After a crowd of eager fans waited inside the Granada Theater in Dallas on Sunday night for British singer Jorja Smith's sold-out show to begin, they were told the show was canceled.
"She's very sorry to each and every one of you," a voice said over the speakers at Granada Theater on Sunday night. "Refunds will be available tomorrow, if you wish."
No explanation was offered on the singer's Twitter, Instagram or Facebook on Monday morning. When prompted, a publicist sent this statement at 11:54 a.m. Monday:
"To all my fans who came out last night in Dallas, I'm so so sorry that I had to cancel at the last moment before I could go on stage. I've been having a rough time singing on this North American tour and was told by the doctor that I have tonsillitis and swollen vocal chords just a few days ago. Last night was the worst my throat has felt but I tried to push through it because I love you all and wanted to perform but I just knew I couldn't last night. I will be on vocal rest for the next few nights and so unfortunately have to cancel my Austin and Houston shows- I'm really sorry to disappoint all of you, I want to be my best for you. Tickets will be refunded. Thank you all for supporting me during this difficult decision- I love you and look forward to returning soon."
Smith landed on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Get It Together," a Drake song that features Smith and producer Black Coffee. Pitchfork explained Smith's contribution to "Get It Together" as "a dusky singing voice that sounds one-part Rihanna, one-part Parisian jazz lounge."
The 21-year-old Smith is currently touring in the U.S. in support of her 2018 album Lost & Found. It features "On Your Own," a grooving track with nearly 1.7 million views on its YouTube music video.
After the abrupt Dallas cancellation, a publicist confirmed that Smith has canceled upcoming concerts Dec. 3 at the Mohawk in Austin and Dec. 5 at the White Oak Music Hall in Houston.
rather unfortunate that @JorjaSmith is sick and tonight’s Texas show is cancelled. get well soon 👑 #dallas #jorjasmith pic.twitter.com/PcWztYTfck
— Penjani (@penjanichanda) December 3, 2018
Twitter user @aTwice89 asks a question others wondered: Why wasn't the concert canceled ahead of time? "Inconsiderate much?" the Tweet reads. Many fans showed up at or before 7 p.m., when the doors to the concert opened. Smith was reportedly supposed to go on at 9 p.m. but never did.
Granada Theater spokesperson Allysum Sandoval says the Dallas venue has started issuing refunds to "all ticket buyers." Anyone who bought a ticket will get an email when the refunds are final. Tickets to the Dallas concert cost $27.50, before fees.
New to Smith's music? Check out a video called "Becoming Jorja Smith," where she talks about growing up mixed-race. "Your beauty is not my beauty," she says in the video. "But you have to realize that you're you for a reason and you're great. Just be you."
