In recent
years, the world has recognized the importance of speaking out when struggling
with mental health issues and Ariana Grande has been an important advocate of
this message. At the age of just 26, Grande has millions of fans around the
world which means that every new album is met with a hectic global tour.
Unfortunately, this has led to the return of health problems for the singer.
This weekend,
she revealed that both her anxiety and depression had returned. In the last
couple of years, Grande has had to deal with some tough circumstances. Firstly,
it was at one of her concerts in the UK that 23 people died after a bombing at
Manchester Arena. Then, less than 18 months later, her ex-partner, Mac Miller,
died of an accidental overdose.
Alone, these
would be difficult events to overcome. For Ariana, she also has to deal with
constant fame and she’s been on the road since the middle of March on her Sweetener
tour. As a result, more questions have been raised regarding the welfare of
performing artists and the busy schedules that come with touring.
Cancelled
Events for Ariana
As a result of
the health problems, Grande decided to cancel a meet and greet fan event in
Belgium. Performing in Antwerp on Friday night, she revealed that her panic
attacks had returned and that she was struggling with depression. As a result,
the expected meet and greet was called off and Grande took to Instagram to
inform her fans. In the message, she noted how it was important to reserve all
mental health strength and energy for performances.
Sadly, not only
did Ariana say that her problems had returned, she said they were ‘at an
all-time high’. By cancelling the meet and greet, she believed the performance
itself would be stronger. She noted how ‘I don’t want to rush through our time
together or seem shaky’.
Thanks to those
who attended the Antwerp event, we can tell you that Ariana put on an amazing show…but at what
cost? Is it time to really assess what happens in the industry? Fans love to
see their favorite artists perform in their city, but the health of the artist
needs to take priority.
Mental
Health for Singers
Over the years,
more and more celebrities have spoken out about their own challenges and it has
led to some positive movements in mental health awareness and reducing the
stigma that surrounds such problems. For example, Adele once said that she can ‘slip in
and out’ of depression easily. Elsewhere, Ryan
Reynolds
noted how the expectations for Deadpool were causing anxiety.
At Celeb Network, we would hate for anybody to go through anxiety, depression, or stress. Speak to somebody, get help, and realize that you’re never alone!