Rebecca Swash
BBC Newsbeat
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David Kushner says he needs “to focus on getting better”
David Kushner has announced he is cancelling the remainder of his UK and Europe tour.
It follows the Daylight singer opening up about his mental health struggles which led to the 24-year-old scrapping his Manchester gig on Monday evening.
“I’ve done everything I can to keep going, but right now I need to step back and focus on getting better,” David has written on Instagram.
The artist, from Chicago, had performances lined up in Birmingham, Bristol, London and Dublin, before being due to go to Lithuania and Belgium.
On Friday night, David broke down in tears on stage in Newcastle, telling fans he’s ”dealing with a lot of anxiety” before announcing the show was being cut short.
He told the crowd: ”I’m not doing OK mentally.”
He says his team will now be reaching out to ticketholders with updates about potentially rescheduling dates and refunds.
”I won’t be able to finish the tour and that’s not something I wanted to say.
“This decision was difficult and I hate letting you down,” David says.
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His hit Daylight has 1.4 billion streams on Spotify
The NHS describes anxiety as “a feeling of fear or unease”, which can cause many different symptoms.
That might include how you feel physically, mentally and how you behave.
In 2021/22, 34% of young people aged 18 to 24 reported symptoms of a mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
In 2000, that figure stood at 24%.
Charity Anxiety UK told Newsbeat the singer has been brave opening up about his struggles and can help raise awareness.
”It’s testimony to him that he’s done so that he can help other people understand how debilitating it can be,” said spokesperson David Smithson.
The NHS suggests talking to a therapist or counsellor, doing breathing exercises and getting regular exercise as some of the ways to help manage symptoms.
David has also thanked fans for their support, with some writing his openness “is enough to tell you what kind of person he is”.
“Sharing each of these moments with you each night means everything to me,” he says.
The musician, who has nearly 16 million monthly listeners on Spotify, shot to fame when his song Miserable Man went viral on TikTok in 2022.
He followed up with 2023 hit Daylight, which currently has 1.4 billion streams on Spotify.
The song peaked at number 2 on the UK singles charts and reached the top spot in a number of countries across the globe.
Since then, he has performed on Radio 1’s Live Lounge and at stadiums across the world.
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