It may seem like a headline grabbing way to promote her new film, but this is not the first time the singer has backed away from concerts.
In 1967, she forgot some lyrics while performing – it was 27 years before she took to the stage again.
In an interview with The Associated Press (AP), she said: “I would never do another show. It’s exhausting.”
She added: “It’s too hard for me. I wish I loved it. There are so many performers who perform practically the whole year, you know, 200 or 300 days a year. They love it.
“And I wish I felt that way. It would be great because it’s very lucrative but I can’t do it.”
The motivation for the filmed tour was a painting by Modigliani, which she longed to buy.
“There was a painting I wanted that I really had a save up for it,” she said.
“I can’t work for money. I have to work for an object that I love, something I want to live with. ...What does money do? It goes somewhere, a stock, a bond. I don’t see it. But a painting I can look at every day and enjoy.”
The painting is currently on loan to Tate Modern for its new Modigliani exhibition. According to The Times, neither the singer nor the gallery will identify which painting is hers or how much it cost.
While perhaps disappointed at the news, fans should rest assured that the singer has no plans to retire.
When asked by Billboard if she still plans to make records, she said: “Of course. I love the process of recording because it’s private, it’s alone. It’s me and the music and my team.”
So what can viewers expect from the Netflix special? Fabulous live performances, intercut with behind the scenes access to the veteran star and those who support her.
“I try to inhabit each song, you know, as an actress,” she said.
