During Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism World Tour, the multilingual artist embraced the challenge of performing iconic songs from each city she visited, in their native languages. The Latin American leg started in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 7, while the Spanish segment began in Madrid last May.
In an October interview with Variety, the London-born star discussed the ambitious idea, noting she had already performed 57 unique covers. “How fun would it be if every night we do a different song?” she recalled thinking. “And everyone was like, ‘Well, that’s quite ambitious.'”
Her bassist and bandleader, Matty Carroll, added, “It started as we were going to do a few over the course of the tour, right? But then we had that initial rehearsal and put three together really quickly, and then we said, ‘We could do a different one every night.'”
Regarding singing in different languages, Dua Lipa confessed, “It’s very nerve-wracking! Especially when we’re doing them in different languages, that’s definitely — my God, my playlist was on loop, all I was doing was looking at the lyrics and listening over and over for intonations and accents and how to try and perfect things in Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Czech!”
The “Don’t Start Now” singer began the European leg of the tour with Enrique Iglesias’ “Héroe.”
During her first of three shows in Mexico City (Dec. 1), she thrilled fans by performing “Bésame Mucho” by Consuelito Velázquez, inspired by Luis Miguel’s version. On the second night (Dec. 2), she joined Fher from Maná for one of their famous hits. On the final night, Dec. 5, she honored the Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla, with whom she felt “a very special connection.” This performance at the GNP Seguros Stadium concluded her Radical Optimism Tour.
Here’s a chronological list of every Spanish- and Portuguese-language cover Dua Lipa performed during her journey across Spain and Latin America.
Enrique Iglesias, “Héroe”
Image Credit: Madison Phipps Date: May 11
Place: Madrid, SpainDua Lipa surprised her Spanish fans at the Movistar Arena Madrid, kicking off the European leg of her tour. She performed Enrique Iglesias’ 2001 hit “Héroe” entirely in Spanish, earning cheers and applause from the audience, to which she responded with a warm “muchas gracias.”
Manu Chao, “Me Gustas Tú”
Date: May 12
Place: Madrid, SpainOn her second night at Movistar Arena Madrid, Dua Lipa delighted the crowd with Manu Chao’s “Me Gustas Tú.” Her performance captured the song’s joyful energy through its Spanish and French lyrics, resonating with fans and bridging cultures.
Soda Stereo, “De Música Ligera”
Image Credit: Facundo Suarez Date: Nov. 7
Place: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaIn Buenos Aires, Dua Lipa paid tribute to Soda Stereo with “De Música Ligera.” She acknowledged the strength of rock music in Argentina, performing in nearly flawless Spanish and impressing the audience.
Miranda!, “Tu Misterioso Alguien”
Date: Nov. 8
Place: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaOn her second night in Buenos Aires, Dua Lipa performed “Tu Misterioso Alguien” by Miranda!. The duo, Alejandro Sergi and Juliana Gattas, expressed their surprise and delight at her rendition.
Mon Laferte, “Tu Falta de Querer”
Image Credit: Madison Phipps Date: Nov. 11
Place: Santiago, ChileIn Santiago, Dua Lipa delivered an emotional rendition of Mon Laferte’s “Tu Falta de Querer,” captivating the audience with her heartfelt tribute to the Chilean anthem.
La Ley, “El Duelo”
Date: Nov. 12
Place: Santiago, ChileAt Santiago’s Estadio Nacional, Dua Lipa surprised fans with La Ley’s “El Duelo,” honoring the Chilean rock classic with an emotional performance.
Carlinhos Brown, “Magalenha”; Caetano Veloso, “Margarida Perfumada”
Image Credit: Iris Alves Date: Nov. 15
Place: São Paulo, BrazilIn São Paulo, Dua Lipa honored Brazilian music by performing with Carlinhos Brown and Caetano Veloso, delivering “Magalenha” and “Margarida Perfumada.”
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ‘66, “Mas Que Nada”
Date: Nov. 22
Place: Río de Janeiro, BrazilIn Rio de Janeiro, Dua Lipa performed “Mas Que Nada,” celebrating the Brazilian classic made famous by Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66.
Los Hijos del Sol, “Cariñito” (with Mauricio Mesones)
Image Credit: Raul Umeres Date: Nov. 25
Place: Lima, PerúIn Lima, Dua Lipa performed “Cariñito” with Mauricio Mesones, delighting the crowd with the classic cumbia track.
Shakira, “Antología”
Date: Nov. 28
Place: Bogotá, ColombiaIn Bogotá, Dua Lipa paid tribute to Shakira by performing “Antología.” Shakira expressed her appreciation on Instagram, noting the connection music creates.
Consuelito Velázquez, “Bésame Mucho” (Luis Miguel version)
Image Credit: Ocesa/Lulú Urdapilleta Date: Dec. 1
Place: Mexico CityDua Lipa captivated the audience at GNP Seguros Stadium with “Bésame Mucho,” honoring Consuelito Velázquez’s iconic bolero.
Maná, “Oye Mi Amor” (with Fher Olvera)
Image Credit: Lulu Urdapilleta Date: Dec. 2
Place: Mexico CityOn her second night in Mexico City, Dua Lipa performed “Oye Mi Amor” with Fher from Maná, thrilling the crowd with the classic hit.
Selena, “Amor Prohibido”
Date: Dec. 5
Place: Mexico CityOn the final night of her tour in Mexico City, Dua Lipa performed Selena’s “Amor Prohibido,” connecting with the audience over shared cultural experiences.
