Shawn Mendes lost his sense of purpose after cancelling his world tour in 2022.
The ‘Treat You Better’ singer continued his return to performing with an intimate gig at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Tuesday (13.08.24) and discussed his fragile state of mind following his decision to scrap his world tour after just seven shows two years ago for the sake of his mental health.
Shawn told fans at the show: “I got back to LA and I was like, ‘I have no idea who I am and what to do with myself’.
“I was not really singing, I was not really playing guitar.”
Shawn was propelled to global stardom as a teenager with hits like ‘Stitches’ and talked about the loneliness and anxiety that comes with being in the spotlight.
The 26-year-old singer said: “The thing that was so terrifying for me was this sensation of being alone… in a situation where it was all on my shoulders.
“It gets heavy when it’s all on your shoulders (but) these days I’m starting to realise there’s a lot of people I can fall back on.”
The London show was one of a series of ‘For My Friends and Family Only’ concerts to showcase the artist’s new album ‘Shawn’ – which is due to be released on October 18 and will draw on his experience from the past two years.
In a heartfelt message posted on Instagram, Shawn wrote: “Music really can be medicine. 2 years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift. (sic)”