When Dua Lipa won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist in 2019, she began her speech by acknowledging the "incredible" female artists she was nominated alongside (which included H.E.R. and Bebe Rexha). "I guess this year we've really stepped up," she said.
In the years since — despite a global pandemic causing some unexpected roadblocks — Lipa has certainly stepped up herself. Releasing her second album, Future Nostalgia, just weeks after the COVID-19 quarantine began in 2020, Lipa helped the locked-down world escape to an alternate club-like universe. And now that she's been able to bring that to life, Dua Lipa's star is shining brighter than ever.
The Future Nostalgia Tour, which kicked off in February and will circle the globe until mid-November, puts Lipa's power on full display. The 26-year-old singer carries herself with tangible confidence throughout the 90-minute show, showcasing the work she has put to become one of the most revered acts of her generation.
With artists like Billie Eilish introducing a darker side of pop and Olivia Rodrigo reinventing punk-inspired pop, the term "pop star" can be tricky to define. But Lipa has taken the traditional pop star tour formula — choreography, costume changes, engineered elements — and made it her own with the Future Nostalgia Tour. Dua Lipa's reign is seemingly just beginning.
Below, take a look at some of the ways Lipa's tour proved her pop prowess.
She's Cross-Generational
From one scan of the crowd, it was apparent that Lipa isn't the kind of female pop star that only young girls idolize. Sure, there were plenty of moms with their sequin-clad daughters, but there were also dads and sons donning Lipa's likeness on their shirts.
It seems Dua Lipa appeals to parents regardless of if their kids are in tow. Groups of women and men of all ages were in attendance, some even donning some bedazzled glasses a la Lipa's "Cold Heart" collaborator, Elton John.
Read More: 'Future Nostalgia': How Dua Lipa Rose From Best New Artist To Massive Pop Star
She's As Humble As She Is Badass
Though her stage commentary never really extended beyond "thank you so much for being here," Lipa's expressions of gratitude were nothing but sincere. "Thank you for listening to the music, it means the absolute world to me," she added, "and I'm so honored that I get to be here tonight, sharing this evening with you, and with all these incredible people on the stage as well."
She made sure her touring troupe got the attention they deserved, even using the show's opening to introduce her dancers before herself.
She Makes Simplicity Cool
Okay, "simple" isn't exactly the word to describe Lipa's show. Every detail was clearly thought-out, from the multifaceted staging to the dance breaks during a costume change.
Yet, there was a simplicity to everything. Each production element — whether it was an illusionary set of twinkling lights during "Be The One" or a basket that (appropriately) ascended Lipa over the crowd for "Levitating" — created a spectacle that was more mesmerizing than overwhelming. (In very '90s pop star fashion, Lipa even incorporated a chair-dance routine for "Hallucinate.")
And while most of Lipa's choreography involved hip sways and toe taps, she makes them effortlessly cool. Frankly, she didn't even need to dance — her powerful strut was enough to carry the show.
Her Sex Appeal Isn't Polarizing
As her new single with Megan Thee Stallion, "Sweetest Pie," suggests, Lipa is a master at sexual innuendos and metaphors. They're sprinkled across Future Nostalgia, but never get too carried away — and that's exactly how she presents them in person.
Even when she was grinding on her dancers or sliding down the mic stand, every move Lipa made was more playful than hypersexualized. And even the most forward song of the entire album, "Good In Bed," featured a metaphorical visual — a bowl of cherries — that brought both an innocence for her younger fans and a fun little tease for the older crowd.
She Obviously Loves What She Does
For a show that is so clearly thought out, it was evident that Lipa enjoys every single second. There was hardly a moment when she wasn’t smiling.
Her star power truly shines when she performs "Future Nostalgia" solo, serving up Prince vibes with mic stand tricks and making heads spin with furious hair flips.
Whether she's backed by dancers or on her own, Lipa not only knows how to run the stage, but loves it. And she’s damn good at it, too.
She’s Created Her Own Universe
Lipa already proved this point in 2020, with her remix album Club Future Nostalgia and her livestream concert, Studio 2054. Even so, an arena stage brings her nightclub-inspired, futuristic world to another level.
Her dance hits (Silk City collab "Electricity" and Calvin Harris team-up "One Kiss") turned the place into a rave, complete with a balloon drop. And, of course, there were plenty of space elements, from a moon-shaped backdrop for "Boys Will Be Boys" to stars protruding from the ceiling before the encore.
If there’s one statement the Future Nostalgia Tour makes, it’s that Dua Lipa has paved her own pop star lane — and she’s ready for everyone to join her universe.
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