WORDS: JAMES HANLEY
In an era of precious few British global breakthroughs, Dua Lipa stands tall. The 29-year-old is now a proven Glastonbury and (soon to be) stadium headliner, with massive dates in London, Liverpool and Dublin already sold out for next summer following a slate of international arena shows.
Indeed, such is the former Music Week cover star's box office appeal that her Royal Albert Hall debut last night represented a relatively intimate gig for the English-Albanian singer - and likely the last chance for her fans to see her indoors in the UK for a considerable period of time.
The one-off gig, which leant heavily on Lipa's blockbuster gold-selling third album Radical Optimism, saw the star perform with the Heritage Orchestra and - as a special surprise - the legendary Elton John, who joined her for an encore of their 2021 worldwide smash Cold Heart.
Here, Music Week runs down a handful of the evening's biggest talking points...
STRINGS ATTACHED
If the setting was smaller than the enormodomes Dua Lipa has become accustomed to playing, the sheer scale of the production more than compensated as the iconic Hall transformed into her own personal dancefloor. Promising the gig would be "unlike any other I have ever done", Lipa was as good as her word, backed by a 53-piece orchestra (conducted by Ben Foster), 14-strong choir and seven-member live band, while more than 500 crew came together to make the show happen.
Lipa shared her inspiration from "going to the root and reimagining" her hits, new and old, with bangers such as Love Again, Houdini and Training Day reinforced or repurposed. "I wanted to get closer to the music," she told the audience. "It felt right to hear these songs like this."
NOSTALGIA NEVER GOES OUT OF FASHION
Hard as it might be to believe, Future Nostalgia turns five years old next March, edging ever closer to, well, actual nostalgia. "It feels like a lifetime and it feels like yesterday," reflected Lipa. Each of Radical Optimism's 11 tracks were included in the 19-song setlist and felt right at home in and around established favourites. RO opener End Of An Era, which kicked off the near two-hour set, was one of five RO cuts (French Exit, Anything For Love, Maria, Whatcha Doing) to receive their live debuts. She also brought out her dancers for the first live airing of the UK No.1 Dance The Night from the Barbie Soundtrack.
TOO MANY HITS?
An unexpected gem was Lipa's soulful take on Sunshine by Cleo Sol ("It moves me every time I hear it, it seemed fitting"). There were some notable omissions though, with Physical, IDGAF and New Rules among those deemed surplus to requirements for the night, such is the depth of her catalogue. She did find space, however, for first album highlight Be The One ("It turned me from a girl into a woman"). "I think I'm going to sing this song for the rest of my life," she predicted.
ROYAL WELCOME
A seasoned live act, the multi BRIT and Grammy Award winner's patter in the confines of the Hall, on the heels of her Glastonbury triumph, highlighted how she has grown as a performer to suit any stage. "What a dream it is to be in this room tonight," beamed Lipa.
Summing up the theme of the show - filmed for a future TV special - as "dress to impress", Lipa led by example, wearing a red Jean Paul Gaultier dress before switching to a black Chanel outfit for the encore. Visibly thrilled to be starring at the RAH, she noted she was following in the footsteps of luminaries such as Winston Churchill, Charles De Gaulle and Albert Einstein in gracing the London venue ("But I'm almost 99% sure they didn't have a dress as nice as this"). Stadium pop has rarely looked so good.
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
Perhaps the only thing missing from Elton John's Glastonbury swansong was a Dua Lipa duet, but he put that right almost 18 months after his touring retirement. In an electrifying cross-generational moment, the Rocket Man emerged during the encore to join Lipa on Cold Heart - only the second time the pair had performed the song together live. "Well how about that," she smiled as a memorable evening drew to a close. Next stop: the world.
Dua Lipa played:
End of an Era
Houdini
Levitating
Maria
French Exit
Sunshine
Training Season
These Walls
Whatcha Doing
Love Again
Pretty Please
Illusion
Falling Forever
Anything For Love
Happy For You
Cold Heart (with Elton John)
Be The One
Dance The Night
Don’t Start Now
PHOTOS: Ben Gibson & Lloyd Wakefield
