Following some weird speculation about Justin Bieber’s tour cancelation announcement, namely that it was tied to a religious awakening and the hopes of starting his own church — which Bieber later denied — John Mayer has weighed in on the whole situation with some surprisingly wise input. (I know, I was surprised too.) Last night on Twitter, Mayer must have gotten a little bored because he decided to go on Twitter and respond to a bunch of fans. However, his tweets turned a little serious when it came to the subject of the Biebs.
As a touring artist himself, Mayer gave a perspective on the pressures of performing as an artist, and what it really means when an artist cancels their tour:
When someone pulls remaining dates of a tour, it means they would have done real damage to themselves if they kept going. 1/2
— John Mayer (@JohnMayer) July 24, 2017
We've lost so many great artists lately. I give Justin 👍🏼👍🏼 for realizing it was time to call it. You should too. 2/2
— John Mayer (@JohnMayer) July 24, 2017
Of course, Mayer is referring to artists like Chris Cornell and Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington who both chose to take their lives earlier this year. Cornell was in the middle of a tour with Soundgarden, and Bennington and his band were about to embark on one.
Though he’s often being silly or lighthearted in his Twitter feed, Mayer’s point is well-timed and a fantastic reminder to be more conscious about the pressures of fame and performing, especially given how deeply they can impact an artist’s psyche. All our good wishes are with Bieber.
