Ethel Cain has issued an emotional apology after abruptly ending her Oct. 17 show in Paris following just three songs.
The alt-pop singer was performing the first of two nights at Paris’ L’Olympia when she walked offstage in tears during her fourth track, “Nettles,” leaving the concert unfinished.
Venue staff later cited “technical issues” and “unforeseen circumstances” to the crowd. Cain later clarified the situation via Instagram Stories, writing, “Hi Paris. My apologies for the show last night. I’ve been having a bit of a time lately and sometimes it unpredictably bleeds over onto the stage.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to finish the set but I’m looking forward to tonight’s show and I can’t wait to see all of you.To everyone who attended last night, I apologize again for the disappointment and the planning that I’m sure went into you attending. It means a lot to me that you came and I’m sorry I let you down,” she added.
The show was part of Cain’s European tour in support of her sophomore album Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, which dropped in August. The release was billed by Cain as the final chapter in her Ethel Cain character arc — a deeply conceptual project spanning trauma, Americana, and Southern Gothic mythology.
The singer’s Paris set was intended to include material from both her new album and her critically acclaimed 2022 debut Preacher’s Daughter. A second Paris show at the same venue was still scheduled to go ahead on Oct. 19.
The emotional breakdown follows a turbulent few months for the artist. In July, several controversial old social media posts resurfaced, prompting Cain to issue a public apology. She described some of the content as “shameful” but also said those resurfacing it were attempting to “destroy” her.
The following month, Lana Del Rey posted a song snippet taking aim at Cain. Del Rey shared a video clip of herself with the caption “Track 13” and tagging producer Jack Antonoff, in which she called out the “American Teenager” singer by name. “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post/ Think it’s cute re-enacting my Chicago pose,” she sings in the clip. Later in the snippet, she referred to “the most famous girl at the Waffle House.”
Cain appeared to comment on the whole ordeal in a Instagram Stories, writing, “update: lana del rey has blocked ethel cain on instagram.”