Decoding Tyla’s Tour Cancellation: Was It All About Ticket Sales?
The Grammy award winning South African singer Tyla cancels her up and coming tour. Tyla released a statement apologizing to her fans that she would not be able to perform on tour as planned due to an injury. However many are speculating because it is because of low ticket sales.
She stated: “My Tygers, All of you know that this moment you have all helped me transform into reality, has been a lifelong dream. I am so grateful and humbled by this past year and the way it has changed my life. I can never thank you guys enough for all your loving support, all the joy, the laughter and the wins! As much as this is something I would have rather have dealt with privately, it is important that I share what I have to share with you today. For the past year I have been silently suffering with an injury that has tragically worsened. I have seen doctors and specialists with high hopes but the pain has only become more agonizing as the severity of the situation. I am heartbroken that I have to say this but as of right now I won’t be able to proceed with my tour. In consulting with medical professionals it has become increasingly clear that continuing any festival or tour dates would jeopardize my long term health and safety. Words cannot describe my frustration at this pivotal point in my career. So please know that my team and I are working diligently on a spectacular show for you as soon as I am recovered and ready to return safely onstage this summer. For North American headline dates, your tickets will automatically be refunded, for all other territories you will be contacted by your ticket provider regarding options, please look out for new dates and information. Thanks Tygers for understanding.”
Canceling this tour means that Tyla is also canceling her Coachella performances. This is indeed very unfortunate for the songstress who has broken through the glass ceiling. Coachella is one of the most prestigious events in music today. And it is not fair that Tyla has to defer this golden opportunity.
However there seems to be speculation that Tyla is making an excuse because her ticket sales are low. You see more prominent artists like Lil Baby and DaBaby canceling tours because they could barely meet the ticket sales they previously used to do on a regular basis. You see many female artists like Saweetie who have millions of followers on Instagram however that didn’t translate to album sales. On the other hand you have artists like Coi-Leray who have attained their high level of following on TikTok and instagram but still fail to sell out venues. It seems to be a trend with not just rappers but also singers as well. So when American new age artists can not sell the way they used to, where does that leave artists who cross over from other countries?
Now Tyla has actually both got real life and online accolades, she has a hit record ‘Water”, a grammy and a loyal devoted fanbase. So this definitely delegitimizes any thought that she didn’t do the tour because of low ticket sales. A rapper named Troy Ave once said “One song is worth a thousand tours”. This theory is honestly hard to truly accept because as big a song as “Water” is, we cannot honestly say that alone is enough to have people fill up multiple venues to watch you perform that record and then just leave. The only time people ever gathered around to watch a show for less than two minutes was the Mike Tyson boxing matches in the 1980’s and early 90s.
Tyla is still yet to drop her album. Her team is still deep in production of her album but one can understand the need to want to strike while the iron is hot with embarking on this tour. It makes financial sense to capitalize on this golden opportunity. However without an album you’re as good as a one hit wonder. The other thing we cannot deny is that an album is better at helping an artist establish themselves in the mainstream. Fan culture in the music industry is extremely toxic. A Lot of fans will either mock her for only being capable of one hit, however we can not deny that demand is fickle.
Her team is indeed rushing the process with good reason too. An album would benefit her more now than ever because the fans will have music to hold on to, and she needs to have more and more televised performances as well as joining the world wide festival circuit. Tyla needs to prove she is worth watching on tour. As much as this is a great moment to capitalize it is too early to be planning a tour.
This injury may be a blessing in disguise because now she can focus on her album and the music she is creating. In order for her to make up for these tour dates she is missing she’s going to have to come up with an album that will be just as potent as the single “Water”.
Capitalizing on momentum is not always the best thing for an artist’s career. When looking at the career of R&B singer Tinashe, she made album after album when she was at her peak. She had all the media attention, and industry powerhouses like Chris Brown collaborating with her. She still had moderate success but still wound up being mismanaged by her label and she never touched the heights that Tyla attained with this one single. So with that comparison perhaps it is advisable to let Tyla develop her music. For all we know the next big global superstar awaits her place on the throne.
Either way you look at it Tyla is on a high trajectory and she truly is in her moment and the world is excited to hear what she has for us.
