Dua Lipa Hosts a Victorian Dinner Party in Her Pop Smoke Collab, "Demeanor"

Photo credit: YouTube
Photo credit: YouTube

Dua Lipa is partying like it's the 1800s.

The pop icon throws it all the way back to what looks like the Victorian era in a new music video for "Demeanor," her collaboration with the late rapper Pop Smoke. The over-the-top visuals, directed by Nabil (whose credits include Lipa's "Don't Start Now" and Kendrick Lamar's "DNA."), show Lipa and a crowd reveling in a castle, indulging in a dinner, dancing, and more debauchery.

Styled by Lorenzo Posocco, Lipa dresses aptly for the fairy-tale setting in a shimmering vintage Jean Paul Gaultier corset from the designer's spring/summer 1998 collection. She accessorizes with sapphire earrings and a ring by VRAM.

While Pop Smoke doesn't personally appear in the video, his likeness appears in the form of an animated painting and a hologram-like rendering. The Brooklyn rapper, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, died at age 20 in February 2020 in a shooting at his California home. The promising young star's passing shook the hip-hop community and the music industry at large.

Smoke and Lipa's "Demeanor" appears on his new album, Faith, which was released posthumously earlier this month. (He was apparently a fan of hers.) With features including Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and The-Dream, the LP marks the second project to arrive after his death. The first, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon, arrived last July to glowing reviews.

While announcing the release of the "Demeanor" video, Lipa thanked Pop Smoke's estate for the opportunity to collaborate with the beloved artist. "Thank you to the team and Pop's family for having me on this song," she wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to my friends for making this video with me."

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