Shawn Mendes has announced that he is postponing a series of upcoming concerts, saying his decision to return to touring is proving difficult to manage.
Mendes posted on social media that the move “broke his heart,” but being in the spotlight for nearly a decade began to take its toll on the Canadian singer. “After being off the road for a few years, I felt I was ready to get back into it, but the decision was premature and unfortunately the toll and stress of the road has caught up with me and I have reached a breaking point,” Mendes wrote. “After speaking with my team and health professionals, I first need to take some time to heal and take care of myself and my mental health. Once there are more updates, I promise to let you know.”
Mendes’ Wide World of Wonders: World Tour is expected to run through the summer of 2023. The affected tour dates cover the next three weeks, beginning with tomorrow’s show in St. Paul, Minnesota. Other affected dates include previously planned stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, St. Louis and Cleveland. Mendes said he will resume the tour with a July 31 show in Toronto.
This is not the first time Mendes has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health. Earlier this year, the “Be Kind” singer shared a lengthy post with fans saying that despite his success, he often “feels like I’m either flying or drowning. “I worry that if people knew and saw the truth, they might see less of me. They might get bored with me,” he writes. “Maybe that’s what you look like in your 20s, or maybe that’s me. The truth is, I really want to appear in the world as my 100% true and honest unique self and not care what anyone thinks, and sometimes I do!!!” He adds, “The truth is, even with all the success I’ve had, I still don’t feel like I’ve failed.”