{"id":384420,"date":"2026-07-23T22:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/384420\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T22:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:47:10","slug":"not-for-radio-gives-stunning-show-at-winspear-opera-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/384420\/","title":{"rendered":"Not for Radio gives stunning show at Winspear Opera House"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNot for Radio is the solo project from The Marias’ frontwoman, Maria Zardoya. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Osvaldo Espino for Dallas Observer <\/p>\n

Swans have always been part of the mythology surrounding Mar\u00eda Zardoya, the frontwoman of Grammy-nominated indie pop band The Mar\u00edas<\/a>, who launched her own solo project, Not for Radio, in late 2025. To Zardoya, the animal represents devotion, beauty and transformation, and is a running motif found in every project she touches.<\/p>\n

It was fitting, then, that at her Not for Radio show at Dallas\u2019 Winspear Opera House<\/a> on Wednesday night, the audience was greeted by the image of a swan projected onto the curtain as they waited for the singer to take the stage.<\/p>\n

For those who have followed The Mar\u00edas since their rise during the late 2010s bedroom-pop boom, watching Zardoya evolve into a star in her own right has been fascinating. Along the way, she\u2019s collaborated with artists such as Bad Bunny and Tainy while cultivating an image that feels almost mythological. With a soft-spoken cadence and dreamy perspective on life, love and longing, her work feels mythological.<\/p>\n

That ethereal nature is the foundation of Not for Radio.<\/p>\n

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THANK YOU!<\/p>\n

You’re all set.<\/p>\n

CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The solo project feels less like a departure from The Mar\u00edas and more like a deeper look into Zardoya herself. The moment the curtain lifted, that distinction became clear. The stage was transformed into a lush landscape filled with grassy set pieces and elevated platforms. Behind her stood a full band featuring piano, synthesizer, guitar, drums and even a saxophone, but the focus never drifted far from Zardoya.<\/p>\n

\"\"Not for Radio\u2019s debut record, \u201cMelt,\u201d was released last year. <\/p>\n

Osvaldo Espino for Dallas Observer<\/p>\n

She opened the set with \u201cPuddles,\u201d with a voice that floated effortlessly through the Winspear, immediately establishing the tone for a performance that felt theatrical. Zardoya glided across the stage with a ballet-like grace, turning songs into scenes and transitions into acts. She then moved through tracks like \u201cMoment\u201d and \u201cMagnet\u201d from her debut album \u201cMelt.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a simple \u201cHello Dallas, how are you doing?\u201d here and there, rather than breaking the fourth wall, she seemed content to acknowledge the crowd\u2019s presence while keeping everyone immersed in the world she had created.<\/p>\n

That world is notably more intimate than anything associated with The Mar\u00edas<\/a>. While her band is known for lush pop production and energetic live performances, Not for Radio embraces vulnerability. <\/p>\n

She offered a glimpse into the future with a new, unreleased song titled \u201cCandles,\u201d alongside favorites like \u201cWater on Your Nose\u201d and \u201cComet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The evening\u2019s most powerful visual arrived just before \u201cSwan.\u201d A translucent veil descended from the ceiling, enveloping the center platform where Zardoya had spent much of the show circling and performing. As feathers began falling from above and a male performer lifted her near the song\u2019s climax, the scene felt less like choreography and more like a transformation.<\/p>\n

\"\"Zardoya\u2019s performance of \u201cSwan\u201d was a standout moment among the set. <\/p>\n

Osvaldo Espino for Dallas Observer<\/p>\n

As Zardoya disappeared from view and the band drifted into a gorgeous instrumental passage, the audience seemed suspended in the dreamlike forest she had spent the evening constructing. When she returned, she was dressed in black, a striking inversion of the white outfit that opened the show, and a nod to Tchaikovsky\u2019s \u201cSwan Lake.\u201d The wardrobe change subtly reinforced the themes of evolution and rebirth that ran throughout the performance.<\/p>\n

The emotional center of the evening arrived during songs like \u201cNot the Only One,\u201d where Zardoya explores the complicated territory between emotional and physical loyalty. The song\u2019s vulnerability highlighted one of the project\u2019s greatest strengths: its willingness to sit with uncomfortable feelings rather than resolve them.<\/p>\n

Still, the loudest reaction of the night belonged to a familiar favorite.<\/p>\n

The moment the opening lyrics of The Mar\u00edas\u2019 \u201cNo One Noticed\u201d rang through the theater, the room erupted. The song, which helped propel the band into the mainstream, remains a defining piece of Zardoya\u2019s songwriting ability. Even within the context of a deeply personal solo performance, its impact was undeniable.<\/p>\n

By the time Zardoya reached \u201cAche,\u201d the barriers between performer and audience began to dissolve. Bathed in a blue spotlight, Zardoya walked through the crowd, exchanging brief handshakes, touching outstretched hands and creating fleeting moments of connection. It was another reminder that intimacy, not spectacle, was the show\u2019s driving force.<\/p>\n

The evening closed with \u201cBack to You,\u201d the most popular song from the Not for Radio project and perhaps its clearest mission statement.<\/p>\n

As she sang the final refrain, \u201cI hope it brings me back to you,\u201d she slowly folded onto the platform, like the white swan, Odette.<\/a> The visual callback tied the performance together, bringing its themes of longing, transformation and devotion full circle.<\/p>\n

Through carefully crafted imagery, understated theatrics and unflinching vulnerability, Zardoya invited audiences into her inner world and asked them to sit with her memories, heartbreaks and hopes. Like the animal that has fascinated her for years, Zardoya\u2019s solo debut is graceful, vulnerable and constantly transforming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Not for Radio is the solo project from The Marias’ frontwoman, Maria Zardoya. Osvaldo Espino for Dallas Observer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[2171,102,104,103,4661],"class_list":["post-384420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-concert-reviews","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-pop-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}