Zayn Malik has been reluctant at times in his career - remember his freakout at X Factor’s Boot Camp when he felt unable to complete the dance task? Or when he turned up to subsequent interviews leaving his bandmates to do all the talking? Or when he quit the band entirely so he could be a ‘normal 22-year-old’? This reluctance made a little more sense earlier this year when Zayn, now a pretty successful solo singer, cancelled his gig at the Capital Summertime Ball at the last minute, citing his anxiety problems as the cause for a no-show. And he’s done it again, this time one month in advance.
Due to play a one-off gig at the Dubai Autism Rocks Arena on 7th October, the singer put out a message to his fans on the ticket site saying: ‘Dear Fans, I have been working over the last three months to overcome my extreme anxiety around major live solo performances’
‘I feel I am making progress but I have today acknowledged that I do not feel sufficiently confident to move forward with the planned show in Dubai in October. I am assured that all tickets will be refunded. I am truly sorry to disappoint you. I hope to see you all soon.’
‘Thank you to all my fans who support me globally. With love and respect always, Zayn’
He’s not the only young musician to recently put a hold on their work due to mental health issues. Selena Gomez has cancelled a whole string of gigs so she can devote time to dealing with panic attacks, anxiety and depression after a diagnosis with lupus (something Lady Gaga also suffers from). And Fifth Harmony’s Camilla Cabello walked off stage during a performance, later saying on Snapchat (modern!) she ‘was having too much anxiety’ to perform.
As The Debrief previously put it, Zayn’s mental health issues show the universality of these sorts of problems. And as much as some might say that Zayn et al are far too rich, beautiful and famous to have any problems, by very virtue of the fact they’re rich, beautiful and famous, they’re facing some weird things in their lives. Sure, Zayn gets to be adored and go out with the adorable Gigi Hadid, but he has to deal with cameras wherever he goes, fans expecting a lot of him and of course, pressure to perform live. Plus, he's still only 23 years old. May he get loads better and tour wherever he wants.
If you are experiencing mental health problems and need help, head over to Mind
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.