July 21, 2023

Music Friday: Tears Are ‘Diamonds on My Face,’ Sings Dua Lipa in ‘Dance the Night’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you the hottest new releases featuring jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, British pop star Dua Lipa says that the tears you see on her face are really diamonds in “Dance the Night,” the lead single from the Barbie movie soundtrack.

A song about having the power to shake off relationship troubles and still shine on the dance floor, “Dance the Night” uses diamonds to symbolize strength, invincibility and self-worth.

Lipa sings, “Baby you can / Find me under the lights / Diamonds under my eyes / Turn the rhythm up / Don’t you wanna just / Come along for the ride.”

Later in the song, she clarifies that those diamonds are actually tears.

“Even when the tears are flowing / They’re diamonds on my face / I’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of place.”

The song is featured prominently in Barbie, the $145 million production directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie in the title role. The cotton candy-colored summer blockbuster is set to open today in 4,200 North American theaters and should rake in more than $100,000 over the weekend. Lipa, a three-time Grammy winner, makes her acting debut as Mermaid Barbie.

“Dance the Night” was released on May 23 and has already charted in 42 countries, including a #9 spot on US Billboard Top 40, #13 on the UK Singles list and #13 on the Canadian Billboard Hot 100.

In the song’s official video, Lipa dances atop a huge Barbie pump and gets to drive the pink Barbie convertible. The movie soundtrack, titled Barbie: The Album, is also set to release today.

Now 27, the London-born model-turned-singer was musically influenced by her father, who was the frontman of the Kosovan rock band, Oda.

At Fitzjohn’s Primary School in London, Lipa wasn’t disheartened when the teacher heading the school choir told her “she could not sing.” Instead, the nine-year-old took weekend singing lessons at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

As a high-schooler, she uploaded to YouTube videos of herself covering the songs of Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera.

Lipa became a model, which led to a role as the “singer” in an ad for The X Factor music competition show in 2013. A year later, she would ink a deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Please check out the official video of Dua Lipa performing “Dance the Night.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Dance the Night”
Written by Dua Lipa, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin and Mark Ronson. Performed by Dua Lipa.

Baby you can
Find me under the lights
Diamonds under my eyes
Turn the rhythm up
Don’t you wanna just
Come along for the ride

Oh my outfit so tight
You can see my heart beat tonight
I can take the heat
Baby best believe
That’s the moment I shine

Cuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damn

When the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

Lately I’ve been
Moving close to the edge
Still be looking my best
I stay on the beat
You can count on me
I ain’t missing no steps

Cuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damn

When the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chance

When my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about me

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going, not one hair out of place

Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away

I’ll still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

When my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about me

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Dance the night