4 Music Artists Accused of Catching ‘Blue Dot Fever’ This Year
Have you noticed a surge in concert and tour cancellations? You aren’t alone. So many fans have noticed the uptick that a term for the phenomenon has become popular. A new surge of “blue dot fever” is sweeping the music industry. Blue dot fever references concert cancellations that appear directly linked to lower-than-expected ticket sales. These artists are said to have fallen victim to the fictional fever.
Meghan Trainor’s tour cancellation has been attributed to poor ticket sales
Meghan Trainor’s career has had a number of highs and lows. She appears to be an artist who has a fanbase that is either all in on her work or all out, and her now-canceled “Get in Girl” tour was clearly an out moment. Meghan canceled the entire tour weeks before she was set to hit the road, insisting it simply wasn’t the right time. In an announcement, she said she had to cancel the tour to focus on her family, including the child she and her husband, former child star Daryl Sabara, welcomed via surrogate in January. She announced the cancellation via social media.
While Trainor cited her growing family and shifting priorities in her social media posts, insiders believe poor ticket sales played a bigger role than anything else. In the weeks leading up to the announcement, ticket sales were described as “sluggish,” and insiders questioned whether Trainor was popular enough on her own to sell out large venues.
Fans suspect Zayn Malik pulled out of his tour for the same reason
Zayn Malik canceled his Konnakol Tour across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and St. Louis in recent weeks. His initial announcement cited health concerns. The solo artist claimed he needed to focus on recovery after he spent time in the hospital for an unspecified illness.
While Malik’s recovery could very well have played into his decision to cancel tour dates, Variety also reports the decision could have been influenced by poor ticket sales. Fans suspect blue dot fever is to blame. The outlet claims the canceled dates had extremely soft ticket sales. Malik has not responded to the allegations.
Post Malone said his tour wasn’t “ready” yet, but sales suggest otherwise
Post Malone and Jelly Roll are set to head out on tour together, and while the bulk of that tour remains intact, Post Malone announced they had decided to cancel some of the tour’s earliest shows because his new music wasn’t quite ready yet. The artist said he’d use the extra time to finish his music before heading out.
While Post Malone framed it as a personal decision, fans weren’t buying it. Many argued that poor ticket sales were actually to blame for the cancellation, and a news report further pushed the narrative. According to Digital Music News, only 25% of the tickets available for the canceled dates were sold before Post Malone and Jelly Roll pulled the plug. Post Malone denied that poor ticket sales were to blame, but numbers don’t lie.
The Pussycat Dolls scrapped their planned tour, as well
The Pussycat Dolls fell victim to blue dot fever, but they were much more honest about it. The band, best known for hits that ruled the early 2000s, announced a comeback tour in March, with various stops announced. Earlier this month, they announced on social media that they would cancel the North American leg of the reunion tour. The band noted that a lack of interest led to the decision.
The trio was likely more transparent than other artists because their entire tour was not unsuccessful. The Pussycat Dolls will head to the United Kingdom and other stops throughout Europe for sold-out shows. It’s unclear exactly why North American fans aren’t interested, but it probably stings less to know they have plenty of fans across the globe eager to see them.
