Pop superstar Dua Lipa is having a very big year.
Her third album, “Radical Optimism,” went to No. 1 in 11 countries, she kicked off a world tour, and headlined the Glastonbury Festival. Now, we are getting “An Evening with Dua Lipa,” a special concert that reimagines all of her hit songs performed with a 53-piece orchestra at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. The performance will air Sunday night on CBS and Paramount+.
“It was always on the top of my list of places that I’ve been dreaming to perform in. And I just love, you know, the theater element of the venue and how grand it is, but also very intimate,” she told “CBS Mornings” on Thursday.
She shared that performing in smaller, more intimate settings allowed her to connect more personally with the audience and engage with her music on a deeper level, something she had missed while focusing on larger shows.
Performing with the orchestra was a transformative experience for her.
“It completely helps you reimagine everything. You hear the lyrics differently, you feel the music differently. And for me in particular, it was incredibly emotional hearing my songs reimagined in that way, and then standing in the middle around 53 incredible musicians just—it’s like it’s riveting, like it moves you in such a different way. And I feel like everyone in the audience felt it. It was such a joyous moment in the room,” said Lipa.
The performance features a surprise duet with Elton John, a moment Lipa called a bucket list experience.
“I’ve listened to Elton’s music my whole life, and to have someone like Elton be a friend and be somebody who supported me from the very beginning of my career to, you know, championing me and being by my side and then showing up for me in this capacity,” she said.
The special also includes an emotional reunion with Lipa’s childhood music teacher, Ray, whom she credited with changing her life. Dua Lipa said she hadn’t seen him in 10 years.
“You know, teachers are so incredibly important, and a good teacher can really change the trajectory of a child’s life, really. And Ray, for me, changed my life. He made me believe that I could do it. He told me that I had something special worth looking … to dig a little deeper,” she said.
Reflecting on the concert, Dua Lipa added:
“When it’s closer to the music, it’s really where I feel like I’m supposed to be. You know, the live instruments is really what moves me. And I don’t know, I found the performance in itself exciting, but then also really inspiring for, I don’t know, new things.”
