Dua Lipa bridges generations.
During the New York City stop of her Radical Optimism Tour, the pop star, 30, packed Madison Square Garden with fans of all ages: young girls and their dads, friends both old and new and couples whose relationships date back to either the Barbie soundtrack or Mattel itself.
All of them got their money’s worth on Saturday, September 20, as Lipa danced the night away for her third of four sold-out shows at the world’s most famous arena.
The Grammy winner captivated the crowd for two hours straight as she tore through one hit after another, bringing the glitz and glamour of Manhattan’s legendary discotheque Studio 54 to the Garden.
Lipa’s 22-track setlist included 10 of the 11 songs on her 2024 album, Radical Optimism — including “Training Season,” which opened the concert, and “Falling Forever,” a vocal highlight — as well as selections from her first two records, 2017’s Dua Lipa (a confetti-filled rendition of “Be the One” was one standout) and 2020’s Future Nostalgia (yes, “Levitating” still slaps).
Dua Lipa Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA
The singer also did a pair of her most well-known 2018 features, “One Kiss” (originally recorded with Calvin Harris) and “Electricity” (Silk City, Diplo and Mark Ronson), in addition to a snippet of her 2023 Barbie smash, “Dance the Night.”
But the highlight of the night came early on when, during the second of five acts, Lipa surprised the audience by bringing out NYC icon Nile Rodgers to duet on his band Chic’s 1978 classic “Le Freak.” Though it was released nearly two decades before she was born, the disco staple seamlessly fit in with Lipa’s catalog.
Nile Rodgers and Dua Lipa Madison Phipps
Radical Optimism didn’t achieve the same commercial or critical success as Future Nostalgia, but hearing it live gave the album new life. Deeper cuts like “Maria” and “Anything for Love” put Lipa’s charisma center stage, as did the moment she walked through the crowd to say hello to a few fans.
Training season is over for Dua Lipa now that she’s with Callum Turner. The singer first sparked romance rumors with the British actor in January 2024, when they were spotted cozying up at the Masters of the Air premiere party. However, Turner played coy about their connection, telling photographers “no comment” when asked about his […]
The hitmaker snapped selfies, celebrated a lesbian couple from England and New Jersey who somehow found their way to each other and chuckled at one overzealous woman who simply couldn’t stop calling her “gorgeous.”
It was a reminder that, underneath the feather boas and sequined bodysuits, Lipa is human too — and just wants to party like the rest of Us.
