of the album more than delivers on that promise, with an overall BPM that rarely falls below what's needed for a full-blown aerobic workout — perfect for over-the-top choreography, of course. And in case the Service95 founder's commitment to the dance floor isn't already apparent, just look at the history-making hat trick she recently pulled off on the Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart: as of press time, "Houdini," "Illusion" and "Training Season" occupied the top three spots, marking a first for any female artist in modern music history.

She's Redefining Love On Her Own Terms

If the litany of love songs on Radical Optimism are any indication, it's safe to say Lipa is head over heels these days (with boyfriend Callum Turner, perhaps?). Opening track "End of an Era" may mark the beginning of a new musical journey for the singer, but it's just as much about the thrill of a new relationship. Later on the track list, she uses album cut "Falling Forever" to grow an initial spark of infatuation into a red-hot love affair as she yearns, "How long, how long/ Can it just keep getting better?/ Can we keep falling forever" on the lovestruck chorus.

Lipa also makes it clear on the shapeshifting highlight "Anything For Love" that she's "not interested in a love that gives up so easily." As she refuses to accept the modern paradigm of ghosting, non-committal situationships and running away when things get hard, the song morphs from a tender piano ballad into danceable, mid-tempo groove, giving the listener just enough breathing room to wrestle with the questions of what kind of love they'll accept before dancing it out.

She's Putting Her Emotional Growth On Full Display

It's been almost seven years since Lipa spelled out her "New Rules" for a generation of pop lovers, and some of the most affecting cuts on Radical Optimism prove the British-Albanian star has accrued even more hard-won wisdom since her early days of "If you're under him, you ain't gettin' over him."

Penultimate track "Maria" finds Lipa thanking the ghost of her current lover's ex-girlfriend for making him a better man: "Never thought I could feel this way/ Grateful for all the love you gave/ Here's to the lovers that make you change/ Maria, Maria, Maria." 

Meanwhile, on album closer "Happy for You," the singer turns her attention not to a lover's ex-girlfriend, but to an ex who's moved on from her and found himself happier than ever. It's a complex, but decidedly mature feeling to realize you're genuinely happy for someone you used to love, but Lipa encapsulates the emotion perfectly. 

"Oh, I must've loved you more than I ever knew/ Didn't know I could ever feel/ 'Cause I'm happy for you," she sings on the chorus. "Now I know everything was real/ I'm not mad, I'm not hurt/ You got everything you deserve/ Oh, I must've loved you more than I ever knew/ I'm happy for you."

The grown-up sentiment finishes the album on a bittersweet emotional high — proving that no matter what life throws at her, Lipa will remain radically and unapologetically optimistic to the end. 

GRAMMY Rewind: Dua Lipa Champions Happiness As She Accepts Her GRAMMY For Best Pop Vocal Album In 2021

Long before Dua Lipa reached pop megastardom, she declared the mantra that would soon become the core of her art: "It has to be fun."

Whether in club-hopping evenings or tear-streaked mornings, Lipa has continuously found a way to bring catharsis and movement into every moment — and, subsequently, every song she's released. So when she announced that her new album would be called Radical Optimism, the second word seemed obvious. But what would radical mean for Dua Lipa, and how did she get there?

Considering her time as a model prior to her music career taking off, many found it easy to write off the London-born singer as by-the-books pop, all-image artist. But even before taking a listen to her self-titled debut, Lipa's upbringing reveals far more complex feelings and inspirations.

The daughter of Kosovo Albanian parents living in London, Lipa took notes from her musician father, digging deep on the likes of the Police, David Bowie and Radiohead, while dancing to Ciara and Missy Elliott with her classmates. After a four-year stint in Kosovo when her family relocated, the then 15-year-old Dua moved back to London to stay with a family friend and build towards an inevitable music-oriented life, which began with clubbing incessantly and posting covers of Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera on YouTube.

Lipa was still working in restaurants when she first made contact with the music industry, burning the candle at both ends — as well as a third end unseen to mortals. "I'd finish work, then go out to whatever nightclub was happening until, like, 3 in the morning," she recently recalled to Elle. "Then I would wake up and go to the studio until I had my shift again at, like, 8 pm."

Warner Bros. Records caught wind of those sessions and signed her in 2014, leading to even more time in the studio (and, likely, less waitressing). Her debut single, 2015's "New Love," showcases everything that would lead to her eventual pop takeover: the resonant, sultry vocals, a propulsive beat, and a video full of effortless cool.

There would be seven more singles to follow from 2017's Dua Lipa, with the budding pop star co-writing a majority of the albums' tracks, alt R&B icon Miguel collaborating on a song, and Coldplay's Chris Martin providing additional vocals on the closer. While there are plenty of hits to take away ("Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" is a particular favorite in its grand and stompy disco sass), the true star here is "New Rules." Detailing the "rules" to avoid a problematic ex, the song could be cloying and twee, but Lipa's chill swagger sells the dance floor intensity and female empowerment in equal doses.

