Dua Lipa, “Live from Royal Albert Hall.”

It doesn’t offer as gargantuan of a clash as Metallica’s S&M, for which the thrash band linked up with an orchestra, but pop superstar Dua Lipa took a similar route on her new live album. Her songs get the orchestral treatment, backed by the 53-member Heritage Orchestra at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.

The recorded concert took a very different tact than Lipa’s current tour in support of her latest album, Radical Optimism.

The character of the original tracks holds true throughout, but the arrangement by the orchestra adds lush and dramatic layers that go beyond just accompaniment. The more organic material from Radical Optimism translates particularly well to the bevy of strings and horns. “End of an Era” takes on cinematic sound while the upbeat “Houdini” hits particularly hard with the addition of powerful brass section. The live recording includes all of the new material in its entirety, with a handful of other hits and covers mixed in.

Even a pop banger like “Training Season” benefits from just a little bit of extra drama provided, with the orchestra doing the extra lifting. “These Walls” is toned down slightly to let the strings breathe, especially during the stripped intro. Unsurprisingly, Lipa’s vocals are razor sharp, her deeper tones melding well with the added backing. Deeper cut “Watcha Doing” is one of the standout tracks in the live arrangement, crossing a funky soul sound with the more refined strings. The music dropping out at the end for the heavy vocal harmonies in the outro is the icing on the cake.

“Illusion” is bombastic, though not straying dramatically for its original form, though the horns add a nice touch. “Falling Forever” transports listeners back to the height of the disco era with the strings providing a strong backbone for the vocal harmonies, while “Happy For You” tones things down. The lesser-known tracks like acoustic Latin-tinged tune “Maria” keep coming up big throughout the live set. Dua Lipa’s self-titled breakout album isn’t represented beyond smash “Be The One.”  That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the material from disco-heavy Future Nostalgia translates better with the orchestral backing. “Love Again,” it seems, kicked off a second act at the show, as it gets the requisite instrument-tuning sequence (and later, a dramatic pause).

The star song of this set is a duet with Elton John on the pair’s hit “Cold Heart.” The two haven’t often publicly performed together, which makes tis special. But the album’s most poignant moment is a cover of U.K. artist Cleo Sol’s “Sunshine.” The theatrical piano-driven track is sultry, intimate and expertly performed. It stands out from much of the rest of the set. Dua Lipa introduces this one, and later introduces her band and conductor, but the only thing in which this album is lacking is much crowd interaction beyond that.

Naturally, the big dance hits like “Levitating” and “Dance the Night,” which already featured string parts, are represented. The orchestral elements of those songs are emphasized even further. The album concludes with danceable smash “Don’t Start Now.” While the Royal Albert Hall show may have been a one-off, it’s a concept Dua Lipa should revisit. She can afford it now.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at mikedewald.bsky.social.