Emerging U.K. singer and songwriter, RAYE, is set to make her mark on the international stage as she gears up to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. However, her upcoming appearance has caused disappointment among fans, as it comes at the cost of canceling one of her anticipated shows.
RAYE Faces A Difficult Decision
On Thursday, Oct. 12, RAYE is set to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
However, she was met with a difficult choice regarding her RAYE: My 21st Century Blues World Tour, where she was originally scheduled to perform in Newport, Kentucky, on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Due to scheduling conflicts, the “Escapism” songstress had to cancel her show in Kentucky.
Social Media Outcry
Expressing her remorse on social media, she wrote:
“Dear my lovely Newport ticket holders. I really am so gutted to be letting you down cancelling the show tonight when you’ve gone out of your way for me, supporting me. So despite full refunds, I’d love also offer you free complimentary tickets to the Columbus show. Please know this cancellation is because this is a huge opportunity for me to promote my new live album which I will be sharing with you so soon, it’s a promo opportunity that was impossible to pass on and I really tried my best to not cancel believe me and I hope you can be understanding as I really am so gutted and sorry this opportunity means I have to let you down on this occasion.”
Fans have expressed mixed reactions to the rising U.K. singer’s decision. Some have criticized her writing, “Brother go off, but you have 34 million monthly listeners, you don’t exactly need the exposure. Plus, no one actually watches Jimmy Fallon anyway.”
Whereas, other fans have come to her defense stating, “Raye is literally an independent artist and she’s still not a HUGE name, performing on jimmy fallon is huge and probably a once in a lifetime situation for someone who isn’t a household name yet. I understand the frustration, but it’s like…. Of course she’ll go to jimmy.”
RAYE’s Past Promotional Conflict
Despite the backlash, RAYE has demonstrated her dedication to her supporters, where one fan wrote under the singer’s post saying, “I’ve been camping for the past week” where the “Flip A Switch” singer responded:
“Can i offer you free tickets / free meet and greet to any of the other U.S. shows please let me know.”
It’s worth noting that RAYE has a history of having trouble advocating for the promotion of her music. On June 29, 2021, she took to Twitter (X) to express her frustration regarding her music career, stating:
“I’ve been locked into a four-album record deal since 2014, and I haven’t been given the opportunity to release a single album. My sole focus is the music. I’m tired of being overlooked and the emotional toll it’s taken on me. This is deeply personal, not just business.”
Drake’s Postponement
RAYE’s dilemma of choosing between a major promotional opportunity and a scheduled concert is not unique in the music industry. Just recently, Drake faced backlash after postponing six shows on his ‘It Was All A Blur Tour.’