Sarah Geronimo is of the most hardworking and passionate singers in the Philippine music industry. So when she broke down at her recent concert in Las Vegas, fans and non-fans alike expressed their concern for the Popstar Royalty on social media.
Geronimo was supposed to sing “Forever’s Not Enough” when she got emotional and exited the stage. Most people commented that her breakdown might be due to burnout, especially since she has been constantly performing since April 14 for her 15th-anniversary concert.
Geronimo celebrated the milestone at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
On April 21, she flew to the United States and performed in four cities. She is slated to visit Chicago and New York next. Mark Bautista, Geronimo’s guest performer, shared in one of his Instagram stories that the popstar wasn’t able to sleep prior to her performance.
Reports also state that Geronimo was evidently exhausted. In her dance number before she sang, the artist requested the musical director to redo a portion two times because she was out of beat. When she sang “Forever’s Not Enough,” she struggled to reach the high notes.
Despite her recent emotional breakdown, Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo continued her concerts in the US and made her fans happy. During her concert in Chicago, she appeared to be back to her old cheerful self and explained why she got emotional in Las Vegas.
“Last time po naging emotional ako kasi nag-panic po ako. Walang tulog tapos parang nawawala yung boses ko,” she told the concertgoers.
“And then naalala ko siyempre ‘yung journey ko, ‘yung humble beginnings namin, pinagdaanan, at saka siyempre lahat po tayo may battles [in] life,” she added.
She then admitted that she has not been “prepared” with the cons of stardom.
A cheerful Sarah then told the crowd that this time she won’t get emotional.
“Pero wala pong iyakan ngayon, bawal. Nanu-news tayo e. Naba-bash tayo masyado. ‘Wag nang ganun. Akala nila nag-iinarte ako. Binigay na nga sakin ito, nag-iinarte pa ako? Aba mawawala din ‘to so habang mayroon, go lang di ba? Ipon tayo. I feel very, very, very blessed and I am truly blessed.”
It’s not just Sarah
Geronimo is not the only one in the local entertainment scene who has broken down.
Richard Gutierrez revealed that he has also felt burnout. He admitted at a press conference, “There was a time that I was getting too tired, burned out and I wasn’t enjoying already. So, ako mismo ’yung tumalikod; ako mismo ‘yung umayaw.”
That was before he transferred to ABS-CBN. He continued, “Ang daming nangyari and I guess I wasn’t prepared during that time aside from the continuous work which, I guess, resulted in my not knowing anymore about myself, my wants.”
Burnout among performing artists
Social psychologist Christina Maslach enumerated poor concentration and loss of curiosity as the cognitive signs of burnout. Psychologically, individuals may experience depersonalization, anxiety or depression. depersonalization is when an individual’s thoughts and feelings do not seem to be his, and a sense of identity is being lost.
The physical symptoms are more pronounced: Poor coordination, inability of muscles to recover from exertion, excess fatigue, disrupted sleep, altered menstrual cycle, headaches and compromised immune response.
Paula Thomson, co-director of the Performance Psychophysiology Laboratory at California State University Northridge, affirmed that performing artists experience physical and emotional exhaustion that would lead to burnout: “They typically practice or rehearse for long hours, they must exert intense concentration during these sessions, and they are continually scrutinized for performance excellence. These conditions can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.”
“Like mental health workers, performers are vulnerable to emotional exhaustion, a factor that is considered a key component leading to burnout. Emotional exhaustion is characterized by increased cynicism, callousness, dehumanizing perceptions, or flatness.”
Geronimo has previously expressed that she felt “empty” during her concert. According to her, “I have been asking myself, ‘Bakit I feel empty?’” Thomson also warned artists of having an “obsessional passion” to their craft if they love it too much. She wrote, “Unfortunately, if they are driven by an obsessional passion, they are at a much higher risk for burnout, as well as the negative associated effects of fatigue and overuse syndromes.”
(J. Malasig, Intersaksyoné push.com)