Dua Lipa Closes World Tour in Mexico With Selena Tribute: ‘I Feel a Very Special Connection’
The British pop star performed the classic "Amor Prohibido" by the late Queen of Tex-Mex.
She sang the most legendary Mexican bolero, rocked alongside one of the most recognized frontmen of Latin rock, and on her last night at the GNP Seguros Stadium, she danced to the rhythm of “Amor Prohibido” to honor the Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena Quintanilla. That’s how Dua Lipa wrapped up her successful Radical Optimism Tour on Friday (Dec. 5) in Mexico City, where she performed three sold-out shows this week at the iconic venue.
In an atmosphere filled with nostalgia and emotion after completing 92 shows around the world, according to Lipa herself, the British star chose to sing her version of the classic song by the iconic Mexican-American singer, with whom she said she feels “a very special connection” due to their shared dual nationality.
“I chose this song because I feel a very special connection with this artist and with her feeling of belonging to two places at the same time,” Lipa told in Spanish to the 65,000 attendees (according to figures from promoter Ocesa) gathered at the stadium. “It’s something I deeply identify with, as I feel I am both Albanian and English, just as she was Mexican and American.” (Watch the moment here).
Lipa was born in London to Albanian-Kosovar parents in 1995, the same year of Selena’s death. In 2022, she reinforced her family roots by obtaining Albanian citizenship. Meanwhile, the Queen of Tejano Music was born in the U.S. with Mexican heritage.
Although she didn’t have special guests like on Tuesday, when Fher Olvera from Maná joined her on stage to sing the band’s classic “Oye Mi Amor” as a duet, Lipa shook the Mexico City stadium to the rhythm of Selena. “¡Dua, hermana, ya eres mexicana!” (“Dua, sister, you’re already Mexican!”), some attendees shouted, thanking her tribute to the country.
On Monday (Dec. 1), during her first night back in Mexico, the singer surprised the audience with the classic “Bésame Mucho” by Consuelo Velázquez, in the version recorded by Luis Miguel in 1997. The gesture was reciprocated two days later by the famous Mexican superstar on social media with an image of both their faces but no accompanying message.
Also on Friday, after the World Cup draw held in Washington D.C., where Mexico learned two of its three upcoming opponents, a fan gifted Lipa a jersey of the Mexican National Team when the artist approached her fans. The Mexican team reacted with a message on X: “One beauty with another beauty! Dua Lipa posed with our new jersey and gifted us this spectacular snapshot. The British singer and us are levitating with World Cup excitement.”
Lipa’s return to Mexico also offered a series of unforgettable experiences to her fans. At the initiative of her record label, a temporary themed taqueria was opened in a tourist-friendly neighborhood of the capital. She also held the first Latin American session of Service 95, a digital newsletter where the singer shares book recommendations and interviews with authors, at a local bookstore. Additionally, she enjoyed the city and its cuisine with friends and family, as she shared on her social media.
“Thank you so much for welcoming us with open arms and for this energy that I will carry with me until next time,” Lipa expressed in Spanish during the last of her three shows in Mexico City, which gathered a total of 195,000 people, according to Ocesa.
Lipa began her Radical Optimism Tour in Singapore in November 2024, continuing through 2025 in Australia, Europe, North America, and Latin America, where the euphoria for the artist was overwhelming. The British singer explored each city marked by the tour and performed surprise covers of local artists that captivated and connected in a special way with her fans. To see all the songs in Spanish and Portuguese she performed throughout the world tour, click here.
