Shawn Mendes has released a new single, “Heart of Gold.” The singer debuted the evocative, acoustic guitar-led track alongside an intimate music video of himself performing the song in front of a colored backdrop.
“Heart of Gold” will appear on Mendes’ forthcoming LP, Shawn, set for release Nov. 15. He performed the song live at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater last month following the death of Liam Payne. The singer explained to the audience that the single is “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,” Mendes said. “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. This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.”
Posting the single on Instagram around its release today, Mendes wrote on Instagram, “This one’s for you Dejomi.”
Shawn was originally scheduled for release on Oct. 18, but Mendes elected to delay it to Nov. 15, telling fans he needed “a little bit more time to bring some new inspiration and ideas to life.” The LP marks the singer’s highly anticipated fifth album, following 2020’s Wonder.
Mendes first revealed his intention to release Shawn in July, debuting the album’s first song “Isn’t That Enough.” “Music really can be medicine,” he wrote in an Instagram post announcing the LP. “2 years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift.”
Along with the album, Mendes’ new concert film, For Friends And Family Only (A Live Concert Film), is scheduled to hit theaters for one night only on Nov. 14. Recorded at Woodstock, New York’s historic Bearsville Theater, the film “features a heartfelt performance of the self-titled album in its entirety — for the very first time.”
