It has been four long years since Dua Lipa first appeared on NPR Music’s beloved Tiny Desk Concert series. Back then, the “Maria” singer was all about disco. Today (October 25), Lipa returned for her first in-person set, proving that you can take the girl out of boogie music, but you can’t take the boogie out of the girl.
With her Radical Optimism Tour set for 2025, Lipa gave the studio audience and viewers watching a taste of what’s to come. Although Lipa stuck to tunes from her latest album, Radical Optimism, she infused her beloved pop-dance sound into the performance.
Opening with “Training Season,” Lipa wasted no time getting the show started with the album’s standouts. She followed with “These Walls” and “Happy For You,” a show of sonic range on the album. But the big finale belonged to, of course, “Houdini,” which the crowd ate up.
The platform confirmed Lipa’s at-home mix of Future Nostalgia bops still holds the record for the most-viewed Tiny Desk concert in history. Dua Lipa was sure to acknowledge that point, saying, “Wow, thank you so much. Thank you for having us down here today. I’ve always wanted to come down and be by the desk. We did an at home Tiny Desk in 2020. So, this feel really special. We have a lot to live up to so hopefully we can top that one up.”
Lipa’s groove was powered by her all-star band, consisting of bassist Matthew Carroll, drummer Adam “Smiley” Wade, guitarist Alex Lanyon, keyboardist Georgie Ward, glockenspiel player Sophie Galpin, and background vocalists Ciara O’Connor and Naomi Scarlett.
Watch the full performance above.