Mental health: retreat from fame: when music stars avoid the public

A year ago, Lena Meyer-Landrut posted several photos of her tour on Instagram. “You can’t imagine how happy I am back for you and celebrate with you,” the singer writes about the ten photos and videos. Since then there has been radio silence on your social media.

Under the post, there are now over 2,000 comments from concerned Lena fans from home and abroad. “What happened to you?”, “Lena please give us a sign” or “Lena we miss you please come back”.

But there is no sign: no photo. No video. No new music. The 2010 ESC winner (“Satellite”) has muted the public Lena. She is what she was last more than 15 years ago: a private person. Her long-time manager does not give one reason for the withdrawal from fame when asked by DPA.

But Lena’s step out of the spotlight has a history. Last summer she has to cancel several concerts at short notice and later canceled all other shows. At the time, she turns to her fans by voice message. She has “landed with violent pain cramps in the emergency room for the third time in the past few weeks.” Therefore, she had to “pull the ripcord” and take a “short break” for her health.

Felix Jaehn: First withdrawal, now return to the spotlight

Also with star DJ Felix Jaehn from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, who has traveled almost continuously since his hit “Cheerleader” in 2014, health has been going on in the past twelve months: no appearances, no interviews, hardly any social media posts. “I was just not able to do it and I was really bad. I had to get away and get help,” said the 30-year-old of the German Press Agency recently at the “Rainbow Festival” in Cologne.

It was one of the first gigs for Jaehn after returning to the spotlight. “I am now back at a point where I can go to the public and that from an inner calm and strength. I am fully grateful that I’m doing so well again now.”

But he still wanted to make his schedule airy and see how he is mentally after an appearance. He continues to accompany the process therapeutically. “It’s about finding the right handling and the right balance, so that I don’t slip again mentally again.”

The fame and its dark sides

“Fame is a double -edged sword. On the one hand, it shows your value as an artist. On the other hand, fame endangers your privacy, freedom and security.” In the early 1990s, US psychologist Charles Figley came to this conclusion in a study of celebrities. “They are displayed, consumed, evaluated and receive either rejection or applause. The feedback comes by survey, quota or sales number.”

In the study, stars name factors that they particularly stress. Among them: the gossip press, the constant observation of private life, stalker, curious fans and the concern that the life of the children is disturbed. All of this often results in depression, mood swings, sleep disorders, self -hatred and inability.

“As soon as I go public, I almost belong to others. It is legal to follow me. It is legal to stalk myself on the beach,” explains Superstar Lady Gaga 2016 in a CBS interview. This means that contact with other people is hardly possible. “I miss to go somewhere, meet a stranger and to have a conversation with her about life.”

Justin Bieber, who becomes a world star as a teenager, canceled his world tour, withdraws from the public and explains on the track “Therapy Session” of his recently released album “Swag”: “I fought a lot with me as a person, but just like everyone. People always asked how I was doing and that really got me.”

Lewis Capaldi withdraws after the Glastonbury Festival

In 2023, the music world also looks at how the Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi partially fails the voice at the Glastonbury Festival and his face twitches again – effects of his tourette disease. The audience simply takes over and sings the world hit “Someone You Loved”.

The 28-year-old reports in a current interview that the anxiety would have obtained him at the end of his tour in 2023. At that time, his mental problems culminated and he decides to withdraw from music and concentrate on his mental health.

Two years later, as a surprise act, he returns to the same place, the Glastonbury Festival, and celebrates his stage comeback-and ends his set off at the time. He processes this phase on the current single “Survive”.

The Canadian singer Shawn Mendes (26, “Treat You Better”) also breaks off his tour in 2002 and takes a break to devote himself to his mental health. Now he is back with new music and will give his first Germany concert in Cologne in Cologne in August.

When Lena Meyer-Landrut returns to the spotlight is not known publicly. Her approximately 5.7 million followers on Instagram hope for an early sign of life of her idol and – as a fan writes – “In the best case, it is new music”.