Dua Lipa brought out surprise guest Nile Rodgers to perform Chic’s “Le Freak” Saturday at New York’s Madison Square Garden as the singer continued the Radical Optimism Tour’s tradition of playing local covers at every concert.
Saturday marked Lipa’s third of four nights at the World’s Most Famous Arena; her previous shows at MSG featured covers of New York staples Alicia Keys (“No One”) and Blondie (“One Way or Another“). She upped the ante for the third gig, welcoming the legendary Rodgers himself onstage to play guitar on the Number One disco-funk hit:
“Here in New York, I’m actually spoiled with the choice,” Lipa told the crowd prior to covering Blondie earlier this week. Lipa’s MSG run concludes Sunday night with no shortage of New York artists still available to cover.
Dua Lipa’s Australian and New Zealand tour — where her regional covers trend started — saw the singer perform the likes of AC/DC, Lorde, and Kylie Minogue, while also bringing out guests like Troye Sivan, Tame Impala, and Crowded House’s Neil Finn. The local covers have continued — though less frequently — as the tour headed to Europe, with Lipa covering Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero” in Madrid.
When the trek reached the U.K. at London’s Wembley Stadium, Lipa performed Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” with help from that group’s singer Jay Kay. The following night at the same venue, she brought out Charli XCX for a rendition of that singer’s “360.”
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In Liverpool, Lipa performed the Zutons’ “Valerie” — popularized by Amy Winehouse — with that group’s singer Dave McCabe. The next show, in the birthplace of the Beatles, Lipa covered the Fab Four’s “Hey Jude.” In Dublin, Lipa did “a song by a late Irish legend,” Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
The Radical Optimism Tour has since crossed the Atlantic, opening with two shows in Toronto last week with two more regional covers, Nelly Furtado’s “Like A Bird” and Mustafa’s “Name of God.” In Chicago, Lipa performed with Chaka Khan and covered Earth, Wind, and Fire before heading to Boston, where she delivered Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
