Summer Walker Cancels Tour Dates Due to Social Anxiety
Summer Walker is officially Over It.
The R&B singer has pulled the plug on the majority of her “First and Last Tour” due to her extreme social anxiety. She made the announcement Tuesday in a video on Instagram.
“I truly appreciate all the support and love. As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety. I want to continue to be healthy and to make music for y’all, so I have decided to cut down some of the dates on the tour,” said the self-described introvert. “I hope you all can understand. I’m grateful for every single one of you, and I hope that you understand that wellness/mental health is important. All cancelled dates will be refunded asap. Thank you.”
The aptly-titled “First and Last Tour” kicked off last month. Twenty of the 29 remaining dates have been canceled. The nine cities that remain include San Francisco, Toronto, Chicago, Royal Oak, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Atlanta.
On Saturday, Walker performed at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival and headlined her own sold-out show at L.A.’s The Novo on Friday where she brought out Usher and Jhené Aiko. She addressed her anxiety while on stage.
“If anybody in here has social anxiety, I just wanna let you know that shit is real, but don’t let it stop the bag,” she said. “Don’t let it stop anything that you wanna do.”
.@IAMSUMMERWALKER brings out @Usher to perform #ComeThru at her #FirstAndLastTour in L.A. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/O5OUFT0MXS
— Rap-Up (@RapUp) November 9, 2019
Walker also received criticism for not hugging fans during her meet and greets. “For those who’re upset b/c I don’t give hugs idk what to tell you…I’m an empath, and that transference of energy from that many people each day would literally KILL me,” she explained. “So I ask you please respect my space in those moments.”
Walker’s debut album Over It opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last month and set a record for the largest streaming week ever for an R&B album by a woman.