Dua Lipa released her debut single 10 years ago. Her list of achievements in the decade since “New Love” is staggering: three multi-platinum albums. Five top-10 hits in the US; 16 in the UK. Twelve songs with over one billion streams on Spotify, including five with over two billion. One of the most-watched music videos on YouTube ever. Grammys. Brit Awards. A book club. A viral recipe. Until proven otherwise, it seems there’s nothing Dua Lipa can’t do — including putting on a fantastic live show.
I caught the final night of Dua Lipa’s four-night residency of the Radical Optimism Tour at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. It was the platonic ideal of a large-venue concert and a showcase for everything she does well.
The 21-song set/dance party kicked off with Dua Lipa emerging from crashing waves playing on a crystal-clear video screen behind her. Over the next two electrifying hours, she showed off her powerhouse (and underrated) vocals while floating 20 feet in the air (“Anything For Love”); kept the choreography interesting with a Bob Fosse-style routine (“Whatcha Doing”); and commanded the constant attention of the sold-out crowd.
Dua bounced from pop (sweaty set highlight “Physical”) to disco (Barbie favorite “Dance The Night Away”) to a house-inspired rave (a hyped-up “Electricity”). During “Love Again,” she was surrounded by a literal ring of fire. Hotter than hell, indeed.
The setlist was a well-proportioned showcase of radio/streaming hits that had the security guards in front of me singing along, and non-single cuts from Radical Optimism. The album wasn’t as inescapable a hit as Future Nostalgia — to be fair, few albums released in the 2020s are — but songs like “Houdini” and “These Walls” sound as big as “Levitating” when performed live. Maybe the emotionally complex “Happy For You” won’t make the cut for the next tour, but I hope it sticks around.
A viral highlight during every stop of the Radical Optimism Tour is which song from a local artist Dua will cover. OutKast’s “Hey Ya” in Atlanta, The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” in Liverpool, etc. The New York City shows got “No One” by Alicia Keys, “One Way Or Another” by Blondie, “Le Freak” by Chic, and during the final night, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz… with special guest Lenny Kravitz. (I incorrectly predicted Billy Joel.) It’s not easy to out-cool Zoë Kravitz’s dad, but Dua found a way.
One of the reasons why Dua belongs in the upper echelon of modern-day artists is the refreshing lack of drama surrounding her. There’s no household controversies or toxic fan base or lore that you need to know to “understand” her songs. She’s a professionally perfect pop star: a strong singer, dancer, and live performer who has exceptional chemistry with her fans, as she proved during an endearing mid-show meet-and-greet. What more could you possibly want from a concert? (If the answer is “pyro and confetti,” there was that, too.)
Before the end of the show, Dua thoughtfully reflected on her decade-long journey. She mentioned that her first New York City show was in 2016 at Mercury Lounge, a standing-room-only venue with a capacity of 250 people. Now she’s selling out arenas. There’s a reason that decade-ago promise turned into impossibly impressive success — and it’s there for everyone to see on the Radical Optimism Tour.
You can check out photos from the show below.
