Dua Lipa scales back “radical optimism” for Tiny Desk

Dua Lipa reinterprets the pop perfection of Radical optimism for NPR’s Tiny Desk. On Friday, NPR Music shared the British star’s special appearance performing a handful of songs from her latest album.

Lipa opened her set with one strippedk version of Radical optimism Single “Training Season,” supported by a gentle piano and vocalists before picking up the pace of the song with drums and chimes.

“I’ve always wanted to come down and sit at a desk. “We built a tiny desk for home in 2020, so this feels really special,” Lipa said. (At that time she played songs by Future nostalgiaincluding “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating.”) “We still have a lot to accomplish, so hopefully we can increase that.”

Lipa then moved into “These Walls” and “Happy for You,” sharing that she had “never done an acoustic version of the track before.” “I loved watching Tiny Desks and I love how artists reinterpret their music and it’s always really inspiring,” she said. Lipa ended her performance with a groovier version of her hit “Houdini,” including a guitar and chime solo to close the performance.

The new performance comes a week after Lipa performed a cover of “Believe” with Cher at the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Cher was honored. Lipa should throw her out Radical optimism tour in November in Singapore before heading across Asia and Europe. She will come to North America next September.