Shawn Mendes said, "I think after the breakup, I realized how much I was being protected by this person and I needed to be able to protect that part of me as well."
Shawn Mendes is working through his public breakup with singer Camila Cabello with his new single, "When You're Gone."
Mendes called the up-tempo tune therapeutic, saying it was "the essence of processing a breakup and what that is and the memories and all these feelings kind of start flowing."
He continued, "I think after the breakup, I realized how much I was being protected by this person and I needed to be able to protect that part of me as well. And that was a huge moment." And I think you don't really get to see those weak spots that are the weak spots that you need to take care of and love until they're open."
The lyric in the hook of the song "It's hard for me to let you go, I'm just trying to catch up...". Asked if he was holding on, Mendes replied: "No, I'm not holding on."
Mendes and Cabello announced the end of their nearly three-year relationship on Instagram in November 2021.
While releasing music has always been a nuisance for the 23-year-old, he said he is glad fans can relate to the song, which was released Thursday by Island Records, part of Universal Music Group.
In June, Mendes will begin his 86-arena "Wonder: The World Tour" in Portland, Oregon. The Canadian said touring is a creative vitality that powers the part of him that is capable of making music and being artistic, which he showcases in his music video for "When You're Gone".
"I just wanted to like that movie and put it there, 'Guys, this is it.' You know, it's been a minute." (Reuters)