Lauryn Hill performed for a handful of fans in the middle of the night, hours after she was originally scheduled to take the stage. The real headline here, however, is that it wasn’t her fault. The notoriously tardy singer was added as a headliner for New Orleans’ Essence Festival of Culture just a few days ago,

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 04: Singer Lauryn Hill performs on Night 1 during the 2025 Essence Festival Of Culture at Caesars Superdome on July 04, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/WireImage)

Essence Festival shows support for Lauryn Hill in a lengthy statement following her delayed 2 a.m. performance on July 5.