Listeners around the world agreed, as the song marked Lipa's first No. 1 in the UK and several other countries, as well as her first top 10 hit in the U.S. It also earned Lipa spots at festivals, a performance on Later… With Jools Holland, and five nominations at the 2018 Brit Awards — the most of any artist that year. She laid out a pretty clear manifesto after winning British Female Solo Artist: "Here's to more women on these stages, more women winning awards, and more women taking over the world."

As that year went on, Lipa solidified her own role in that mission. She became a hot collaboration commodity, first linking with Calvin Harris for the UK chart-topping "One Kiss"; then teaming with Mark Ronson and Diplo's Silk City for another club hit, "Electricity"; and even being recruited for Andrea Bocelli for "If Only," a track on his 2018 album, Sì. Her breakthrough was cemented in GRAMMY gold at the 2019 ceremony, too, as she won two golden gramophones: Best Dance Recording for "Electricity," and the coveted Best New Artist.

Early word of the Dua Lipa followup, Future Nostalgia, was that Lipa was amping the disco energy. "[The album] feels like a dancercise class," she hinted in July 2019 to the BBC, who also reported that the now full-fledged pop star was working with Pharrell, Nile Rodgers, Tove Lo, and Diplo.

Lead single "Don't Start Now" was co-written with the team behind "New Rules," and the hyper-elastic bass, MIDI strings, and honest-to-goodness cowbell more than lived up to her promise of disco domination. The track went platinum in five countries, a feat that would go on to be topped by multiple tracks on the album, including the smoldering "Physical" and the INXS-interpolating "Break My Heart."

The album's March 2020 release was a thing of anxious beauty. It could've been pure tragedy to release an album designed for sweaty, crowded clubs in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. And when the album leaked a full two weeks prior to its release, even Lipa wasn't sure if her timing was right. "I'm not sure if I'm even doing the right thing, but I think the thing we need the most at the moment is music, and we need joy and we need to be trying to see the light," she said in an Instagram Live days before the album's release.

True to that spirit, Lipa's openhearted enthusiasm and unadulterated fun made the album a staple of lockdown dance parties and wistful dancefloor daydreams. In a bit of chicken-and-egg magic, the album's runaway hit is the inescapable "Levitating." The song's buoyant synth pulse, clap-along disco groove, drippy strings and punchy hook add to something far greater than the sum of its parts. And DaBaby's in-the-cut remix verse helps fulfill Lipa's rap-meets-pop dreams. But it definitely didn't hurt to have the track basically overrun TikTok — and a video produced in partnership with the platform — at a time when we were all stuck at home, looking at our phones as a way to connect with the world.

That was only the beginning of the pop star's effort to make the most of the pandemic era; Lipa continued to find innovative ways to bring fans into her disco-fueled sonic universe for some joy and connection. For one, she evolved Future Nostalgia into a remix album: Club Future Nostalgia, featuring electronic minds like Moodymann and Yaeji, as well as high-profile guests like BLACKPINK, Madonna, and Missy Elliott. And while fans who had grown connected to the album were hungry for an event to attend, she developed Studio 2054. The technicolor, gleeful live-streamed event saw millions of viewers virtually join Lipa in an immaculately choreographed, star-studded dance party — one that further displayed her magnetic personality and in-the-moment attitude.

Through the entire Future Nostalgia era, Lipa's purpose further proved to be more than the music. Yet again, it was about the amount of fun and energy it was able to provide to fans, something that proved to resonate in an even bigger way than her first project.

"[Future Nostalgia] took on its own life. And that in itself showed me that everything is in its own way for its own specific purpose, for its own reason," she told Variety earlier this year. "As long as I'm being of service and the music is there and it's a soundtrack for a moment in time, or in someone's life, then I've done what I was supposed to do."

Before getting to work on her third LP, Lipa kept the dance party going with new and old collaborators. First, she scored another UK No. 1 and U.S. top 10 hit alongside Elton John with "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)"; later, she was enlisted for feel-good singles from Megan Thee Stallion and Calvin Harris' 2022 albums. Then, a reunion with Mark Ronson led to a summer 2023 detour in Barbie land, resulting in another disco-tinged smash, "Dance the Night," for the blockbuster film's soundtrack (as well as her acting debut!).

With the good vibes clearly not fading, Lipa was primed for her next musical venture. In November, she unveiled the lead single to her next project, "Houdini," a swirling track that features a trio of new collaborators — and a brilliant, if seemingly dissimilar, set of co-writers at that: former PC Music electronic experimentalist Danny Harle, Tame Impala frontman (and retro psychedelia mastermind) Kevin Parker, and breezy Canadian singer/songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. But with her trusty songwriter pal Caroline Ailin also in tow, Lipa retained the same trademark dance pop pulse amid crunchy bass and stomping percussion — putting the Radical into the Optimism.

