"Hooligan" is an unreleased song by Dua Lipa which was intended to be on her self-titled debut album "Dua Lipa" but was ultimately scrapped.
Background[]
It was initially recorded in 2015 for her and was produced by Josh Record, but was later reworked in 2019 during sessions of Future Nostalgia. Josh Record produced the original version of the song, while the multiple 2019 reworks were by Jacob Attwooll. The 2019 versions of the song use the original vocal recording session, as it was never re-recorded for the reworks. Although reworked during the era without her knowing, it was never considered for release on her second studio album, Future Nostalgia. The song was sold to the K-POP group, TWICE, who changed the lyrics and titled of the song, reworking it to "BEHIND THE MASK", which released on their album 'Eyes wide open' on October 26, 2020.
A snippet of the debut album version was leaked on March 23, 2023, with snippets of the reworked version leaking on August 1, 2023 and January 5, 2024. An edited hybrid of the debut and reworked version was leaked in full on January 7, 2024. The full unedited 2019 reworked version was leaked on 29th October 2024. On the 9th March, 2025 the song's lengths for Demo 1 and Demo 2 were revealed. On the 11th March, 2025, the Hooligan (Demo 2) leaked in full alongside a low quality of the Demo 1 of the song. The original files for Hooligan (Demo 2) and Hooligan (2019 rework) would later be shared on the same day. The original file Hooligan (Demo 2) reads "HOOLIGAN" and the original file for Hooligan (2019 rework) reads "Hooligan josh".
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
I got poison in my feet
One more hit to knock you down
All my love is out of reach
Taste my lips, I'll watch you drown
[Pre-Chorus]
Round and round and round we go
Do you like the pain I bring?
Tightest grip around your soul
And you won't fight it
(And you won't fight it)
I'm no saint, I've never been
I will never let you in
I will always make you cry
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm a hooligan, hooligan
Stay away
Don't be a fool again, fool again
Tried to heal
But I'm not born again, born again
Can only love you
Like a hooligan, hooligan
[Verse 2]
You keep coming back to hurt
Call it stupid, call it dumb
'Cause every time it never works
Has all this trouble made you numb?
[Pre-Chorus]
Round and round and round we go
You keep coming back for more
Tightest grip around your soul
And you don't mind it
I'm no saint, I've never been
I will never let you in
I will always make you cry
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm a hooligan, hooligan
Stay away
Don't be a fool again, fool again
Tried to heal
But I'm not born again, born again
Can only love you
Like a hooligan, hooligan
[Post-Chorus]
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
I'm an angel lost in sin
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
There's no remedy within
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Can only love you
Like a hooligan, hooligan
[Bridge]
I never meant to make you cry
Make you cry, make you cry
It's just the way I'm made inside, inside
No matter what I do
I'm just a hooligan, hooligan
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm a hooligan, hooligan
Stay away
Don't be a fool again, fool again
Tried to heal
But I'm not born again, born again
Can only love you
Like a hooligan, hooligan
[Post-Chorus]
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
I'm an angel lost in sin
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
There's no remedy within
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Can only love you
Like a hooligan, hooligan
[Outro]
I'm just a hooligan, hooligan