Sometimes life throws curveballs at you, especially with things that could potentially ruin or end your career. Jessie J just revealed on her Instagram a condition that could prevent her from singing ever again.
For singers, their voice is everything. Sometimes, tours or shows have to be cancelled because they lose their voice or they're sick and can't perform, but that is usually temporary. For Jessie J, it could be permanent.
Jessie J revealed she had nodules on her vocal cords, which prevented her from singing after a medical condition at the end of the year took her down and almost ended her career and possibly life. She went into more depth about on her Instagram post, in which she posted a video of her singing her latest single, "I Want Love."
Will she or can she sing again? Here's what we know about Jessie J's medical condition and how it affects her career.
7 What's Wrong
Earlier this year, Jessie J was diagnosed with vocal nodules. "In February, I started to feel a burn in my throat constantly," the singer posted to Instagram. "I ignored it for a bit as I presumed it was fatigue from the studio. When I went to see a doctor I was told I have major acid reflux and nodules because I have continued to sing with acid reflux which was probably caused by the steroids I had taken for my ear late last year." It is painful and has been ongoing since February. After seeing doctors and various treatments, the nodules have gone away. She is still in pain.
"I have had 8 cameras down my nose to look by 6 different doctors now. I ate the same 6 foods for 3 months," she wrote. The singer has also tried acupuncture and massages, but nothing seems to help.
6 How It Affects Her Singing
Vocal cords are what make you sing and talk. If there is something wrong with them or if anything happens to them, it can be very painful and serious. She did not expect to share the news, but she also thought it would be solved by now, and it isn't.
The acid reflux would cause blisters in her throat and taking antacids wasn't rectifying the situation. Jessie J was unable to talk, let alone sing, for a few months. She made this announcement just as her new single, "I Want Love," dropped. The video sent was originally only meant for her vocal coach, but the "Bang Bang" singer decided to share with her fans. Despite the nodules going away, every doctor has told her that if she continues to sing, the nodules will just come right back.
5 How She Feels About It
“I have never ever to this day (since recording it) been able to sing it because of the pain I am experiencing. Man it’s been hard not singing. It’s literally my lifeline and my happiness. Being quiet is not something I’m good at. Or makes me feel like myself. Lord knows I’m loud af," the 33-year-old revealed in her Instagram post. Not talking or singing for her was basically worse than the illness in itself.
4 Her Other Diagnosis
All of this craziness began for Jessie J after her other diagnosis in December 2020. During that time, she took to Instagram live to reveal she has Ménière's disease. Ménière's is a progressive condition that affects the inner ear. It results in balance and hearing problems. Shortly before Christmas, Jessie J told fans she experienced hearing loss in her right ear. She also said she was unable to walk in a straight line. This disease leaves many people paralyzed. The cause is not known so it is not easy to treat, but a lot of people are affected by it.
3 Her Secret Battles
In 2017, Jessie J reappeared in the music industry after shunning the limelight for a good two-year time period. At this time, she shared with the media that she had been diagnosed with a "terrifying medical condition," though she was not ready to specify what it was, and it's not clear if this was her Ménière's or something entirely different.
"I was diagnosed with some health issues that I’m not ready to talk about that I had to really face as a woman," she stated in an interview with Daily Star Sunday.
2 Jessie J's Childhood Health
Unfortunately for Jessie J, suffering with vocal nodules and Ménière's doesn't even complete the list of health battles the singer has had to endure in her lifetime. According to The Sun, Jessie J spent much of her childhood in and out of hospitals and was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat at seven-years-old. She suffered a stroke at just 18.
"I remember collapsing a lot and having seizures. I was a sickly, skinny girl who had a slight green tinge to her skin because of the drugs and who was always in and out of hospital," Jessie J shared in her 2013 autobiography "Nice To Meet You." "There would be times when I'd be acting normal and then I'd just collapse. It was only then that people would realise I wasn't well. I suppose I was good at covering it up and I know I'm very good at that now."
1 Her Latest Release
Despite having this illness that nearly ended her career, Jessie J has been working hard in the studio. Her last album was in 2018, and it was her Christmas album called This Christmas Day. She has also released singles over the past few years and worked with some collaborators, like Mike Posner.
Most recently, she dropped her single, "I Want Love." However, she doesn't believe she will be able to perform it live anytime soon, due to the pain she experiences in her vocal nodules.