Shawn Mendes releases brand new single Heart Of Gold and reveals the heartbreaking meaning behind it – days after singer disclosed the ‘truth’ about his sexuality

Shawn Mendes has released his brand new single Heart Of Gold on Friday and revealed the heartbreaking meaning behind it.

The singer, 26 – who recently revealed the ‘truth’ behind his sexuality – unveiled the latest song from his upcoming self-titled LP ‘Shawn’ and told how it was in tribute to his late childhood friend.

As well as honouring his beloved pal with the track, Shawn opened up on struggling with his grief, while also dedicating it to those who have ‘lost someone’ dear to them.

In a statement accompanying the single, Shawn explained: ‘Grief is a really, really difficult thing to deal with and a huge part of what has helped me has been celebrating that person. 

‘I would just like to dedicate this song to anyone out there who has lost someone – some who has passed or someone who’s alive – whichever way. This is for them.’

The singer, 26 – who recently revealed the ‘truth’ behind his sexuality – unveiled the latest song from his upcoming self-titled LP ‘Shawn’ and told how it was in tribute to his late childhood friend

Lyrics from the chorus of the emotional song read: ‘You had a heart of gold/You left too soon/It was out of your control/Underneath your skin and bone/You had a heart of gold.’ 

Though Shawn didn’t identify his late friend, on Friday he took to his Instagram to share a clip of his new music video, writing alongside it: ‘This one’s for you Dejomi ♥️.’ 

Earlier this month, Shawn brought Nikki Lund ‘to tears’ during his Nashville show as he spoke about a pal who died of a drug overdose – though it’s not clear if this is the same friend.

The performer, 42, shared her story with DailyMail.com about what the room felt like as Shawn performed the emotional track.

‘He dedicated a song called Golden Heart [Heart Of Gold] to a friend of his from his past who he said died of an overdose. He did not name the friend but the two were clearly very close. Shawn said he misses him and it was a very emotional moment. I thought I saw Shawn tear up just a little because it was such a sad moment.

‘The song brought a lot of audience members to tears, it was very emotional. I welled up too.’

Mendes also addressed a ‘tough time’ he went through and brought on stage the people who helped him through it. 

Shawn also dedicated the then-unreleased to the late Liam Payne, following his tragic death aged 31 on October 16.

As well as honouring his beloved pal with the track, Shawn opened up on struggling with his grief, while also dedicating it to those who have ‘lost someone’ dear to them

In a statement accompanying the single, Shawn explained: ‘Grief is a really, really difficult thing to deal with and a huge part of what has helped me has been celebrating that person’

‘I would just like to dedicate this song to anyone out there who has lost someone – some who has passed or someone who’s alive – whichever way. This is for them’

Lyrics from the chorus of the emotional song read: ‘You had a heart of gold/You left too soon/It was out of your control/Underneath your skin and bone/You had a heart of gold’

Though Shawn didn’t identify his late friend, on Friday he took to his Instagram to share a clip of his new music video, writing alongside it: ‘This one’s for you Dejomi ♥️’

Speaking onstage at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in New York just two days after Liam’s passing, Shawn said: ‘He was a beautiful soul and his eyes gleamed. It was beauty shining through his eyes.

‘It’s about grieving those we miss with tears and it’s also about celebrating them and who they were and what they left in this world.

‘I just want to take a second to send so much love to him wherever he is up there. Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you.’

Earlier this month, Shawn brought Nikki Lund [pictured] ‘to tears’ during his Nashville show as he spoke about a pal who died of a drug overdose – though it’s not clear if this is the same friend 

Shawn also dedicated the then-unreleased to the late Liam Payne, following his tragic death aged 31 on October 16 

As he then went on to perform the heartfelt song, he added: ‘This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.’

It comes after Shawn opened up on speculation surrounding his sexuality during his show at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

The Canadian hitmaker spoke to the crowd during one intimate moment of his For Friends and Family Tour show, and addressed the ‘truth’ about his love life. 

‘There’s this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it so long,’ he added, saying it was ‘kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.’

‘The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone.’

It comes just days after Shawn opened up about speculation surrounding his sexuality during his show at Red Rocks Amphitheater [pictured in September 

‘The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone,’ he told the audience 

‘There’s this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it so long,’ he added, saying it was ‘kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes’

‘It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me. Something that I was figuring out in myself, something that I had yet to discover and still have yet to discover it.’

‘And it feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that. And I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things. And that’s all I really want to say about that for now.’ 

He previously discussed speculation about his sexuality in a 2018 Rolling Stone interview.

‘I thought, “You f*****g guys are so lucky I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out,’ he said at the time.

‘That’s something that kills people. That’s how sensitive it is. Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I’m gay?’

He also spoke about feeling the pressure to be seen out with women in order to prove he was ‘not gay.’

‘In the back of my heart, I feel like I need to go be seen with someone — like a girl — in public, to prove to people that I’m not gay. Even though in my heart I know that it’s not a bad thing. There’s still a piece of me that thinks that. And I hate that side of me.’

In 2019, Shawn said whispers about his sexuality were ‘hurtful’ in an interview with The Guardian.

The superstar addressed ongoing rumors about his sexuality once more in 2020, on the Dax Shepard podcast.

‘It was so, so frustrating for me because there were some people in my life that I was very very close to, who were gay and in the closet,’ he shared.

‘And I felt like this real anger for those people. It’s such a tricky thing. You want to say, “I’m not gay but it’d be fine if I was gay — but also there’s nothing wrong with being gay but I’m not.” You don’t really know how to respond to the situation.’

He previously spoke about feeling the pressure to be seen out with women in order to prove he was ‘not gay’; seen in 2024

Although he has been the object of wild speculation about his sexuality, Shawn has only ever publicly dated women, such as fellow singer Camila Cabello; they are seen in 2021

Shawn and Camila went public as a couple over the summer of 2019 and broke up in 2021, then briefly reunited last year only to break up after six weeks; seen in 2019

‘Everyone’s been calling me gay since I was 15 years old. I’m not gay and I’m like, “What does that mean?” I had these problems with the way my voice sounded. I’m like, “How do I sit?” I’m always first to cross my legs and sit with a position of this feminine style and I really suffered with that s**t.’

He also flatly denied that he was gay in a Snapchat message to his fans in 2016, while urging them to concentrate on his work.

‘So I don’t usually do this and bring up problems, but I was on YouTube just watching some of my interviews, and I was going down the comments and noticed a lot of people were saying that I gave them a “gay vibe,”‘ he said.

‘First of all, I’m not gay. Second of all, it shouldn’t make a difference if I was or if I wasn’t. The focus should be on the music and not my sexuality.’

Although he has been the object of wild speculation about his sexuality, Shawn has only ever publicly dated women, such as fellow singer Camila.