She kept the same team (and energy) for the album's subsequent singles, "Training Season" and "Illusion." The former thumps and jitters underneath Lipa opting for a willowy falsetto in the chorus, a song that can unite Tame Impala psych addicts and more traditional poptimists at the club. And where earlier Lipa tracks might have been more eager to get to a bright punch, "Illusion" smolders patiently, trusting that the vocalist's charisma can buoy even the subtler moments.

While the album's first three singles carry echoes of the propulsive, dance floor energy of Future Nostalgia, Lipa took more notes from a more modern pop era than the disco days on Radical Optimism. "I think the Britpop element that really came to me was the influences of Oasis and Massive Attack and Portishead and Primal Scream, and the freedom and the energy those records had," she told Variety. "I love the experimentation behind it."

But, she insists, that's not to say that she's produced the next "Wonderwall." This isn't Dua Lipa's Britpop turn, but rather her latest experiment in finding freedom and embracing the moment.

"When I hear 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack and I'm like, 'how did this song even come to be? It feels like it just happened in a moment of real freedom and writing and emotion," she continued in the Variety interview. "And I think that was just the feeling I was trying to convey more than anything."

And in her mind, that freedom needs to remain at the core of everything — whether working through a global pandemic or working on a new project. "I think it's important that we just learn to walk through the fire and not hide away from it, or shy away from it," she added. "That's just optimism. It's probably the most daring thing we can do."

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In her latest track "Off Switch," Australian dance-pop artist VASSY captures the exhilarating intensity of a budding romance. She loves the rush but, at the same time, wishes she could fight the feeling, even if only for a few seconds.

"There's something electric between you and I/ The way we connected I can't describe/ We're right on the edge of blurring the lines/ Don't know why I'm scared of this rush inside," she sings in the intro. "I wish my heart, it had an off switch/ 'Cause, boy, I don't know how to stop this."

In this episode of Global Spin, watch VASSY deliver an acoustic performance of her track, playing guitar and using a pair of castanets for added rhythm.

VASSY released "Off Switch" on Jan. 5 with an electrifying music video swirling with vibrant neon lights. 

Recently she wrapped a string of appearances supporting Aqua's United States leg of their world tour and earlier this month, performed a headlining show in San Diego. On May 18, she will take the stage at the BASSINTHEGRASS music festival in Darwin, Australia.

Press play on the video above to watch VASSY's lively performance of "Off Switch," and remember to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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"...and you're watching Disney Channel!" For anyone who grew up in the 2000s, those five words likely trigger some pretty vivid imagery: a glowing neon wand, an outline of Mickey Mouse's ears, and every Disney star from Hilary Duff to the Jonas Brothers. 

Nearly 20 years later, many of those child stars remain instantly recognizable — and often mononymous — to the millions of fans who grew up with them: Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Nick, Kevin and Joe. 

Each of those names has equally memorable music attached to it — tunes that often wrap any given millennial in a blanket of nostalgia for a time that was, for better or for worse, "So Yesterday." And all of those hits, and the careers that go with them, have the same starting point in Hollywood Records, Disney Music Group's pop-oriented record label.

This time in Disney's history — the core of which can be traced from roughly 2003 to 2010 — was impactful on multiple fronts. With its music-oriented programming and multi-platform marketing strategies, the network launched a procession of teen idols whose music would come to define the soundtrack to millennials' lives, simultaneously breaking records with its Disney Channel Original Movies, TV shows and soundtracks.

Now, two decades later, Disney Music Group launched the Disney 2000s campaign, honoring the pivotal, star-making era that gave fans a generation of unforgettable pop music. The campaign will last through August and lead directly into D23 2024: The Ultimate Fan Event with special vinyl releases of landmark LPs and nostalgic social media activations occurring all summer long. April's campaign activation was Disney 2000s Weekend at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, which featured special screenings of 2008's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert and 2009's Hannah Montana: The Movie and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.

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But before Miley and the JoBros, Hollywood Records' formula for creating relatable (and bankable) teen pop stars began with just one name: Hilary Duff. At the time, the bubbly blonde girl next door was essentially the face of the network thanks to her starring role in "Lizzie McGuire," and she'd just made the leap to the big screen in the summer of 2003 with The Lizzie McGuire Movie. In her years with Disney, Duff had dabbled in recording songs for Radio Disney, and even released a Christmas album under Buena Vista Records. However, her first album with Hollywood Records had the potential to catapult her from charming tween ingénue to bonafide teen pop star — and that's exactly what it did.

