Dua Lipa granted Albanian citizenship by President

The pop star took an oath in the country's capital, Tirana

Albania's president has granted citizenship to British pop star of Albanian origin Dua Lipa. AP.

Albanian President Bajram Begaj on Sunday granted citizenship to British pop star of Albanian origin Dua Lipa for what he said was the artist’s role in spreading Albanians’ fame internationally through her music.

Mr Begaj said Lipa was granted citizenship before Albania’s 110th anniversary of independence from the Ottoman Empire.

He said he considered it an honour to do so because Lipa has made Albanians famous throughout the world.

“I will be an Albanian with papers, too,” Lipa said before taking her citizenship oath at Tirana city hall.

Lipa was born in London in 1995 to immigrant Albanian parents Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa from Kosovo.

She started singing at five years old and was musically influenced by her father, a former singer and guitarist with a rock band.

She started to post her songs in YouTube when she was 14. Her debut studio album was released in 2017. In 2019 she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

With her father, Lipa co-founded the Sunny Hill Foundation in 2016 to raise funds with annual concerts held in her native Kosovo to help people experiencing financial difficulties.

“It is an indescribable great joy with such acceptance, love and everything,” she said at the citizenship ceremony.

The artist then took a passport photo, was fingerprinted and signed an application form for an identity card and passport.

Lipa will wrap up her annual concert tour in Tirana’s main Skanderbeg Square on Monday to commemorate Independence Day.