Dua Lipa was ''petrified of boys on bikes cat-calling'' around her estate.

The 24-year-old pop star has revealed her track 'Boys Will Be Boys', on which she sings about ''putting your keys between your knuckles'', is about feeling unsafe when she was walking to her flat alone, and feeling intimidated by the opposite sex.

She said: ''I remember walking home, especially in the winter time, when I was getting off my bus and just trying to get to my flat, which was a three minute walk from the bus stop, and just being petrified of boys on bikes cat-calling around the estate.''

The 'Don't Start Now' hitmaker talked openly about the experience for her young fans, ''so they feel seen and feel heard and know that we all go through the same things''.

Dua is not afraid to speak her mind on the issues that she is passionate about.

Last year, the 'New Rules' singer slammed Grammys boss Neil Portnow for the lack of female artists nominated for the prestigious ceremony.

And she says she won't be silenced, even though she gets ''backlash'' for speaking out.

She added: ''I get a lot of backlash for speaking out, but these are things I'm passionate about - and that's that.''

Dua recently admitted she feels women have to ''work a little bit harder to be taken seriously'' in the music business.

The 'Cool' singer opened up about the inequality herself and her fellow female pop peers face in their field of work and how she feels men are often given an easier ride.

She said: ''I think if I was a man people would interpret everything differently.

''Being a female artist, every little word you say or every little thing you do gets linked into your personal life.

''Everything gets dissected, whereas if you are a male artist with a guitar or a piano, it's like, 'Yeah, well done. You have written everything'.

''It is instantly genuine, whereas, as women, we have to work a little bit harder to be taken seriously.

''That is a fact, but I don't think we are afraid of working hard as it is a thing we have had to do our whole lives.''