Camila Cabello just showed the world what it means to be a true performer as she powered through a concert in Georgia, Atlanta despite facing a near-empty venue. While other artists might have canceled under similar circumstances, the former Fifth Harmony member bravely took the stage, proving that she’s in it for the music and her fans, no matter how small the crowd.
Photos and videos of the “Never The Same” hitmaker giving it her all despite the very few people on the bleachers circulated on X following her Jan. 19 performance at the State Farm Arena. One social media user who shared a clip of Cabello singing while being driven on a bicycle around the stage slammed the singer and dubbed her a “flop” because the venue was “empty.”
The same user added, “This is really embarrassing the way they swore they were going to sell out by showtime.” Another also chimed in, asking why some artists would book arenas for their shows despite struggling to sell tickets. “If you know u cant sell arenas why do them?” the second user added.
In May last year, Jennifer Lopez found herself in a similar situation when she allegedly struggled to sell tickets to her “This Is Me…. Now: The Tour,” according to Forbes. The concert series was supposed to promote her latest album of the same name. However, since ticket-selling opened, many of her booked venues could not sell tickets as much as she and her team had hoped. This led to some dates getting canceled early on before she ultimately decided to scrap her North American tour.
Of course, when it came to the announcement of the cancellation, Lopez broke the news in a way that would spare her from the embarrassment of not having enough star power to fill venues. In a statement, she maintained that she needed to spend time with her family, especially her kids, 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme. In her defense, this was really part of the reason why she canceled because, at the time, she was being hounded by reports about her marital woes with Ben Affleck. She ultimately confirmed the reports when she filed for divorce in August.
Back to Cabello. While she’s being targeted by trolls for performing at an almost-empty venue, she also gained a lot of respect from many others, including rapper Mod Sun, who expressed his admiration for Shawn Mendez‘s ex-girlfriend for doing the show despite the challenging situation.
“99% percent of artists would’ve cancelled the show + put out a ‘mental health’ statement. She just gained my respect by still performing. That show meant the world to the people in the crowd that night,” the “Stay Away” artist wrote on X.
Several echoed the same sentiment and applauded Cabello’s professionalism and dedication to her supporters. “Hats off to this singer. BRAVE and BEAUTIFUL,” one wrote, while someone else said, “You are a true professional. Great performance. I hope all your fans get to enjoy your delightful show. Blessings to Camila.”
A number of Cabello’s fans also added some clarity to the situation by pointing out to the haters and trolls that it was not her concert but an event for college football by AT&T that was poorly promoted, hence the low number of concertgoers. An insider corroborated this claim, telling Page Six that it was indeed a “corporate event,” so only a few tickets went up for sale to the public.
Cabello might have also caught wind of the commotion regarding her performance because she also took to Instagram to subtly address the issue, writing: “The people who I’ve chosen to be a fan of, since I was 12 to now, from musicians to authors to painters, have made me who I am. Being a fan is a transformative and creative and sacred endeavor. And the artist who gives to their community also gets, in the form of love, inspiration, and trust. I’m honored to be that for you.”
In the end, even though Cabello’s Atlanta show may not have packed the arena, her willingness to show up for the people who went to see her proves her determination and unwavering connection to her fans. They say the mark of a true artist is when they know that the show must always go on. That’s what made Cabello win the internet this week.
