Dua Lipa surprised fans at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night when she brought out Nile Rodgers to perform Chic’s “Le Freak.” The moment came as part of her Radical Optimism Tour, which has made a habit of including special local covers at each stop.
Saturday marked Lipa’s third of four shows at the iconic arena. For her earlier performances at MSG, she had chosen to honor New York classics with covers of Alicia Keys’ “No One” and Blondie’s “One Way or Another.” For her third night, she raised the stakes by inviting Rodgers himself onstage to play guitar on the disco-funk hit that reached Number One.
“Here in New York, I’m actually spoiled with the choice,” Lipa told the audience earlier in the week before performing Blondie’s hit. Her run at MSG wraps up Sunday night, with plenty of other New York artists left for her to celebrate, potentially.
The idea of performing local covers began during Lipa’s shows in Australia and New Zealand, where she performed tracks from artists like AC/DC, Lorde, and Kylie Minogue, and welcomed special guests including Troye Sivan, Tame Impala, and Crowded House’s Neil Finn. When the tour moved to Europe, she continued the tradition, although less often, with standout moments such as covering Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero” in Madrid.
When the Radical Optimism Tour reached London’s Wembley Stadium, she delivered Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” alongside the band’s frontman, Jay Kay. The following night, also at Wembley, she invited Charli XCX to join her for a performance of Charli’s own song “360.”
In Liverpool, she chose to perform the Zutons’ “Valerie” with the group’s singer, Dave McCabe, a track made world-famous by Amy Winehouse. The following night in the Beatles’ hometown, she took on “Hey Jude.” In Dublin, she honored the late Irish icon Sinead O’Connor with a moving version of “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Now that the tour has returned across the Atlantic, Lipa has kept the streak alive. In Toronto, she opened with two shows that included Nelly Furtado’s “Like A Bird” and Mustafa’s “Name of God.” When she arrived in Chicago, she shared the stage with Chaka Khan and covered Earth, Wind, and Fire, before moving on to Boston, where she performed Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
