You’ve probably seen the title floating around YouTube or TikTok. Maybe you stumbled upon a grainy audio rip titled I Could Be The One Dua Lipa and wondered how on earth you missed a collaboration between the biggest pop star on the planet and the legendary Avicii. Or, perhaps, you're a die-hard fan who knows the messy, complicated history of unreleased demos.
Let’s clear the air immediately. Dua Lipa does not officially feature on the global chart-topper "I Could Be The One." That 2012 anthem—the one that basically defined the EDM era—featured the vocals of Swedish singer Noonie Bao.
So why does everyone keep searching for it?
The internet has a funny way of rewriting history. What people are actually hearing when they search for I Could Be The One Dua Lipa is usually one of two things: a very convincing AI-generated vocal cover or a misunderstanding of Dua’s early session work. In the hyper-connected world of 2026, the line between "real" and "algorithmically plausible" has blurred so much that even seasoned music critics get tripped up.
The Avicii Connection and the Noonie Bao Reality
To understand the confusion, we have to go back to 2012. Avicii and Nicky Romero released "I Could Be The One" (originally titled "Nicktim") and it became an instant classic. The soaring, high-register vocals belonged to Noonie Bao. She’s a powerhouse songwriter who has worked with everyone from Charli XCX to Katy Perry.
Back then, Dua Lipa was barely a teenager, uploading covers to YouTube from her bedroom. She wasn't in the room. She wasn't on the track.
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However, the "I Could Be The One" myth persists because Dua’s vocal range—that smoky, rich contralto—actually shares a certain resonant frequency with Noonie Bao’s lower register. If you speed up a Dua track or slow down the Avicii hit, the mathematical similarity is startling. This is exactly what fueled the initial rumors. Fans started making "tribute" videos, and because of the way SEO works, the titles eventually morphed from "Dua Lipa Style Cover" to simply I Could Be The One Dua Lipa.
Why the Internet Thinks This Song Exists
We live in an era of "lost media" obsession.
There is a genuine allure to the idea of a hidden masterpiece. People want to believe that before she was the "Levitating" superstar, Dua was cutting demos for EDM legends. It fits the narrative of a hardworking artist paying her dues.
Then came the AI boom.
By 2023 and 2024, sophisticated voice-modeling software allowed fans to "cast" any singer on any song. Someone, somewhere, decided that Dua’s voice would sound incredible over Avicii’s production. They weren't wrong. The resulting "leaks" were so high-quality that they bypassed the usual skepticism of the general public. These tracks flooded platforms like SoundCloud. They look real. They sound real. But they are essentially digital fan fiction.
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It’s also worth noting that Dua did have a massive EDM breakout with Calvin Harris on "One Kiss." The psychological link between Dua and high-tempo dance tracks is so strong in the public consciousness that the brain almost expects her to be the voice behind every major house anthem of the last decade.
The Scrapped Sessions and Unreleased Vaults
While I Could Be The One Dua Lipa isn't a real song, Dua’s vault of unreleased material is legendary.
Artists often record "reference vocals" for songs that eventually go to other people. For example, it’s well-documented that Rihanna and Sia often swap demos. It is entirely possible—though never confirmed by her camp—that Dua recorded a version of a similar sounding track during her early years at Warner Music.
Music industry insiders, like those frequently cited on PopJustice or the ATRL forums, often talk about the "lost album" Dua had before her 2017 debut. That era was heavily influenced by the "dark pop" and EDM-lite sounds of the mid-2010s. If a track titled "I Could Be The One" exists in those archives, it’s a different song entirely, likely trapped in legal limbo or discarded because it didn't fit her "Future Nostalgia" pivot.
How to Spot a Fake Dua Lipa Leak
If you’re digging through the web for this specific track, you need to be skeptical. The music industry is more guarded than ever. Real leaks usually come with "tags" (audio watermarks) or are shared by reputable leakers with a track record.
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- Vocal Artifacts: AI covers of I Could Be The One Dua Lipa often have a "metallic" sheen on the high notes. Dua’s real voice has a natural rasp and breathiness that AI still struggles to replicate perfectly.
- Production Quality: Many of the "unreleased" versions you find online are just the original Avicii instrumental with a vocal filter applied. If the mixing feels "off" or the vocals sit too high on top of the beat, it's a fake.
- Official Sources: Check the ASCAP or BMI repertoires. These are public databases where songwriters must register tracks for royalty purposes. As of now, there is no entry for a Dua Lipa version of the Avicii hit.
Honestly, the fascination with this non-existent collab says more about Dua's impact than anything else. She has become the gold standard for pop vocals. We want her on everything because she makes everything sound like a hit.
Actionable Steps for Music Superfans
If you want to stay ahead of the curve and stop falling for AI-generated misinformation or mislabeled tracks, here is how you should actually track Dua Lipa’s discography.
First, stop relying on YouTube titles. They are designed for clicks, not accuracy. Instead, use Discogs. It is the most comprehensive database for physical and digital releases, including obscure promotional singles that never hit Spotify.
Second, follow the producers. If Dua truly worked on a track, the producers (like Ian Kirkpatrick or Koz) will often tease the "ones that got away" in interviews or on Instagram Live years later. That is where the real nuggets of truth live.
Lastly, if you really love the sound of I Could Be The One Dua Lipa, support Noonie Bao. She wrote the song, she sang the song, and she’s a phenomenal artist in her own right. Sometimes the "hidden gem" isn't a secret demo from a superstar—it's the incredible work of the artist who was there all along.
Go verify your playlists. Check the credits on your streaming service of choice. In a world of deepfakes, the real credits are the only thing that matters.