Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes (apparently) doesn’t shy away from talking about climate change. On Friday, the artist released “What the Hell Are We Dying For?” released a new song titled. And said he wrote the track this week during wildfires in Canada that sent a cloud of smoke over many areas of the United States, causing air quality problems.
Mendes, 24, wrote on Instagram, “I started writing this song yesterday morning with my friends in Upstate New York and just finished it a few hours ago… I realized the importance of sharing this with you.” A donation to the Canadian Red Cross coincided with the release of the song.
Produced by Mendes and Mike Sabath and co-written with duo Scott Harris and Eddie Benjamin, “What the Hell Are We Dying For?” was released with a cover image taken this week of the New York City skyline shrouded in orange haze caused by smoke from wildfires. “Smoke in the air, the city’s burning / I wanna talk, but I can’t,” the Grammy nominee sings, referencing the situation in the pop-rock ballad. “Locked in my mind, all you think about / I want to save us, but I don’t know how.”
While the song appears to be about wildfires and climate change in general, some of its lyrics allude to the end of a relationship, leading fans to wonder whether Mendes is on the verge of a possible breakup with Camila Cabello after an alleged reconciliation. singing about.
“If we don’t love each other like before / If we don’t care like before / What are we dying for? / If it doesn’t hurt like before / If you’re not mine and I I’m not yours / What are we dying for?” The “stitches” the musician sings in the chorus of the song.
After dating for two years and breaking up in November 2021, Mendes and Cabello, 26, sparked rekindling rumors after they were spotted kissing at the 2023 Coachella music festival last April. Since then, we’ve seen them strolling together in Los Angeles and New York City on several occasions. Last month, they were caught in an intimate moment during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. However, earlier this week, The Sun reported that the pair would be parting ways again.
After the release of the song, many fans took to social media and speculated about its true meaning. “Haha, the title and cover image and the way he released it, I expected Shawn’s new single to be about climate change and the crisis in Canada and America…instead it’s about Camila”, tweeted But a user wrote.
Another fan expressed the same thought, tweeting, “I really thought Shawn’s song was about climate change that he used…instead it’s about his breakup with Camila.. . once again …”
However, some fans believe that the song actually comments on fires, air pollution, and climate change, topics that Mendes has always spoken about in the past. One Twitter user wrote, “Sean has always donated and supported organizations addressing climate change and even has his own foundation.” “He’s not using it for self-promotion, the song is about that and he wanted to share it with us. You should stop hating about everything…”
Expressing the same opinion, another fan tweeted: “Shawn is truly one of those artists who constantly talks about climate change issues because he truly cares about them. He constantly uses his platforms to raise awareness.” We are using and grateful for the donation and help, it is very important.
Neither Mendes nor Cabello have commented on the rumors regarding the meaning of the song.