Grammy award-winning artist Lorde is skipping a Tel Aviv, Israel show in 2018 after facing some pressure from proponents of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, or BDS.
The singer was supposed to hold the concert in June next year but has decided to cancel such plans following some backlash. Lorde cited an "overwhelming number of messages and letters" she had received as the reason for her decision.
Lorde, however, isn't the first to cancel a show in the country. A number of artists have also skipped performing in Israel as a way to denounce the country's wrongdoings. They include Elvis Costello, Lauryn Hill, and Gorillaz.
Lorde recently released her sophomore album, Melodrama, on which the tour is largely based on. Critics called on Lorde not to perform in the country after recently posting information about her concert tour, and the singer replied by saying that she had been taking advice on the complexities of the political situation and was "considering all options."
Among those who called on Lorde to reconsider her Tel Aviv show were Nadia Abu-Shanab and Justine Sachs, who wrote an open letter informing Lorde about the political implications of performing in the country.
"Today, millions of people stand opposed to the Israeli government's policies of oppression, ethnic cleansing, human rights violations, occupation and apartheid," they wrote in the letter. "As part of this struggle, we believe that an economic, intellectual and artistic boycott is an effective way of speaking out against these crimes."
The clamor for Lorde to cancel her show increased recently after the United States announced that it would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that initiated deadly riots in Gaza and drew reprimand from the United Nations.
Given the heavy political atmosphere of the situation, the "Royals" singer decided to pull the gig, but said she hopes she and her fans in Tel Aviv could all dance one day.
"I think the right decision at this time is to cancel the show," said Lorde in an official statement, as reported by The Jerusalem Post reporter Amy Spiro on Twitter.
"Tel Aviv, it's been a dream of mine to visit this beautiful part of the world for many years, and I'm truly sorry to reverse my commitment to come play for you. I hope one day we can all dance. L x."
After news of Lorde canceling her Israel gig broke, the country's controversial culture minister, Miri Regev, promptly encouraged the singer to revise her decision, asking her to be a "heroine of pure culture, free from any foreign — and ridiculous — political considerations."
