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Shawn Mendes took time during an intimate acoustic performance in Denver on Monday to openly discuss the constant speculation about his sexuality that has followed him for years. Playing an impromptu solo set at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the 26-year-old singer acknowledged ‘the elephant in the room’ and the struggles of navigating relationships and self-discovery in the public eye from a young age.
Mendes told the cheering crowd about feeling constrained to exploring parts of himself as a teenager thrust into fame at just 15 years old. He noted the “silly” tendency to box sexuality into rigid labels, calling it instead “such a beautifully complex thing.” The singer’s few confirmed romances, like his high-profile relationship with Camila Cabello, have long fueled rumors without clear answers.
This openness with fans comes ahead of the November 15th release of Mendes’ fifth studio album “Shawn,” which tackles these themes head-on in the confessional new song “The Mountain.”
Mendes said writing the song felt like an opportunity “to address it in a way that felt close to my heart.” He wants to be “in my truth” and show vulnerability as a fallible human “just figuring it out like everyone.” The constant public discussion of his sexuality has left him “trying to be really brave” amid societal pressures. This raw discussion echoes Mendes’ past criticisms of invasive speculation purportedly meant to prove his heterosexuality.
