There’s a mythical allure to Anfield, the home of Liverpool. Even when the club was going through its worst phase, Anfield retained its aura. ”You’ll never walk alone” remains irreplaceable as ever, with the official anthem adding a note of intimidation to the jubilant atmosphere of the venue.
But the Gerry and the Pacemakers classic now have an unexpected rival from modern pop music and it is Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” with Calvin Harris. The fans have sung this to commemorate some of their recent achievements on the field.
After Liverpool thrashed Chelsea in the FA Cup final, the fans set Wembley on fire with their ebullient rendition of the song. Lipa shared a couple of videos from the final, and captioned: ‘ABSOLUTE SCENES!!!!! @liverpoolfc @calvinharris’.
It was sung by thousands of Liverpool supporters when their team defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. Then again after Liverpool won the League Cup. Hours before Liverpool’s clash against Real Madrid in Paris, the fans celebrated the occasion by humming One Kiss.
But how did a song about ‘falling in love’ find home among football fans? You’ll need to go as far as four years back—the last time Liverpool and Real Madrid faced each other, in Kyiv. Dua Lipa was supposed to perform in the opening ceremony for the final, and she started her set with “One Kiss”, a song that was already a massive hit in Britain.
Having never performed at such a large-scale event, Lipa was quite nervous about her set. In an interview with Liverpool, she said: “I had never played a show of that size before,” she recalls, more than 20 months on. “I don’t think I have since!”
“I get really nervous before I perform anywhere, let alone the Champions League final. I remember standing at the side of the pitch with my palms sweating waiting to run on and get into position.”
The 30,000 Liverpool fans gave Lipa the support she needed by singing along, and creating an electrifying atmosphere just before the kick-off. The night, however, ended in disappointment for Liverpool, as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid. But the song has stayed with them, as a reminder of hard times.
“It has an easy hook to pick up on,” says George Sephton, Anfield’s stadium announcer to The Athletic. “So the fans took to it and it was associated with our return to the big time. Only recently has it picked up again, but the crowd are back on it.”
Lipa also promised to attend a game at the Anfield. She is not into football, but his dad supports Arsenal, while his manager is a Liverpool fan.
“I’ll definitely come to a game some time,” she tells us. “My dad, who is a big Arsenal fan but has a soft spot for Liverpool, and my manager Ben, who is a big Liverpool fan, are working out when that can be.”
Pic Credit: Liverpool
