The mini show opened with a run through “Training Season.”
Dua Lipa took one more big bite of the apple before leaving New York. After playing double duty as musical guest and host on Saturday Night Live, the singer brought her Radical Optimism vibe to Times Square for a surprise pop-up gig on Sunday night (May 5).
Playing to a packed crowd from rectangular stage set up in the heart of the city, Dua took the stage with her band and busted right into her new album single “Training Season.” Wearing a long black leather duster over a black and white patterned maxi dress, the singer showcased her new collection on the rainy evening, sliding right into pop burner “Houdini” as giant images of the show were projected onto the digital screens behind her.
“Wow, you guys are amazing, thank you so much, what an unbelievable evening,” she told the crowd. “Thank you for showing up. Thank you for braving the rain and the cold. I even saw you take your top off! It’s getting hot in here, innit?” The singer gushed about her “unbelievable” week, which included the release of the album and, not for nothing, a visit that she dubbed “the most New York experience of all-time.”
She kept things Radical by playing the LP’s closing track, the bouncy “Happy for You,” followed by her final selection, the album’s current single, “Illusion.”
Just 24 hours before, Dua became the latest musician to do a double-up on SNL, explaining the meaning behind the title of her third studio album in a monologue bit and then performing “Illusion” and “Happy for You” on the show.
Watch Dua Lipa’s surprise New York set below.
