'Please give me a day off': Singer Lola Young collapses on stage in New York, cancels Washington D.C. show

Dubai: British singer-songwriter Lola Young has been forced to take a temporary break from the stage after she collapsed mid-performance during a music festival in New York City.

The dramatic medical incident unfolded on Saturday, September 27, while the 24-year-old artist, known for her track 'Messy', was performing her song 'Conceited' at the All Things Go Music Festival at Forest Hills Stadium. Young was quickly attended to and carried off stage by a medical team.

In the wake of the collapse, the breakthrough star cancelled her follow-up performance slated for the next day, September 28, at the All Things Go Music Festival in Washington, D.C.

Young addressed her fans with a candid post on Instagram, where she confirmed the cancellation and expressed her regret.

“I’m sorry to confirm that I won’t be playing all things go in DC today,” she wrote. “I love this job and I never take my commitments and audience for granted, so I’m sorry to those who will be disappointed by this. I hope you’ll all give me another chance in the future. Thank you to all those who listen and care.”

The singer, who has previously been open about her struggles with mental health and the toll of online scrutiny, then issued a sharp plea to her detractors: “To all the people that love to be mean online, pls give me a day off.”

The health scare was acknowledged immediately after the incident by fellow artist Remi Wolf, who told the crowd, "That was really f****** scary," before reassuring fans that "My friend Lola is backstage, and she is okay."

Only an hour after the medical drama, Young shared a brief statement on her Instagram Stories, confirming she was recovering: "Hi, for anyone who saw my set at All Things Go today, I am doing OK now... Thank you for all of your support, Lola xxx.”

The frightening episode comes on the heels of another cancelled gig. The day prior, on Friday, September 26, the singer pulled out of Audacy’s We Can Survive concert. Her manager, Nick Shymansky, cited a “sensitive matter” for the sudden withdrawal.

The intense public pressure appears to have significantly affected the artist. Earlier in her New York set, Young spoke to the crowd about a difficult period, saying she had “a tricky couple of days.”

“Sometimes life can really make you feel like you can’t continue, but you know what, today I woke up and I made the decision to come here, and I wanted to be cool ... and sometimes life can throw you lemons, and you just gotta make lemonade,” she said.

In an Elle UK interview earlier this month, Young disclosed that the continuous wave of online comments can target her “insecurities,” forcing her to sometimes log off.

“When you get a million comments, it’s hard not to let the bad ones in. Some days I can’t go online — the intensity and the remarks that target your insecurities can be too much,” she said.

The singer, who released her third studio album, I'm Only F------ Myself, on September 19, has also previously discussed living with schizoaffective disorder, which she was diagnosed with at age 17. Young is currently scheduled to kick off her world tour on October 6 in Manchester, England.