Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia Tour confirms she's a top British pop star.

"This is the best welcome home ever," said Dua Lipa, a few songs from the first UK show on her world tour. "We've waited so long, so long to play this show. We've been putting it off also putting it off, and we're finally here." Moments earlier, the 26-year-old walked the catwalk on her huge stage and slowly raised her hands in the air while absorbing the admiration of the 21,000 fans who had spent two years waiting to see them at the AO Arena in Manchester.

It wasn't just a pop concert - it was a gathering. We'll have to scroll back a bit for context. The Future Nostalgia Tour was first announced in December 2019 amid reports of a potentially deadly new virus emerging from China.

By the time Dua's second album (also titled Future Nostalgia) was released the following March, the world closed, and the tour was postponed. The singer worries about releasing an upbeat dance-pop album when people are suffering.

"I'm not sure I'm even doing the right thing," he told fans in a live protest on Instagram, "but I think what we need most right now is music, and we need joy and." we need them. trying to see the light."

His instincts were right.

Instead of reminding us of what we've lost, this album takes us back to a time when we all hugged again, sweated, and sang those songs simultaneously. Or, to use Dua's own words, she had "a hunch that we've entered a rhythm where the music won't stop forever," and "Future Nostalgia" became the best-selling album of 2020.

However, Covid restrictions are wreaking havoc on their tour. It's been postponed and rescheduled three times, forcing Dua to find a way to keep the music alive - remix albums, spectacular live streams, and a steady stream of new songs, including chart-leading duo Cold Hearts Elton John.

Anticipation for the concert grew steadily, and the roar that greeted the star on Friday night was a unfamiliar mix of excitement and relief. Dua opened the show with a rendition of the 1980 classic Body Work ("Music Makes You Lose Control"), signaling her intention to celebrate leaving the dance floor.

She take to the stage in an electric pink Balenciaga corset next to a Physical bubbling synth, tossing forms in a ballet strip before hitting the runway and diving into '80s-inspired aerobics.

Energy levels barely dropped for the next 40 minutes as the star sang her biggest hits - New Rules, Break My Heart, Love Again, Be One - surrounded by 12 endless dancers.

His performances were straightforward for a pop show, focusing on Dua's impressive vocals and allowing the band to develop their songs to maximize dance floor impact.

Break My Heart is mixed with Justice's Dance, while Hallucinate is embellished with Technologic elements from Daft Punk. Even the female empowerment ballad Boys Will Be Boys was turned into a lively carnival remix with a sample of Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl.

It's a trick Dua borrowed from Madonna -- putting her music right in the pop canon -- while maintaining and celebrating her dominance. This would be an exercise in swagger in smaller hands, but Future Nostalgia's platinum hit is comparable.