There’s nothing holding Shawn Mendes back from singing about the rumors.
During a recent performance in New York City, the 26-year-old debuted a new song called, “The Mountain” from his forthcoming album Shawn. In a TikTok video shared by a fan on Oct. 19, Shawn performed the new single, which seemingly addresses the rumors of his sexuality among with other comments he’s seen about himself.
In the clip, Shawn strums his guitar as he strums his guitar and sings the lyrics “I have a change of heart / you can say what you need to say / 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.”
As Shawn sings the lyric, the crowd begins to cheer in support.
E! News has reached out to Shawn’s rep regarding the lyrics but hasn’t heard back.
The song isn’t the first time the “Wonder” singer has addressed the chatter surrounding his sexuality. In 2020, the “Mercy” singer revealed that he had grown frustrated with the speculation.
"Everyone's been calling me gay since I was 15 years old,” he explained on Armchair Expert in 2020. “I'm not gay and I'm like, 'What does that mean?' I had these problems with the way my voice sounded. I'm like, 'How do I sit?' I'm always first to cross my legs and sit with a position of this feminine style and I really suffered with that s--t.”
And Shawn further gave insight into how the unrelenting rumors weighed on him as he tried to set the record straight without seeming defensive.
"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,” he continued. “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."
Since being thrust into the public eye as a teen, Shawn’s romances have also been the subject of a lot of attention. This includes his on-again/off-again four-year relationship with Camila Cabello—which ended for good in 2023.
But amid their “brutal” breakup in the spotlight, the “Stitches” singer expressed how important it was for him and Camila to keep friendship alive.
“Honestly, I think Camila and I have just done the best job at preserving our private little fire of love for each other," he explained on the Sept. 30 episode of The Jay Shetty<ital podcast, "because no matter how strong mentally you are when there are millions of people commenting on it, it’s so hard not to be affected by it and to be swayed by it and to be inspired by it."
Keep reading to look back on Shawn and Camila’s romance…
Making Music
Back in 2015, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello first made headlines together not as a couple, but as a musical duet on their joint hit single, "I Know What You Did Last Summer."
When You Call Me Señorita
Four years later, the performers' new steamy music video for their "Señorita" duet, released in June, raised eyebrows over whether there was a romance brewing behind the scenes.
Hand in Hand
The following month, the two were spotted holding hands while out together in West Hollywood. "They were telling people they were a couple," a source told E! News at the time. Soon after, the stars were seen getting close in San Francisco.
Miami Makeout
While the two had not publicly confirmed their relationship status, this steamy makeout in the Miami water did all the talking.
Birthday Boy
The rumored pair rang in Mendes' 21st birthday together in August 2019, including a big kiss for the birthday boy. Cabello also declared her love for her musical beau over on Instagram.
Steaming Up the Stage
At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, Camila and Shawn stole the show with a sexy live performance of "Señorita" as viewers waited to see if they would kiss.
Courtside Cuties
After laughing off breakup rumors in October 2019, their romance was on full display as they made out courtside throughout a basketball game.
Miami Livin'
Shawn revealed that during the pandemic, he went to Miami to live with Camila. "Something really beautiful for me came out of it, which was you're not allowed to leave," he told Zane Lowe in 2020. "I went to Miami and I was living with Camila [Cabello] and her parents and her sister."
Puppy Love
Relationship milestone alert: They welcomed a new member of their family after picking up a puppy named Tarzan in November 2020.
Bumps in the Road
Shawn revealed he and Camila get into fights from time to time. "We definitely fight, and we get in like the worst little arguments," he said on SiriusXM's The Morning Mash Up in August. "But, like, I think that we definitely are pretty good at picking up on when it's just ego talking. And we like, usually like call each other out. We have a really honest and open relationship—but, yeah, no, we definitely fight."
Fairytale Premiere
Shawn was by Camila's side while she walked the red carpet for the premiere of Cinderella in September.
Met Gala Moment
Shawnmila attended their first Met Gala together in 2021, wearing Michael Kors Collection looks.
Halloween Hangout
The pair celebrated Halloween together in 2021, writing on social media, "Feliz día de los muertos."
Going Their Separate Ways
The couple announced their split on Nov. 17, 2021. As they wrote, "we've decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for on another as humans is stronger than ever." The pair added, "we started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends."
Coachella 2023
The pair reunited at Coachella in April 2023 and were seen kissing during the festival.
Rekindling the Flame
After their Coachella moment, Shawn and Camila were spotted hanging out a few times during early summer 2023—including at a Taylor Swift concert—but ultimately called it quits once more in June.