Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
“I felt like I had no escape when things became difficult,” Mendes shared, speaking about his decision to cancel his 2022 tour to prioritize his mental well-being.
Shawn Mendes acknowledges that the decision to cancel his recent tour was challenging, but he has no regrets about it.
During an appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast on September 30, the 26-year-old artist discussed his choice to halt the 2022 Wonder: The World Tour after just seven shows to prioritize his mental health. He explained that it was both the “hardest” and “greatest” choice he has ever made.
Reflecting on that time, Mendes described experiencing a “general darkness or lowness” linked to depression and anxiety. He noted that what troubled him most was how this perspective prevented him from recognizing “all the people who are loving you and supporting you.”
Since gaining fame as a teenager, Mendes mentioned that he has “done a lot of tours” and faced challenging situations in the past, but this experience was unique.
“I felt lost when things got tough, you know? I didn’t have other parts of my life to connect with that could provide a break from touring, allowing me to return and regain my balance,” the “Treat You Better” artist shared. “I realized that the only way to achieve that was to focus on building a life.”
Mendes reflected, “Cancelling that tour was undoubtedly the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but it was also the most rewarding one — it allowed me to truly live, you know? It gave me the opportunity to learn so much about myself.”
One particularly challenging aspect of the cancellation for the Canadian artist was the impact it had on his “team of nearly a hundred people” who had been away from their families for a year. They were working tirelessly, often sacrificing sleep and everything else to make the show a success.
“It felt tough knowing that people were looking forward to it,” Mendes said. “They were proud of what they had accomplished, and that was the difficult part.”
