Shawn Mendes Refuses to 'Let the Industry Consume' Him After Career Hiatus: 'I Need to Have Other Love in My Life'

Shawn Mendes learned a lot from pumping the breaks on his music career in 2022.

Following his split from Camila Cabello and grappling with mental health issues, the pop star, 26, canceled his Wonder world tour. During his time away from the spotlight, Mendes was able to reframe his approach to his work and the pressure he put on himself.

"I refuse to let the industry consume me at this point," he told pal John Mayer during a recent interview. "I finally realized that giving everything to music is not the best thing for my relationship with it. If I really want it to shine, I need to have other love in my life, and if I want that love to shine, I need to have music."

The "Summer of Love" singer pointed out that even in his mid-twenties, he feels like he's lived a large amount of life after getting his start at a young age. "It’s funny, when you go through your first breakup, it feels like you all-of-a-sudden have all the answers in the world," Mendes, who split from his "Señorita" collaborator, 27, in 2021 and again after a brief reconciliation in 2023, said.

"You’re like, 'Hey, man, I’ve seen it all at that point.' But to be honest, if someone was like, 'What do you think the number one reason for you feeling generally better these days is?' I’d probably first answer therapy, and secondly, just taking myself less seriously," he added.

After being on the road for the better part of his life prior to his hiatus, the "If I Can't Have You" artist admitted he still struggles to figure out where he belongs. "Even the question of home is something I think about all the time," he told the "Daughters" crooner, 47.

"'What is home and when do I feel at it?' Because I certainly don’t feel at it when I’m in Toronto," Mendes said of where he grew up in Canada. "I feel like sometimes my side gig is being a researcher of the word 'home' and what it means. That’s a big reason why I do these escapades. It’s so easy to get in the bubble of, like, everything’s about me and what happens in my industry. But you go somewhere else in the world and all that is stripped away from you. It’s better than any therapy."

When Mayer asked how he grounds himself, Mended added, "Wherever you go, there you are. Home ultimately is you. It’s the way you carry yourself when you’re alone and it’s the way you carry yourself around people. For me, it’s making sure I make my bed and light a candle in the evening. I’m ultimately in control of whether home is a feeling I get to experience or not."

Interview published the conversation between Mendes and Mayer.