Here’s Why Rihanna Canceled Her 2016 Grammys Performance at the Last Minute: "My Hair Half Up"

Fans of Rihanna were let down in 2016 when the singer had to postpone her Grammys appearance due to a medical emergency. Before her doctor advised her to take a 48-hour vocal rest owing to a bronchial illness that put her "at risk of hemorrhaging her vocal cords," the singer sang her song Kiss It Better in rehearsals, according to a statement from her representative, per TIME.

Although she did not reveal it at the time, in an interview with VOGUE UK in 2020, the Work singer opened up about her anxiety. The singer actually had a panic attack just before performing. “Are you kidding me? I left the Grammys one time. Left! In the middle of my hair and make-up. My hair half up, half of my lash on…” 

She was supposed to have departed at the time due to vocal problems, but anxiety may be just as debilitating. Although she now jokes about it, she wants fans to know that it's much tougher for her than it seems. “Being on camera, being in a room full of celebrities is still not normal for me, by the way,” she revealed.

The singer struggles with anxiety otherwise too. “I can’t listen to my voice, you know.” Fans would be shocked to learn that Rihanna, whose voice is ubiquitous in our culture, experiences the same anxiety as any other person while speaking in front of an audience. “Oh, I’m nervous before even getting in the car to go to something,” she says. “It can be devastating. And when I pull up to the red carpet, I’m like…” she imitates crisis breathing. 

Previously, Rihanna canceled a show in 2011 after experiencing a huge stress-related emotional breakdown. The November 2011 performance had fans gearing up to be there in Ireland. The then-23-year-old singer was on an exhilarating, exhausting 10-month, 101-day tour, so perhaps it was no wonder she was burnt out. The singer was reportedly put on a 24-hour health watch, per HuffPost.

The singer was particularly concerned about her pregnancy ending up in postpartum depression. In a 2022 Vogue interview cover, Rihanna talked openly about her experiences with pregnancy and childbirth.

She said that because she had witnessed her close friends have children, she felt prepared for what to anticipate in the delivery room. When asked about her biggest worry about having a child, Rihanna mentioned postpartum depression. 

“Will I feel out of control emotionally?" she wondered. "Those are the stories I hear from other women that scare me.”