Summer Walker blames social anxiety for the cancellation of several upcoming tour dates.
Summer Walker, the R&B singer and Atlanta native, announced several upcoming concert cancellations on her First and Last Tour, explaining on Instagram that her social anxiety has become too overwhelming for her to push through. In the video, Summer sent love to her fans and asked for their support so that she can continue her career, saying, “I hope you all can understand. I’m grateful for every single one of you, and I hope you understand that wellness/mental health is important.” She went on to assure fans that their tickets would be refunded.
Walker opened up about her anxiety in social situations earlier this month after a fan complained about her unfriendly demeanor during a meet and greet. The fan posted a picture of herself with the singer on Instagram, claiming that she was told not to touch or sit too close to Summer and that the artist “barely spoke to anyone.” Summer quickly responded to fans who felt slighted by their interactions with her in an Instagram post of her own, explaining that she is an empath. Empaths are people who are especially sensitive to other people’s emotions and energies and can feel drained after being around large groups or meeting a lot of people.
Summer explained her personal experience with meeting fans further, saying, “There’s a lot of people out here faking the funk with a smile on their face like they got it together but inside your actually suffering… BUT I CAN FEEL IT.”
The singer cut twenty of her twenty-nine remaining shows of the tour. Only last week, she headlined a sold-out show in Los Angeles and spoke about her mental health struggles on stage, saying, “If anybody in here has social anxiety, I just wanna let you know that sh*t is real, but don’t let it stop the bag.”
