Dua Lipa has continued her streak of paying tribute to Aussie music icons. This time with a nod to one of the country’s most legendary musical exports: INXS.
During her March 26 show at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, Dua dropped a surprise cover of INXS’ ‘Never Tear Us Apart’. Fan footage from the night shows her launching into the 1987 ballad to a roaring crowd, with thousands of voices singing the chorus back at her.
It’s a full-circle moment, given Dua’s 2020 single ‘Break My Heart’ lifted the groove straight out of INXS’ chart-topping hit ‘Need You Tonight’. The band were credited on the track, but this latest move feels more personal — a live homage to the group in their own backyard.
‘Never Tear Us Apart’ was the fourth single from Kick, the album that catapulted INXS to global fame. The song hit No. 7 on the US charts and became a defining anthem for the band, led by the late Michael Hutchence. INXS formed in Sydney back in 1977, so Dua choosing this city for the tribute wasn’t accidental.
She’s been making a habit of spotlighting Aussie acts throughout the tour. In Melbourne, she covered AC/DC and Kylie Minogue, threw in Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’, and even brought out local stars Troye Sivan and Vance Joy for onstage cameos.
It’s a clever move from the British pop star. She’s not just paying respect, but planting herself deeper in the DNA of Australian pop culture; truly acknowledging the lineage that paved the way.
There’s no word yet if these covers will make it into any official release, but the response from fans has been huge — and INXS fans in particular seem to be backing it hard.
For a global pop star with more than enough hits of her own, Dua’s choice to amplify local legends feels less like a flex and more like a thank you. And in Sydney, where INXS was born — that thank you hit home (particularly for the parents at least).
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