Shawn Mendes fans were disappointed on Wednesday when he announced that the release of his upcoming album Shawn was being delayed.
The 26-year-old singer–songwriter shared the news on Wednesday in posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
According to Mendes — who was mobbed by overzealous fans in Rio de Janeiro last month — the original October 18 release date had been bumped back to November 15, 2024.
He kept his posts vague, but he said the delay of just under a month was to ‘bring some new inspiration and ideas to life.
The news comes amid Mendes’ ongoing international tour leading up to the album release, which marks his first time back on the road since he cut his Wonder world tour short in 2022 to focus on his mental health.
Shawn Mendes fans were disappointed on Wednesday when he announced that the release of his upcoming album Shawn was being delayed; pictured September 11 in Elmont, New York
Mendes, 26, said the original October 18 release date had been bumped back to November 15, 2024; his album cover for Shawn is pictured
‘Hey guys ♥️ My team and i have decided to push the album release date to November 15th,’ Mendes wrote on both platforms. ‘We just need a little bit more time to bring some new inspiration and ideas to life ♥️.’
He added: ‘I love you guys thank you for being so patient, I can’t wait to see you guys at the next few shows x.’
While his X post was just a text response to a post featuring Shawn’s moody black-and-white album cover, he included a photo of himself at a photoshoot for his Insta Stories post.
The performer stood in front of a brown backdrop and held an acoustic guitar while looking up dramatically toward the ceiling as a photographer captured the image.
Although the hitmaker said he was looking for ‘more time to bring some new inspiration and ideas to life,’ it wasn’t clear if he intended to change any aspect of music on Shawn, or if he was referring to the album’s promotional campaign.
Fans who are hoping to see Shawn before the end of the year only have a few options, and they’ll have to rely on resale tickets in most cases.
He’ll be playing shows in Nashville at the iconic Ryman Auditorium, as well as in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Seattle and at Colorado’s famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but all are sold out.
He’ll move on to Berlin on November 13 for another sold-out show.
Fans who are desperate enough can still nab tickets to the Corona Capital 2024 festival in Mexico on November 16, the day after his album drops, but his only other listed date this year is a sold-out show at Toronto’s Massey Hall on November 25.
International fans can still look forward to catching his show when he will perform in throughout March in Mumbai, India; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Bogotá, Colombia; and São Paulo, Brazil.
Shawn appears to be revitalized after cutting his Wonder world tour short in 2022 to focus on his mental health.
‘As you guys know, I had to postpone the past few weeks of shows since I wasn’t totally prepared for the toll of being back on the road would take on me,’ he wrote on Instagram at the time.
‘I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away.
‘We just need a little bit more time to bring some new inspiration and ideas to life ♥️,’ he explained, though he didn’t say if the album would be changed at all
His Insta Stories post featured a photo of him posing with an acoustic guitar for a photo shoot
Shawn has been on the road in recent weeks for a mostly sold-out international tour; pictured in 2022 in Portland, Oregon
He previously announced in 2022 that he was cutting his Wonder tour short to focus on his mental health
‘After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger.’
He continued: ‘I unfortunately have to cancel the rest of the tour dates in North America, and the UK/Europe. We were hopeful that I might be able to pick up with the rest of the dates after some much needed time off, but at this time I have to put my health as my first priority.’
Before signing off, Shawn made it clear that he would still be working on new music before returning to the stage again, and he added that he was heartbroken for his adoring fans who had already purchased tickets to his concerts.
‘I know you all have been waiting so long to see these shows, and it breaks my heart to tell you this but I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal,’ he added. ‘I love you all and thank you all so much for supporting me and sticking by me on this journey.’