Released on August 26, 2003, Duff's Metamorphosis sold more than 200,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The following week, the bubblegum studio set performed the rare feat of rising from No. 2 to No. 1, making the then-16-year-old Duff the first solo artist under 18 to earn a No. 1 album since Britney Spears.

The album's immediate success was no fluke: Within a matter of months, Metamorphosis had sold 2.6 million copies. Music videos for its radio-friendly singles "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean" received constant airplay between programming on the Disney Channel. (The latter was eventually licensed as the theme song for MTV's pioneering teen reality series "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," giving it an additional boost as a cultural touchstone of the early '00s.) A 33-date North American tour soon followed, and Hollywood Records officially had a sensation on their hands. 

Naturally, the label went to work replicating Duff's recipe for success, and even looked outside the pool of Disney Channel stars to develop new talent. Another early signee was Jesse McCartney. With a soulful croon and blonde mop, the former Dream Street member notched the label another big win with his 2004 breakout hit "Beautiful Soul."

"When 'Beautiful Soul' became the label's first No. 1 hit at radio, I think that's when they really knew they had something," McCartney tells GRAMMY.com. "Miley [Cyrus] and the Jonas Brothers were signed shortly after that success and the rest is history.

"The thing that Disney really excelled at was using the synergy of the channel with promoting songs at pop," he continues. "I did appearances on 'Hannah Montana' and 'The Suite Life of Zack & Cody' and my music videos were pushed to Disney Channel. The marketing was incredibly brilliant and I don't think there has been anything as connected with an entire generation like that since then."

By 2006, Disney had nearly perfected its synergistic formula, continually launching wildly popular tentpole franchises like High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls, and then giving stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu recording contracts of their own. (Curiously, the pair's HSM co-star Ashley Tisdale was never signed to Hollywood Records, instead releasing her first two solo albums with Warner.) 

Aly Michalka showed off her vocal chops as sunny girl next door Keely Teslow on "Phil of the Future," and fans could find her off-screen as one half of sibling duo Aly & AJ. In between their 2005 debut album Into the Rush and its electro-pop-charged follow-up, 2007's Insomniatic, Aly and her equally talented younger sister, AJ, also headlined their own Disney Channel Original Movie, Cow Belles. (Duff also helped trailblaze this strategy with her own early DCOM, the ever-charming Cadet Kelly, in 2002, while she was simultaneously starring in "Lizzie McGuire.")

Even after years of proven success, the next class of stars became Disney's biggest and brightest, with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers all joining the network — and record label — around the same time. "Hannah Montana" found Cyrus playing a spunky middle schooler by day and world-famous pop star by night, and the network leveraged the sitcom's conceit to give the Tennessee native (and daughter of '90s country heartthrob Billy Ray Cyrus) the best of both worlds. 

After establishing Hannah as a persona, the series' sophomore soundtrack introduced Miley as a pop star in her own right thanks to a clever double album that was one-half Hannah's music and one-half Miley's. It's literally there in the title: Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus.

From there, Cyrus' stardom took off like a rocket as she scored back-to-back No.1 albums and a parade of Top 10 hits like "See You Again," "7 Things," "The Climb," "Can't Be Tamed," and the ever-so-timeless anthem "Party in the U.S.A."

At the same time, Gomez had top billing on her own Disney Channel series, the magical (but less musical) "Wizards of Waverly Place." That hardly stopped her from launching her own music career, though, first by fronting Selena Gomez & the Scene from 2008 to 2012, then eventually going solo with the release of 2013's Stars Dance after the "Wizards" finale aired.

For her part, Lovato — Gomez's childhood bestie and "Barney & Friends" costar — got her big break playing Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock alongside the Jonas Brothers as fictional boy band Connect 3, led by Joe Jonas as the swaggering and floppy-haired Shane Gray. Much like Duff had five years prior in the wake of The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Lovato released her debut solo album, 2008's Don't Forget, just three months after her DCOM broke records for the Disney Channel. 

Building off their chemistry from the movie musical, nearly the entirety of Don't Forget was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who released two of their own albums on Hollywood Records — 2007's Jonas Brothers and 2008's A Little Bit Longer — before getting their own short-lived, goofily meta Disney series, "Jonas," which wrapped weeks after the inevitable Camp Rock sequel arrived in September 2010.

As the 2000s gave way to the 2010s, the Disney machine began slowing down as its cavalcade of stars graduated to more grown-up acting roles, music and careers. But from Duff's Metamorphosis through Lovato's 2017 LP, Tell Me You Love Me, Hollywood Records caught lightning in a bottle again and again and again, giving millennials an entire generation of talent that has carried them through adulthood and into the 2020s.

To commemorate the Disney 2000s campaign, GRAMMY.com crafted a playlist to look back on Disney's golden age of pop with favorite tracks from Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and more. Listen and reminisce below.