With over 72 million Instagram followers and billions of music streams, Canadian singer Shawn Mendes has a knack for staying in the spotlight. For years, he’s been the subject of rumors surrounding his sexuality, and now he’s finally addressing them—well, sort of—in an unreleased track from his upcoming album Shawn.
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Since the age of 15, Shawn Mendes has faced constant speculation about his sexuality, despite repeatedly stating that he is straight and has only publicly dated women. During an appearance on Dax Shepard’s podcast a few years ago, Shawn opened up about his frustration with the pressure to come out. He expressed the weight he felt from these assumptions, sharing how difficult it was to carry that burden on his shoulders. As he put it at the time:
“It was so, so frustrating for me because there were some people in my life that I was very very close to, who were gay and in the closet. And I felt like this real anger for those people. It’s such a tricky thing. You want to say, ‘I’m not gay but it’d be fine if I was gay — but also there’s nothing wrong with being gay but I’m not.’ You don’t really know how to respond to the situation.”
And in an interview with The Guardian, Mendes said:
“Maybe I am a little more feminine–but that’s the way it is. That’s why I am me.”
Shawn performed The Mountain in front of his fans in Woodstock, New York. In his song, Shawn directly addresses the gay rumors that have been surrounding him:
“You can say I’m too young
You can say I’m too old
You can say I like girls or boys
Whatеver fits your mold
You can say I’m a foolYou can say I’m a dreamer
You can say I’m too far gonе
But I feel never better
So call it what you want”
@theliyahrich THE YOU CAN SAY I LIKE GIRLS OR BOYS?? had me gagged. #shawnmendes #shawnmendesvideos #shawnmendesfan #nyc
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As much as Shawn wants to avoid social media, it’s difficult for him to stay away from reading what his followers say about him, telling The Guardian:
“I’m scared of social media and how much it affects me, it’s literally become infused with who I am.”
Speculation might be part of human nature, but pressuring someone to come out is something entirely different. Hopefully, Shawn’s new song will inspire people to respect each person’s journey of self-discovery, allowing them the space to understand who they are on their own terms and love who they want to love—without the need for labels or a public declaration.
Source: The Guardian