Dua Lipa headlined the first night of Glastonbury Festival 2024 last Friday, serving an impeccable performance with the aura of a pop goddess. Despite false claims of lip-syncing and a spread of tech issues dampening the weekend, Dua’s set stole all attention, packing hit after hit with supernovic choreography, firework displays, and a grand total of five flawless outfit changes.
Dua’s appearance at the historic fest could easily spur old-school attendees to question the authenticity of such a bubblegum pop star being placed amongst Glasto’s legendary list of headliners, which includes the likes of David Bowie, The Smiths, Oasis, Radiohead, Muse (you catch the rock-music drift). But regardless of her squeaky-clean strain of pop, Dua tore the house down — kicking off her set with the recent single “Training Session” before a swift transition to the UK #1, “One Kiss.”
This was a career-defining moment. Fifteen Top 40 hits were blasted pretty much back to back, each decked out with A-grade choreo more befitting of a music video than a festival. “Levitating” saw Dua and her posse of leather-clad backing dancers strut like runway models and strike power poses as each verse trickled like water and each chorus welcomed a deluge of electric, club-like atmospheres.
Her performance of “Be The One” marked an iconic moment of the star’s first headline set at Worthy Farm. The Glastonbury choir can be heard chanting every word of its first, airy verse before Dua, now sporting a stylishly oddball ivory dress, rushes down to the barriers holding back her immense crowd to induct her new choir of 100,000 backing singers. She leads the chant, “I could be the one,” ad-libbing above the crowd’s chorus in a beautiful, heartwarming epitomization of the power of music.
Unfortunately, neither Elton John, Calvin Harris nor Mark Ronson joined the 28-year-old English-Albanian star on their respective collaborative hits, “Cold Heart,” “One Kiss” and “Electricity,” which were each performed solo.
However, one surprise guest studded Dua Lipa’s set: Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, who joined the stage for a rendition of his band’s own hit, “The Less I Know The Better.” Kevin entered Dua Lipa’s orbit earlier on in the year, featuring on the opening track of her latest record, “Radical Optimism,” which dropped in May this year.
After nineteen phenomenal tracks including breakout single “New Rules,” “Don’t Start Now” and latest single, “Illusion,” Dua ended the set on a high. Her final song, “Houdini” is amongst the clips currently going viral on YouTube, amassing over 667k views during its first two days on the site. In studded, black leather hot pants, cowboy heels and a sparkling midnight halter neck, “Houdini” came laced with Gothic aesthetics and spellbinding choreo performed with the grandiosity of an award-show performance.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can subscribe to her YouTube Channel for more incredible music. For the latest updates, find her on Facebook, follow her on Instagram, or visit her website.
