Tyla powered through a delayed performance at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival following an unexpected visit to the hospital.
“I went to the hospital, I came back,” the pop star, 22, told a packed house at Spotify Beach on the city’s famed Croisette on Tuesday night.
“A lot happened, but I’m here and I’m going to have fun with you guys,” she continued. “The energy is amazing.”
Tyla — who lit up the stage wearing a strappy, skin-baring bodysuit and mini skirt — revealed the reason behind her medical emergency in an ensuing Instagram Story post.
“Got nail glue in my eye, rushed to the hospital to get it removed,” she wrote, elaborating that she also “had some sound issues.”
Despite the snafus, the singer felt confident in her performance. “But still serveddddd,” she added. “I’m backkkkkkkkkk n betta.”
The South Africa native — who rose to fame last year thanks to the success of her Grammy-winning single “Water” — said that she saw a “few familiar faces” in the crowd whom she was thrilled to put a show on for.
“So, we going to have a party tonight, OK?” she told the audience full of media, marketing and advertising professionals who convened in the South of France for the weeklong fest.
Tyla sang a handful of tracks from her eponymous debut album. At one point in her lively set — which featured six dancers to whom she matched intense choreography move for move — the entertainer acknowledged that she hasn’t “been on stage for a while.”
Tyla canceled her first-ever headlining tour in March, citing the lasting effects of an injury.
“As much as this is something I would rather have dealt with privately, it’s important that I share what I have to share with you today. For the past year I’ve been silently suffering with an injury that has tragically worsened,” she wrote via social media at the time.
“I’ve seen doctors and specialists with high hopes but the pain has only become more agonizing as has the severity of the situation.”
Toward the end of her Spotify Beach spectacle in Cannes, Tyla thanked attendees for their patience.
“You guys are amazing, thank you so much for waiting!” she said before blowing kisses and walking off stage. “I love you guys forever and ever and ever and ever.”
Tyla was slated to be the grand finale of the evening, which also included performances from “Beautiful Things” hitmaker Benson Boone and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” crooner Shaboozey, respectively.
However, DJ Martin Garrix made a surprise appearance to spin tracks in between Shaboozey and Tyla as the latter’s portion of the concert was seemingly stalled.
One day prior, Tyla skipped her previously announced participation in a Spotify Beach panel with TikToker Jake Shane, aka @octopusslover8, and the company’s PR exec Erin Styles due to travel delays.
In her place, Brad Ross, VP of global sports and marketing at the Coca-Cola Company joined.
