Fans were thrilled to see Normani, 22, and Sam Smith, 26, on the bill for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, however, it was announced on April 24 that the two were forced to withdraw from the show. The reasoning? “In the wake of cutting his South African tour short last week, Sam‘s medical specialists are requiring him to have further rest,” his twitter post read. The statement continued, “Regrettably, this means that he will be unable to perform at the Azerbaijan Gran Prix in Baku this weekend or the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas next week. We apologize for the disappointment for those affected, but the primary focus at this time needs to be on Sam‘s recovery and health.” We’re sending all our well wishes to Sam as he takes time off to get better.
While at first it was unclear whether or not Normani would still perform solo, it appears she is no longer on the bill either. “Sam and Normani are no longer performing on the show,” a rep for the award show was able to confirm to HollywoodLife. The two musicians had planned on performing their 2019 collab track, “Dancing With a Stranger.”
The news comes after Sam was forced to cancel shows in Cape Town, South Africa due to vocal strain.”This difficult decision was made after Sam sought advice from medical specialists and his team, and after having to cut his show short last night with concerns for his voice,” his team said at the time. It wasn’t the first time the soulful singer had cancelled shows. He also took time off in 2015 when he underwent surgery on his vocal chords.
— SAM SMITH (@samsmith) April 24, 2019
Fans are understandably disappointed they won’t be seeing the two stars hit the stage, but we’re happy to see that Sam is getting the medical help he needs. HollywoodLife has reached out to a rep of Normani for further comment.