Corey Taylor earlier had to cancel his North American tour due to mental health-related reasons, but got backlash for taking a break.
Earlier this year, Taylor made the decision to cancel his solo tour in North America, citing the need for a break to prioritize his mental well-being and spend quality time with his family. On January 24, he revealed plans for a brief series of four shows in Asia scheduled for late March to early April.
Shortly after revealing the Asia tour, he started receiving comments expressing confusion. Fans questioned why his North American shows were canceled for mental health reasons, yet he was able to announce new gigs in Asia. As a response, Taylor released a new video to address fans’ comments regarding his mental health following the cancellation:
“I decided to make this video in response to a lot of the feedback that came out after I announced that I would be carrying on with my Southeast Asia run. Originally, that was supposed to be mentioned in the statement that I released relating to my mental health lapse. The truth of the matter is I understand why so many of you are upset, and I’m just gonna break it down for you. I, over the last year, have had a complete and utter breakdown of boundaries, mental health, ego, entitlement, the whole nine yards, culminating in a very, very real, very near relapse that I kind of don’t recognize myself.”
He then proceeded to clarify the reasons behind his decision to continue with the Southeast Asia tour:
“So, again, I wanted to address this and just tell people that I needed time to reset, I needed time to start working on my heart and my mind and get straight. The reason I’m keeping the Southeast Asia run, it’s literally four shows, it’s literally a week. I’m gonna see how I do with that and just take it day by day, basically. I’m working on self-care right now, getting the help that I need and surrounding myself with my family.
Taylor concluded by thanking the worried fans:
“So, to everyone concerned with me, thank you very much. I appreciate it. To everyone who’s upset, I hope this answers any of your questions. I’m just doing the best for me right now. And it’s a long road and I don’t know what’s at the end of it, but I look forward to it. I have gratitude for it, and I hope you can show me some patience. Thank you.”
The Mental Health Talk Appeared In Taylor’s Songs As Well
Taylor recently concluded successful European and North American tours in promotion of his second solo album, ‘CMF2,’ which was launched in September. While the rocker has been candid about his mental health over the years, the singer delved into the cathartic process of confronting his inner struggles through the singles from his latest album, notably in tracks like ‘Talk Sick’ and ‘Post Traumatic Blues.’
In a press release, the singer clarified that ‘Post Traumatic Blues’ serves as his endeavor to convey to people what it feels like to grapple with PTSD, and also for people who go through the same struggles:
“It was one of those songs that I didn’t want to just be about me and my experiences – I wanted it to be a bridge between people who are dealing with PTSD and the people who are desperately trying to understand the nuances of what people have to go through,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons why it tears families apart and went so undiagnosed for so many years – we never recognised the rainbow of symptoms and issues that come with it.”
You can see the video here.
