Lauryn Hill cites “sensationalism and clickbait” as reasons for U.S. tour cancellation

Earlier this week, U.S. ticket holders for Lauryn Hill’s reunion tour with The Fugees—which was supposed to kick off tomorrow in Tampa—found themselves with surprise cancellation and refund notices, and no explanation from the artists themselves. Late last night, Hill took to social media to provide some justification to her fans, citing media “sensationalism and clickbait.”

“With difficulty the decision was made to pull down our upcoming North American tour dates,” the “Doo Wop (That Thing)” singer posted on Instagram, noting that scheduled shows in the UK and Europe are still moving forward as planned. “The audiences in the UK and Europe not only haven’t seen the Miseducation Anniversary performance yet, they also haven’t seen the Fugees perform together in over 25 years!” Hill’s former group—which also contained Wyclef Jean and Pras Michael—disbanded in the early 2000s. They’ve played together a handful of times since, but always at U.S. venues.

Speaking of the U.S. leg of the tour, which officially kicked off last year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her landmark 1998 solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the artist continued, “Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows.” (She suffered from “serious” vocal strain and injury.) “Regrettably, some media outlet’s penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour. The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”

Hill, who never released a follow-up to that exceptional solo debut, has become somewhat known for being flaky with her live performances. Prior to the aforementioned vocal strain, she also postponed and then eventually canceled her originally planned 2021 tour with The Fugees (although COVID safety was a very good reason for that particular decision), and has done the same multiple times in the past. When the shows do go on as scheduled, she’s also known for a penchant for tardiness, which she addressed at a 2023 concert, saying, “You’re saying, ‘She’s late. She’s late a lot.’ Yo, y’all lucky I make it on this… stage every night.”

In this vein, she continued in her post:

Performing for my fans is a profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time. Every show is a piece of my expression and testament to our connection and shared love for music. I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am.

Know that I am not only grateful for those who appreciate and support my art, but that I FIGHT and push through all kinds of resistance to put together experiences that mean something for all of us. I love being able to bring these performances to you!

“[F]or our fans in North America, when these unforeseen circumstances are resolved, we’ll be back in full force…,” she concluded, signing her post with “Love, Respect and Honesty.” We’ll see when (and if) these shows get rescheduled in the future.

 

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