The Weeknd abruptly stopped his sold-out Soft Stadium concert in Inglewood on Saturday night just three songs into the set, telling fans he had to cancel the show after losing his voice in the middle of “Can’t Feel My Face.”
In the middle of the song, the Weeknd walked off stage. The song ended and another started before the lights came up. The singer walked back out onstage, said he had lost his voice and apologized for having to cancel.
“I’m going to make sure everyone is good, you’ll get your money back,” he told the stunned audience. “But I’ll do a show real soon for you guys.”
The Weeknd added that he wanted to apologize personally, rather than tweet or Instagram it. “I can’t give you what I want to give you,” he said.
Many fans remained confused or in disbelief, not leaving their seats even after it was clear the show was over.
The Weeknd later released a statement that read: “My voice went out during the first song and I’m devastated. Felt it go and my heart dropped. My deepest apologies to my fans here. I promise I’ll make it up to you with a new date.”
In praising opening night at SoFi on Friday, Times music critic Mikael Wood called the Weeknd’s mix of old and new material “crisp and pulverizingly loud.” Wrote Wood: “His singing carried emotion with a laser-like intensity, particularly in the wistful ‘Out of Time’ and ‘I Feel It Coming,’ even amid the boomy atmosphere of a stadium.”
How significant the Weeknd’s vocal problem might be and whether any other tour dates would be affected remained unclear Saturday night. The next dates listed on Ticketmaster’s calendar were Sept. 13 in Johanneshov, Sweden, followed by Sept. 22 and 23 in Toronto.
