Dua Lipa sits at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a remix of ‘Levitating’ featuring DaBaby. This is another case of an artist tweaking a song to squeeze out some additional time on the charts.
The original version of ‘Levitating,’ however, didn’t make it to the U.S. chart, though it did land on charts in several other countries. It took the DaBaby remix to get this one on the Hot 100, where it has spent 30 weeks, peaking right here at #5.
I don’t have much use for the DaBaby remix, which adds an unnecessary rap break to an otherwise excellent song. I wish this song had reached the top ten in its superior original form.
That said, I’m happy to see Lipa land her second Top 5 hit, following ‘Don’t Start Now,’ which made it to #2.
Billboard Baby, Dua Lipa make ’em dance when it come on
Everybody lookin’ for a dancefloor to run on
[Verse 1: Dua Lipa]
If you wanna run away with me, I know a galaxy
And I can take you for a ride
I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm
Where the music don’t stop for life
Glitter in the sky, glitter in my eyes
Shining just the way I like
If you’re feeling like you need a little bit of company
You met me at the perfect time
[Pre-Chorus: Dua Lipa]
You want me, I want you, baby
My sugarboo, I’m levitating
The Milky Way, we’re renegading
Yeah, yeah, yеah, yeah, yeah
[Chorus: Dua Lipa]
I got you, moonlight, you’re my starlight
I need you all night, comе on, dance with me
I’m levitating
You, moonlight, you’re my starlight (You’re the moonlight)
I need you all night, come on, dance with me
I’m levitating
[Verse 2: DaBaby]
I’m one of the greatest, ain’t no debatin’ on it (Let’s go)
I’m still levitated, I’m heavily medicated
Ironic I gave ’em love and they end up hatin’ on me (Go)
She told me she love me and she been waitin’
Been fightin’ hard for your love and I’m runnin’ thin on my patience
Needed someone to hug, even took it back to the basics
You see what you got me out here doin’? (Yeah)
Mighta threw me off, but can’t nobody stop the movement
Uh-uh, let’s go
Left foot, right foot, levitatin’ (C’mon)
Pop stars (Go), Dua Lipa with DaBaby
I had to lace my shoes for all the blessings I was chasin’ (Go)
If I ever slip, I’ll fall into a better situation
So catch up, go put some cheese on it
Get out and get your bread up (Yeah, yeah)
They always leave when you fall, but you run together (Hey)
Weight of the world on my shoulders, I kept my head up
Now, baby, stand up, ’cause, girl, you
[Pre-Chorus: Dua Lipa & DaBaby]
You want me (Hey), I want you, baby (Hey)
My sugarboo, I’m levitating
The Milky Way, we’re renegading
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
[Chorus: Dua Lipa]
I got you, moonlight, you’re my starlight
I need you all night, come on, dance with me
I’m levitating
You, moonlight, you’re my starlight (You’re the moonlight)
I need you all night, come on, dance with me
I’m levitating
[Post-Chorus: Dua Lipa]
You can fly away with me tonight
You can fly away with me tonight
Baby, let me take you for a ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I’m levitating (Woo)
You can fly away with me tonight
You can fly away with me tonight
Baby, let me take you for a ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Woo)
[Bridge: Dua Lipa]
My love is like a rocket, watch it blast off
And I’m feeling so electric, dance my ass off
And even if I wanted to, I can’t stop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
My love is like a rocket, watch it blast off
And I’m feeling so electric, dance my ass off
And even if I wanted to, I can’t stop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
[Pre-Chorus: Dua Lipa]
You want me, I want you, baby
My sugarboo, I’m levitating
The Milky Way, we’re renegading
[Chorus: Dua Lipa & DaBaby]
I got you (Yeah), moonlight, you’re my starlight
I need you all night (All night), come on, dance with me (Let’s go)
I’m levitating (Woo)
[Post-Chorus: Dua Lipa]
You can fly away with me tonight (Tonight)
You can fly away with me tonight
Baby, let me take you for a ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Take you for a ride)
I’m levitating (Woo)
You can fly away with me tonight (Tonight)
You can fly away with me tonight
Baby, let me take you for a ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Let me take you for a ride)
[Chorus: Dua Lipa]
I got you, moonlight, you’re my starlight
I need you all night, come on, dance with me
I’m levitating
Meet Me In Montauk 
While I normally feel as you do when artists shoehorn a featured artist rap break into a song, I like Da Baby’s contribution here. It probably helps though that, when the remix first came out and before I was familiar with it, my kids were walking around randomly saying “Dua Lipa and Da Baby” much like one would quote a line from a favorite movie. So now I cant help but think of them and smile every time I hear the rap break.
I know nothing about this song other than the fact that “Dua Lipa with DaBaby” became a family catch phrase after Maddie and Daniel, who clearly know the song well, started saying it (and maybe put it in a TikTok?). Anyway, it’s fun to say apropos to nothing at all. 😜
I’m usually on the side of thinking a rap break is somewhat unnecessary or can be used as a weird substitute for a song without a strong enough bridge. This is a case where I absolutely think the song was only strengthened with DaBaby’s contribution. It made me into a fan of his because the style of the rap itself is magnetic and fit right into this song. I would have expected to be on your line of thinking because of how much I love this song and Future Nostalgia as an album overall! But gotta disagree on this one. DaBaby stays!!
To echo what all the people on the correct side of history in this comment section have said: DaBaby’s contribution levitates this song even further. I mean from the second the song starts DaBaby’s “Billboard baby” intro gives instant serotonin and puts into words what everyone is feeling, that you need to run to a dance floor when Dua Lipa comes on. I happen to be a big DaBaby fan I will admit it right here and now. In fact I will be linking one of my favorite verses of his on a song with J. Cole called “Under the Sun”, but regardless most agree with the fact that his rhythmic, charismatic delivery on the second verse betters the song.