, including a former rock singer father. She took the stage in a fluorescent yellow catsuit promptly at 9:15 p.m. after her crew of 10 dressed-in-blue dancers — who included two agile and entertaining roller skaters — were all introduced by name on a giant video screen.
What followed for the next 90 minutes was a tightly choreographed, insistently effective fashion-forward evening that was briskly paced and dazzling to look at. It was greeted with unfettered enthusiasm by a crowd that stood up and danced throughout the entire show. Lipa was a more-than-capable vocalist, singing in a warm alto, supported by a band that included four backup singers and a guitarist who stepped up on command when a wailing solo was needed. And though, she’s clearly stepped up her game and held her own with her troupe.
Highlights included a video duet with Elton John on “Cold Heart” with a “Rocket Man” interlude and the smash hit “Levitating” in which Lipa rose above the crowd on a floating platform while wearing a black bodysuit by French designer Thierry Mugler, who died in January.has lifted its creator into the rarified realm of dance-pop divas that have preceded her, including Madonna, whose unmatched 1980s heydayLipa’s songs have a feminist thrust.
As a pop culture presence, Lipa projects an image as a cultured citizen of the world. She’s launched a podcast called