When Dua Lipa announced a trio of release-week fan events for her new single “Houdini,” taking place in London, Los Angeles and Tokyo, she kept the exact locations a secret. But was there ever any doubt where the LA party had to be held?
Lipa invited hundreds of her biggest fans to the mysterious Houdini Estate in the winding hills of Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Tuesday night to navigate an escape room (fitting for the famous illusionist and the slippery new song) and to dance the night away at an open-air disco party.
“Wow, the energy is insane!” Dua Lipa said to the roaring crowd as she made her way behind the DJ booth after 8 p.m. “Have you guys had a chance to go into the escape room? Was it fun?” she asked to a resounding “yeah!” “Was it hard?” she asked, getting a “no!” in return. “All right, I’m going to be having a word with someone then,” she said with a laugh.
After hits from Jamiroquai, Grace Jones, Human League and, of course, Lipa herself, we finally got to the track of the hour. “You guys wanna hear the song? All right, let’s f—ing do it! Let’s have a dance!”
Lipa pressed a button to launch “Houdini” — “I’ll play DJ,” she laughed — and kicked the party into overdrive as she danced and sang along to the single that kicks off her post-Future Nostalgia era.
According to early numbers reported to Luminate, “Houdini” drew 14 million all-format airplay audience impressions in its first four full days (Nov. 10-13) and will debut on the Radio Songs chart (dated Nov. 25, reflecting airplay Nov. 10-16), perhaps in the chart’s upper half, with pop and adult pop airplay leading the way. It could be Dua’s highest Radio Songs debut, previously set when her Barbie soundtrack cut “Dance the Night” started at No. 28 in June.
Fans right next to the DJ booth passed their phones up to Lipa so she could shoot selfie videos and pics along with the song, and when “Houdini” wrapped up, Lipa agreed to a fan request for a repeat spin. “One more time? Let’s f—ing go!”
When the second go-round wrapped up, Lipa teased that she wouldn’t be leaving the estate just yet. “You guys are the f—ing best, thank you so much! I want you guys to stay, enjoy your time, those that haven’t, try the escape room. I’m going to do a little walk around. I’ve got to go and see this spooky-a–place.”
True to her word, the pop star popped up in the escape room, offering a magical surprise to the lucky fans inside.
Dua Lipa’s London fan event took place on Thursday at the English National Ballet, where the “Houdini” music video was filmed. She gave fans a sneak peek at the visual before its official release. The next event is in Tokyo, and fans can still sign up to attend here.
–Additional reporting by Gary Trust
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