Brandy is used to playing to packed houses. She is used to taking the stage to big gales of applause and watching smiling fans sing along. Unfortunately, she got just the opposite over the weekend when she played to an almost completely empty stadium and got so frustrated she walked off the stage after a few songs.
Ordinarily, playing to an empty stadium would be pretty clear evidence of waning star power, but in the case of this concert, it can probably be chalked up to horrible decision making. According to Entertainment Tonight, the concert took place at the conclusion of the Mandela Sports and Culture Day in South Africa this past weekend. The day was filled with numerous speakers and sporting events and Brandy was billed only as a “special guest”. In theory, she would take the stage and surprise the giant stadium filled with 90,000 people, but over the course of the day, people slowly filed out of their seats. By the time she walked out, there were only about forty people left, all of whom were probably scratching their heads and wondering what the hell Brandy was doing there.
Let’s be honest. If the performance had been by Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, people would have probably run back into the stadium, but if you were walking to your car and suddenly heard Brandy was hitting the stage, would you stop your momentum and go back? I’m not really sure I would. Nothing against her, but when I make a decision to leave, I stick with it unless something huge happens. Apparently, other people feel the same way too.
Considering it’s been more than a few days since the incident and no one involved has spoken about it on the record, I would doubt any such comment is forthcoming. Even if there were plenty of extenuating circumstances, I can’t imagine Saturday was her proudest moment as a performer. Still, she’s battled through far worse problems in the past, and there’s no reason to think this will have any effect on her over the long haul.
