dua loves h-town

Pop superstar Dua Lipa introduces her 80+ million Instagram followers to Houston

That girl is poison: Dua Lipa loved Poison Girl in Montrose.

Celebrity spotting in Houston is hardly new — given our top-tier status as an arts, dining, and entertainment hub. But celeb sightings at places we love? That’s worth reporting.

And so it goes with British pop sensation Dua Lipa, who may have gained a whole new horde of local fans with her exquisite taste in dining and entertainment options.

In town for a highly anticipated show in support of her Future Nostalgia album at Toyota Center, Lipa shared all the H-Town love on Instagram — and to her more than 80 million followers — starting with a visit to one of the city’s most beloved dive bars, Poison Girl.

The three-time Grammy Award winner/model/star posted some fire photos of herself posing against Poison Girl’s pinball machines and some red-shot snaps in a see-through and starry ’fit.

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A post shared by DUA LIPA (@dualipa)

(Speaking of her red-hot Houston love, her “Sweetest Pie” collab post with the Bayou City’s Megan Thee Stallion drew lots of love. “So excited i’m crying sugary icing out of my tear ducts!!!!!!” she exclaimed.)

Staying in Montrose, Lipa stopped by the Rothko Chapel to “meditate and contemplate” even posing for a pic with Rothko staff after said meditation and contemplation.

No trip to H-Town would be complete for a Houston newbie without a visit to Space Center Houston. Lipa looked totally Trinity from The Matrix as she posed for a vid at Mission Control, declaring that she was “GOING 2 MARS!!!” (Mad love to Lipa for eschewing the lame “we have a problem” caption here.)

Pop superstars have to eat, and eat Lipa did, making choice and well-advised stops at Truth Barbecue and Nancy’s Hustle. Lipa posted a pic of the famous Nancy Cakes (a no-brainer order at the award-winning restaurant) and a beefy pic of ribs and brisket at Truth — recently named the No. 3-ranked BBQ spot in the state by Texas Monthly, as CultureMap reported.

Where did she stay? Given its proximity to Toyota Center and its tight-lipped penchant for hosting stars — and given our familiarity with its suites — our guess (and per her IG pic) is Four Seasons Downtown.

Cheers to Lipa and her team for a proper Houston trip and for avoiding clichés. Oh, and we respectfully suggest she contact Eric Sandler for dining tips on her next visit.

music concerts celebrities

are you happy?

Houston continues sad streak as one of the 'unhappiest' U.S. cities

Photo by Damaris Martin on Unsplash

Even with a poor ranking, you still shouldn't ask us to "smile more."

A new nationwide study analyzing the happiest cities in America has determined Houston is slightly happier than it was last year, but it still appears to be one of the unhappiest U.S. cities in 2026.

Houston currently ranks as the 128th happiest U.S. city. Last year, it was No. 151.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Houston across the three key dimensions:

No. 107 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 148 – Income and employment
No. 158 – Community and environment

Despite its low ranking, Houstonians are working hard to improve their city's quality of life year after year, whether its through opening new restaurants, inviting Houston-born stars to perform at the rodeo, or having a strong job market. We also have some of the best museums, a diverse culinary scene, and iconic institutions like the Johnson Space Center. And considering that people keep moving here, Houston must be happier than other places.

Having a good job and a fun social life can qualify as factors that measure happiness, but WalletHub separately emphasized that making more money doesn't necessarily mean "more" happiness.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Elsewhere in Texas
The Dallas suburb Plano and its residents' happiness far outshines the rest of Texas, according to WalletHub. Plano ranked as the 16th happiest U.S. city, and the No. 1 happiest statewide. Austin was the only other Texas city to rank among the top 50, landing in the No. 39 spot.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 70 – Irving
No. 92 – Garland
No. 106 – Grand Prairie
No. 111 – Dallas
No. 113 – Fort Worth
No. 119 – Arlington
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

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