Picture this: you’ve been waiting years to see your favorite artist perform live, and after the wild ride of the COVID-19 pandemic, the time has finally come. Except in this case, it ends before it even begins. Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, country band Lady A and others have canceled their upcoming shows for unexpected reasons.
In June of this year, Justin Bieber announced that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS), a neurological disorder that affects his ear and facial nerves, resulting in facial paralysis. R.H.S is related to the virus that causes chickenpox and can lead to shingles later in life, but occasionally develops into the rare Bell’s palsy-like condition Bieber suffers from. After he posted a devastating video on his social media, the comments section was flooded with concerned fans expressing loads of support. This postwhich showed half his face immobilized surpassed 60 million views on Instagram.
“I think it’s really important to prioritize mental health and physical health,” Ava Sapano ’25 said. “Touring is a tiring process, so you really have to think about your own health.”
After announcing he was taking a short break from his Justice world tour, said Bieber He will “use this time to rest and relax and get back to 100% so I can do what I was born to do.”
“For those who are frustrated with my cancellation of the next few shows, I’m just physically obviously not up to doing them.” said Bieber. “I wish that wasn’t the case, but obviously my body is telling me to slow down.”
He returned to the stage in early August hoping to play the rest of his shows, but announced to fans on September 6 that he would be canceling the remainder of his world tour to prioritize his health. He said on his Instagram story: “I realized I need to make my health a priority now. So I’m going to take a break from touring for now.”
All Marist College students seem to understand this decision. However, some believe it would be fairer to fans to postpone the tour rather than cancel it.
Justin Bieber isn’t the only teenage heartthrob who has decided to take a break from touring this year. On July 27, Shawn Mendes announced he was canceling his Wonder world tour due to mental health issues after rediscovering the overwhelming pressure of being on the road and playing live.
“I know you’ve all been waiting so long to see these shows and it breaks my heart to tell you guys this, but I promise I’ll be back as soon as I’ve given myself the right amount of time to.” heal,” the “Stitches” singer continued Instagram. “We had hopes that after some much-needed time off I might be able to continue with the remaining appointments, but at this point I have to put my health first.”
After the start The Shawn Mendes Foundation In August 2019, it was revealed that the 24-year-old pop singer cares about the mental health and well-being of young people. This organization works to give our younger generation a voice and the power to speak out against unfortunate issues. The idea for this empowering project was inspired by “young changemakers he met on a world tour”.
Given that Mendes has done so much for those in need through this nonprofit organization, it’s understood his fans would respect his decision. Some have done so and some have not, but the majority of Marist students recognize the importance of these celebrities taking care of themselves.
Sapano said, “I know the fans will be disappointed, but unless the artist is 100% ready, they shouldn’t be forced to tour just to please the fans.”
Mental health can be influenced by many different factors. As for Mendes, it was post-pandemic touring pressures that prompted him to halt his “Wonder” world tour. For country group Lady A’s Charles Kelley, it was his increasing struggle with sobriety that prompted the band to make a similar decision. Following the topic, Lady A announced the cancellation of her tour via her Instagram account. she wrote on August 4th: “We’re a band, but more importantly… we’re a family. We are proud to say that Charles has embarked on a journey to sobriety.”
Not only did the trio postpone their tour to 2023, but they also backed out upcoming performance at the Nebraska State Fair should take place in September.
Being in the public eye during the tour would put Kelley under a lot of pressure, so the band felt it was necessary, even though it was a difficult decision. Tess Donovan ’25 said, “A big part of touring culture is going out and partying, so if Kelley was in that environment he would be more apt to break his sobriety.”
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