Shawn Mendes might be needing “Stitches” after being slammed by fans over his selection of artwork for his latest single.
The Canadian singer released a latest song Friday called “What the Hell Are We Dying For?” — and for the quilt art, he used a photograph of the eerie orange Manhattan skyline that was barely visible resulting from the raging Canadian wildfires.
Mendes, 24, has been on a break from music ever since canceling his Wonder Tour in July 2022 to deal with his mental health, so fans were excited to get a latest song.
The “Mercy” singer has long been vocal in regards to the dangers of climate change, but many fans also questioned Mendes’ decision to make use of the devastating results of wildfires to advertise the song.
“Shawn Mendes turning the hearth smoke pollution into single cover art is sending me into orbit,” one person wrote.
“Not Shawn Mendes using a photograph of the NYC fire to advertise his latest song,” one other said.
“Shawn Mendes did not only slap some words on an image of Smokey a-s NYC and used it as cover art,” someone tweeted.
“Not Shawn using the air quality in the big apple as promo for a latest song,” a fan commented.
People also made their thoughts known within the comments of his Instagram post announcing the only.
“Canada burning was just Shawn Mendes promo?” one questioned.
“Bro saw a chance and took it,” one other wrote.
“Ppl are dying in wildfires n getting sick by the poor air quality n u rlly decided to make it ur aesthetic?” a upset fan commented.
“Did bro actually commercialize Latest York’s climate lmao,” one person said.
“Why are you attempting to profit off a natural disaster,” someone asked.
Some fans speculated that the song was actually about his relationship status with Camila Cabello, 26, somewhat than actually in regards to the wildfires due to a number of the lyrics.
“Smoke within the air/ town’s burning down/ I would like to talk/ but I don’t make a sound,” Mendes sings within the song. “Locked in my mind, you’re all I take into consideration/ I would like to save lots of us, but I don’t know the way.”
“If we don’t love like we used to, if we don’t care like we used to, what the hell are we dying for?” he sings within the chorus. “If it doesn’t cut prefer it used to, if you happen to’re not mine and I’m not yours, what the hell are we dying for?”
One person tweeted about the opportunity of the song being in regards to the relationship, writing, “he’s so unserious for framing this like a climate change call to motion song and it’s literally nearly Camila Cabello.”
“I do also confuse climate change with Camila Cabello! they simply sound so similar so I see where he got confused,” one other quipped.
“Did Shawn Mendes just use the Canada wildfires to drop a breakup song ab Camila Cabello,” someone wrote.
Moments after the song dropped at midnight EST, Mendes posted to Instagram explaining that he wrote the song just the day before.
“Began writing this song yesterday morning with my friends in upstate Latest York & finished it only a couple of hours ago..felt necessary to me to share with you guys in real-time,” he wrote within the caption.
He added that proceeds from the only are being donated to Canadian Red Cross.
