The Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Burna Boy, has reacted publicly to the controversy surrounding him, declaring that he continued performing despite being “cancelled” during a stop on his ‘No Sign of Weakness’ tour.
Addressing a sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday night, the Afro-fusion artiste described the tour as “emotional” and praised his band, The Outsiders, calling them “the greatest band in the world”.
He then threw a rhetorical question to the audience: “Because tell me who else has done a tour while being cancelled?”
“This tour has been emotional, the Outsiders are the greatest band the world,” he said.
“Because tell me who else has done a tour while being cancelled?”
The comment came weeks after he faced public backlash over a viral incident at his concert in Colorado, where he asked a couple seated in the front row to leave after they were seen sleeping during his performance.
The couple exited the venue amid mixed reactions from concertgoers, a development that sparked widespread criticism on social media.
The backlash escalated following an Instagram live session in which Burna Boy suggested that he only wanted supporters who paid to attend his shows.
He later defended his actions, likening the situation to removing a disruptive passenger from a flight or sending a student out of a classroom.
The singer also expressed displeasure at being treated as mere entertainment, stating that he would “gladly be cancelled if we are now in a world where you can treat me like a stripper, slap my a** and tell me to keep dancing cuz you throw $100 at me”.
He further dismissed claims that he disrespects his fans, insisting that he was misquoted and that some of his remarks were made in jest.
According to him, his position was rooted in demanding respect as an artiste, stressing that he holds no contempt for his supporters.