Shawn Mendes addresses his sexuality and reveals he's still working on figuring it out with a new song

Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes recently opened up about his journey to sexuality in an emotional speech on stage at a concert.

After highly publicized relationships with pop stars Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter, the 26-year-old addressed the crowd during a performance at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado on Monday night and revealed that he is still figuring out his sexuality in his free time.

“When I was really young there was this thing about my sexuality and people talked about it for so long. I think it's kind of silly because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing and it's so hard to just put it in boxes.” Mendes said while strumming his guitar. “I've always felt like that “That I was delving into something very personal to me, something I was figuring out within myself, something I hadn't yet discovered and still have yet to discover.”

He then referenced the lyrics to his song “The Mountain,” which appears on his upcoming album Shawn and represented, as he noted, “a moment when I could address it in a way that I cared about,” rather than having others do it for him.

“I guess I just speak more freely now because I just wanted to be closer to everyone and kind of be in my truth. “The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that I'm just imagining it, like everyone else,” he continued. “And sometimes I don’t really know, and sometimes I do. It feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that, and I'm trying to be really brave and allow myself to be a human being and feel things. That's all I really want to say about it at the moment.

Mendes then launched into a rendition of “The Mountain,” which also includes lyrics related to his sexuality. “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 style,” he sang on the song. “Or you can say I'm a dreamer, you can say I've gone too far. But I’ve never been better, so call it whatever you want.”

In the past, the “In My Blood” actor responded to criticism of his sexuality. In 2016, the Canadian artist shared a Snapchat post in which he addressed speculation about his sexuality when he was just 17 years old.

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“So I don't normally do this and raise issues, but I was just watching some of my interviews on YouTube and looking at the comments and I noticed a lot of people saying that I gave them a 'gay vibe.' “First of all, I'm not gay,” Mendes explained during a break Handwritten World tour. “Secondly, it shouldn’t make any difference whether it was me or not. The focus should be on the music and not on my sexuality.”

In 2022, Mendes made headlines for canceling tour dates to prioritize his mental health. However, he later returned to the stage the following year for a surprise set with fellow recording artist Ed Sheeran.

Weekly entertainment has reached out to Mendes' representatives for further comment.