Shawn Mendes has opened up on how his own personal experiences with anxiety shaped the sound of his third record.
The Canadian star, 19, released his third album on Friday, which sees the singer addressing his own battles with mental health on recent single ‘In My Blood’.
READ MORE: Shawn Mendes – ‘Shawn Mendes’ Review
“It’s all about honesty, man”, Mendes explained.
“It’s something that I’ve always been paying attention to with other artists. It’s why I love Ed [Sheeran] so much and why I love [John] Mayer so much.
5:30pm BST tune in @BBCR1 x https://t.co/ewhp1hmhxj pic.twitter.com/9Nh9moA3uq
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) May 27, 2018
“I think I’ll only continue to be more and more honest as I get older.”
Mendes also hailed renewed conversations across the globe to encourage men to open up on their own mental health.
“I think it’s just the start of it”, he said.
“You have to start somewhere, and start the conversation about ‘This is how I feel, take it or leave it’. That’s life.”
And with the Biggest Weekend proving to be his first full live show of the year, Mendes was full of praise for UK crowds.
“I love the lack of inhibition”, he said.
“People don’t care, they get drunk and they sing.”