Dua Lipa on her debut of “Cold Heart” with Elton John at the Royal Albert Hall

Dua Lipa loves Elton John.

In a cover story interview with Billboard UK On Monday, December 16, the 29-year-old “New Rules” hitmaker opened up about her TV special. An evening with Dua Lipaand marked the first time she and the 77-year-old “Candle in the Wind” musician performed live together at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Of the evening, Lipa said, “There was nothing like it.”

“These orchestral line-ups just shook me to the core,” she remembers. “When I found my music so moving, I fell in love with music all over again.”

Lipa then shared what it meant to her to perform “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” live with John for the first time.

“Obviously Elton himself is no stranger to the Albert Hall and it felt like such a chic and elegant evening, so I needed my most chic and fabulous friend to join me,” she said. “He said yes straight away.”

Lipa continued: “One thing about Elton is that he is always there for his friends. He’s super loyal…he was just always there, listening and supporting us so much.”

In March 2023, John revealed to PEOPLE that the “Houdini” artist barely needed his direction when the two collaborated on the track.

“She didn’t really need that much advice,” he said. “She’s so smart, she’s so down to earth and so close to the action. She’s a joy to be with.”

John added: “I don’t really have to give her any advice. She’s doing really, really well.”

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Elsewhere in the interview, Lipa reflected on not receiving a Grammy nomination for her 2024 album Radical optimism after earning 10 nominations over the years, plus a win for Best New Artist in 2019.

“I’m so proud of it Radical optimism and where it took me,” she said. “I love this album and I’m having the time of my life performing it live and I’ve been able to do things this year that I thought I could only dream of. “I’m really grateful.”

While Lipa said, “It would have been nice to be recognized for the album, especially as a woman,” she is “so proud” of the “incredible female artists” nominated at the 2025 Grammys.