March 2020 was rife with disappointment. After the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were forced to reevaluate the connections we had, not just with each other, but with our work, our health and life itself. In the midst of this chaos, a retro-pop light shined in the form of Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia.” While the world closed down around us and summertime concerts were pushed to the backburner (and eventually taken off the stove altogether), millions tuned in through headphones, speakers and radio to listen to the British-Albanian singer’s sophomore album.
Flash forward nearly two years, thousands flocked to the newly constructed UBS Arena in Elmont, New York to see Dua Lipa perform her Grammy-winning album. The hype was intoxicating, as many came out for their first concert since the pandemic began. The audience and stage got warmed up by openers Lolo Zouaï and Caroline Polachek, and then it came to life as the Arena lights went dark.
The journey began on Earth, as most do. After the introduction of her dancers and herself in an ’80s workout video inspired montage, Dua Lipa took to the stage with her performance of “Physical,” the album’s second single. Accompanied by her dancers and a background of a neon-lit technicolor street, Dua made it clear that the audience would not be sitting back down. “We created something phenomenal / Don’t you agree,” she sang before bursting into one of the most dance-ensuing choruses on the album, consciously and subconsciously encouraging the audience to move however they please.
As the concert went on, Dua changed outfits a handful of times: a white bodysuit that briefly became a dress, a black blazer ripped off to reveal a pink two-piece and a bedazzled black cutout bodysuit that served as her final look. Throughout these changes, the songs seemed to blend effortlessly into one another, highlighting Dua’s incredible creation of her own sonic universe. Well-known hits from her debut album, like fan-favorites “New Rules” and “Be the One,” were dispersed throughout. Her bold vocals and upbeat production produced a confident and proud display of Dua Lipa: a woman who knows who she is yet is still plagued by the anxieties of modern love. This vibe of bravado was interrupted only once by the softening chords of “Boys Will Be Boys,” a social commentary through song on excusing misogyny in young men and the consequences of having women cater to those societal standards.
The singer took flight (literally) in her performance of her hit “Levitating,” where she flew over the crowd, suspended on a small stage as astrological rainbow projections served as her setting. The crowd knew the lyrics well, and the singer could barely be heard while the entirety of the UBS Arena sang along as they all flew through the Milky Way together.
The title track of “Future Nostalgia” was the penultimate song on Dua Lipa’s set list, in which she reestablished her independence and desire to change the game. For her grand finale, she performed the song that was the album’s lead single, “Don’t Start Now,” a song about rolling our eyes at past loves who want a slice of what they missed out on. With choreography that was familiar to fans and haters alike (if you know, you know), Dua Lipa closed out her show with confidence.
An interplanetary expedition almost two years in the making, Dua Lipa’s UBS performance was just a sliver of her “Future Nostalgia” tour. On the outside, it was laser displays, flattering outfits and a neon-pop aesthetic befitting of its title. On the inside, it was the expression of a woman navigating love, anxiety and healing – and dancing through it.
