Lead
On Sept. 5, 2025, at Chicago’s United Center, Dua Lipa invited music legend Chaka Khan onstage during the opening night of the U.S. leg of her Radical Optimism tour; the pair performed a duet of Khan’s 1983 hit “Ain’t Nobody,” thrilling the audience.
Key Takeaways
- Dua Lipa opened the U.S. leg of the Radical Optimism tour at the United Center in Chicago on Sept. 5, 2025.
- Chaka Khan joined Lipa mid-show for a duet of the 1983 classic “Ain’t Nobody.”
- Lipa performed in a sparkly black coat with feathered sleeves when she brought Khan onstage.
- This appearance follows other high-profile guest moments on the global tour, including Neil Finn in New Zealand and Jamiroquai in London.
- The Radical Optimism album was released in 2024 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
- Lead single “Houdini” spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
- The U.S. tour continues with a second Chicago show on Sept. 6 before stops in major U.S. cities including Boston and New York.
Verified Facts
Dua Lipa launched the United States portion of her Radical Optimism tour at the United Center on Sept. 5, 2025. Midway through the set, she brought Chaka Khan to the stage for a collaborative performance of “Ain’t Nobody,” originally released in 1983.
Audience-captured video of the duet circulated on social platforms after the show; the performance was widely reported by music outlets and attendee posts. Lipa’s stage look that night was described as a sparkly black coat with feathered sleeves.
Radical Optimism is Lipa’s third studio record, released in 2024, and it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album’s lead single, “Houdini,” held the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for 17 weeks.
Earlier legs of the global tour included arena dates across Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand; on those runs Lipa featured surprise guests such as Neil Finn in New Zealand and Jamiroquai in London.
Context & Impact
Inviting Chaka Khan, an icon whose catalogue spans decades, reinforces Lipa’s blend of contemporary pop with classic soul and funk influences onstage. Such guest appearances have become a recurring element of the Radical Optimism run, adding media attention and fan buzz to individual dates.
The U.S. leg schedule lists a second Chicago performance on Sept. 6, followed by stops in Boston, Atlanta, New York, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, extending the tour’s commercial and cultural reach across major markets.
For concertgoers, surprise collaborations can boost ticket demand for subsequent shows and generate viral moments on social platforms, supporting album and ticket sales while broadening cross-generational appeal.
Explainer
Unconfirmed
- Whether Chaka Khan will appear at additional U.S. dates on the Radical Optimism tour is not confirmed.
- It is unconfirmed if fan-shot video circulating online represents the full duet or additional unannounced moments from the performance.
Bottom Line
Dua Lipa’s Chicago opener tied a headline-making surprise to an already high-profile tour, merging her contemporary pop platform with a classic R&B touch via Chaka Khan’s appearance. The pairing is likely to keep momentum high as the tour moves through major U.S. cities.