Shawn Mendes is opening up about his sexuality with unprecedented candor. During a concert held at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Monday, the singer poured his heart out to his fans while also performing his upcoming track "The Mountain," whose lyrics delve into the discourse surrounding his sexual identity. In footage shared on TikTok, Mendes sang, "Some days, I have a change of heart / You can say what you need to say." He continued, "You can say I’m too young / You can say I’m too old / You can say I like girls or boys / Whatever fits your mold," capturing the essence of his evolving self-discovery.
During the For Friends and Family Tour performance, the artist behind "Stitches" further delved into this conversation. "Since I was really young, there's been this buzz about my sexuality, and people have been speculating for years," Mendes shared in a TikTok video. "I find it somewhat absurd because sexuality is such an intricately beautiful and complex aspect of life, difficult to pigeonhole. It always felt like an intrusion into something deeply personal, something I was still navigating within myself, something I was yet to uncover and continue to explore."
Adding to this, the "Treat You Better" crooner emphasized that he is now "speaking freely" to feel "closer to everyone." "The genuine truth about my life and sexuality is that, well, I'm still figuring it out, just like everyone else. Some days, I'm unsure, and other days, I'm clear. And it's daunting because we live in a society that has a lot to say about such matters," Mendes continued, addressing his fans. "I'm striving to be courageous and simply allow myself to be human, to feel. That's all I truly wish to convey for now."
Mendes, whose self-titled LP is set for release on November 15, has had an on-and-off relationship with Camila Cabello over the years. In 2020, the "If I Can't Have You" artist previously addressed the discourse about his sexuality on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast. "It was incredibly frustrating for me because I had people in my life who were very close to me, who were gay but closeted," Mendes recounted. "I felt a deep anger for those individuals. It's such a delicate situation. You want to say, 'I'm not gay, but it would be okay if I were — but also, there's nothing wrong with being gay, I'm just not.' You're left wondering how to respond to such complexities."
