Shawn Mendes recently shared deeply personal reflections on his journey with self-identity and sexuality, captivating fans during his concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on October 28. At just 26, the Canadian singer has found himself navigating public curiosity and conversation about his sexuality since his teenage years. Addressing the crowd during his For Friends and Family Tour, Mendes opened up about these ongoing experiences with remarkable honesty.
In the midst of his performance, Mendes introduced a new song, “The Mountain,” which explores themes of self-acceptance and breaking free from societal labels. The lyrics, “Some days, 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,” touch on the pressure to fit neatly into certain roles or categories, as if identity could be confined to any single label. Mendes’s openness struck a chord with fans, many of whom related to his struggle with self-discovery in a world quick to define people by narrow terms.
“Since I was really young, there’s been this constant speculation about my sexuality, and people have discussed it endlessly,” Mendes said candidly to the crowd. “I think it’s kind of silly, because sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.” For Mendes, the relentless questioning from others has felt like an intrusion into something deeply personal. “It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me, something I was still figuring out,” he explained. Mendes expressed how this journey of self-discovery has been gradual and ongoing, stating, “The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone else.”
The performer highlighted how this journey can feel daunting, especially with societal pressures that dictate what’s “acceptable” or “normal.” “It feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that,” Mendes shared. His honesty resonated with the crowd, as he acknowledged the courage it takes to confront societal expectations head-on. Mendes emphasized that his primary focus is to “be really brave and just allow myself to be human and to feel things,” an outlook that has helped him feel more connected to himself and his fans. He described his goal to break free from restrictive labels and instead embrace the nuances of his own experiences.
Beyond addressing his sexuality, Mendes shared insights on love and relationships, opening up about his approach to dating and the pressures that often accompany it. He spoke about the common expectation of finding “The One” and how this can cloud the early stages of a relationship, making it more stressful than fulfilling. “When you’re single, there’s this pressure of looking for ‘The One,’ and that can make dating feel way more intense than it needs to be,” he explained. Mendes shared that he has been working on taking this pressure off himself, choosing instead to focus on each connection as it happens. “I’ve just been trying to take that pressure off and allow myself to experience love in whatever form it comes,” he said, joking that sometimes “we all just need a little bit of cuddling and hugging.” The crowd reacted warmly as Mendes transitioned into his song “In Between,” a track that further explores these themes of love and emotional vulnerability.
This isn’t the first time Mendes has publicly addressed the complexities around perceptions of his sexuality. During a past conversation with Dax Shepard on Shepard’s podcast, Mendes reflected on the anger he felt seeing some close friends wrestle with the pressure to stay closeted. “There were people in my life, close friends, who were gay and in the closet, and it was so, so frustrating for me,” he told Shepard. Mendes spoke about the challenges of finding a response that neither dismissed others’ questions nor played into them. He described the tricky balance of wanting to affirm that he’s “not gay, but it’d be fine if I was gay — and there’s nothing wrong with being gay, but I’m not.” This internal conflict, he noted, has often left him unsure of how to navigate public conversations around his sexuality.
By sharing his story, Mendes contributes meaningfully to the broader discourse on identity, adding his voice to a growing number of public figures who advocate for self-acceptance over societal expectations. His words encourage others to embrace the journey, allowing themselves the grace to discover and understand their identity on their own terms. Mendes’s openness and vulnerability have resonated deeply with fans, many of whom see their own experiences reflected in his words.
As he continues his tour, Mendes is also gearing up to release his self-titled album on November 15. Fans are eager to hear more songs that delve into these themes of self-discovery, love, and identity, hoping that Mendes’s latest work will further reveal his evolving perspective on life and relationships.
