Petit Biscuit has canceled his upcoming tour of Australia and Indonesia, citing a decline in his mental health that he said has left him unable to manage the physical toll of touring.The French electronic music virtuoso, whose real name is Mehdi Benjelloun, wrote that he had been struggling with panic attacks that have worsened in recent years and that his body now “feels perpetually tense.” He said he had kept the difficulty private out of a desire to protect his own life, but felt he owed fans and partners an honest explanation for the cancellation.
“My mental health has been declining over the past few years,” Benjelloun said.“The highs are harder to enjoy, and the lows have become increasingly difficult to manage.
I know how lucky I am to live off my music, and I don’t take that for granted, but the panic attacks haven’t stopped.If anything, they’ve gotten worse.
My body feels constantly on edge, in a way I never expected to feel.” Petit Biscuit rose to prominence as a 15-year-old after releasing his breakout single ‘Sunset Lover,’ which dropped back in 2015 and helped establish him as one of the brightest artists in the global electronic music scene.He has since blossomed into one of its most formidable producers and songwriters, most recently releasing the scintillating Movement II EP.
His statement arrives as more artists speak openly about the strain that grueling performance schedules can place on their mental health, a conversation that accelerated in the wake of Avicii’s tragic death by suicide in 2018.Several prominent acts have canceled or postponed tour dates for similar reasons in the past few years, pointing to burnout and anxiety brought on by the demands of life on the road.
“After talking it through with the people around me, I’ve come to realize I need to listen to what my mind and body are telling me,” Benjelloun said.“As much as I was looking forward to being back in Australia, long-haul tour...