![]() ![]() Zaoui’s more straightforward pop had a pep and directness that translated well into an arena setting, and although the nuances of former Chairlift lead singer Polachek’s more cerebral strain of pop - she’s made some of the most innovative mainstream pop of the past couple of years, more in line with Charli XCX and Robyn than Lipa - were sometimes lost in the cavernous venue. The two opening acts, Lolo Zaoui and Caroline Polachek, both had a decent crowd and well-received sets. (Spoiler alert: The setlist is printed below.) It was a show filled with eye and ear candy with many Instagrammable moments, and the enraptured crowd took advantage - hundreds of phones were aloft even during the quieter moments. There was also a surprise guest appearance from Belgian singer Angele, who came out to perform their duet “Fever,” and even a brief ’60s-style cartoon segment on the video screen where Dua was somehow in undersea peril and a giant fake lobster emerged onstage for “We’re Good” (sorry, can’t be bothered to go down the rabbit hole for the significance of that). That bonding moment saw Dua and the singers seated together on the stage, singing together with Elton, who appeared pre-recorded on a video screen (funny enough, he was in Brooklyn that night, playing a date rescheduled from April 2020, and played the song with a video of Dua singing her part). The show is similarly well-paced musically, dishing out the hits at strategic moments and compensating for her relatively shallow catalog - just two albums, after all, and a handful of stray singles and features - by padding out the set with interludes, the above-mentioned spotlights and “Cold Heart,” her duet medley with Elton John. They’re broken up by unobtrusive, 3-4-minute dramatic pauses or spotlight performances by the dancers or the ace band led by musical director William Bowerman (which, unlike many pop shows, were actually audible over the frequent backing tapes). ![]() The choreography, led by Charm La’Donna (who’s also done great work for Rosalia, Selena Gomez and Kendrick Lamar), is truly next level.Ī post shared by Jem Aswad 80-odd-minute show is essentially divided into chapters that are themed by Dua’s four costume changes - a fluorescent yellow-green bodysuit, a silver-glitter number with matching boots, a black bodysuit with pink tights and black sneakers, and finally a skin-tight, semi-sheer Cher-like outfit. Dancing has never been Dua’s greatest strength so the show’s design wisely makes her the strutting, statuesque center - emphasizing her real power points, her voice and presence - while the dancers orbit around her in an ever-morphing, multi-limbed swarm that’s both exhilarating and exhausting to watch. ![]() It’s a real pop-diva arena concert, with flashes of past Madonna, Beyonce, Katy Perry and especially Lady Gaga tours - there’s a giant video screen, lasers, a catwalk into the crowd, a confetti cannon, Dua levitating over the audience in a platform suspended from the ceiling (you’ll never guess for which song), and most importantly of all, a gang of incredible dancers who are both scenery and frontline, architecture and crowd-motivators, an infectious and effusive supporting cast who work every corner of the stage. Some two years in the making, the show lives up to the moment. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |