Superstar Shawn Mendes has heaped praise on Lewis Capaldi for “inspiring” others to speak out about their struggles with mental health.
The Canadian popstar, 26, who is only back performing solo after taking a mental break due to his own battle with anxiety, says the West Lothian singer is “incredibly brave” for being “real.”
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Record, Shawn says Lewis, 28, has proved to the world that it’s okay not to be okay and taking time to heal is “the right thing to do.”
In June 2023, Lewis cancelled his tour and announced a break “for the foreseeable future” to adjust to living with Tourette’s.
He hadn’t been able to finish his set at Glastonbury, with the crowd singing the words to his biggest song, Someone You Loved.
In the summer of 2022, Shawn cancelled his Wonder world tour and only sang alone on stage for the first time last month when he headlined the Rock in Rio festival.
Shawn, who has had two UK No1s Stitches, and Senorita, with ex Camila Cabello, said: “Not only is Lewis an incredibly talented singer and song writer – but he is also incredibly brave.
“The world saw him on stage at Glastonbury – and the crowd getting him through his song was so moving. I also think it’s a pretty good reflection of real life – when you put yourself in a vulnerable position most people will empathise and want to help. Just from Lewis being real – I think he has probably inspired more people to speak out and admit they are struggling than he knows.”
And with fans desperate to see Lewis return to the stage, Shawn claimed the Scot will know when he’s ready.
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Shawn, whose new album “Shawn” is out on October 18, said: “Lewis has done exactly the right thing by having some time off. Sometimes you just have to listen to what your body is telling you and give yourself the chance to get well.
“I had to do it, so I totally get it and I came back feeling so much better.
“He will know the right time to come back because his body will tell him the right time. Everybody understands.”
Shawn was just 17-years-old when he was discovered after posting song covers on video-sharing platform Vine. His debut album Handwritten went to No1 in the US in 2015. His last album, Wonder in 2020, set a new record as the youngest male artist ever to top the American charts with four studio albums.
While happy in the studio, playing live made him anxious and he would take beta blockers to calm his nerves – something Shawn, who was born in Pickering, Canada, has always been happy to talk about.
He was supposed to play the Glasgow OVO Hydro last July as part of his 64 date world tour apologising to Scots fans in a statement saying “I’ve taken the right time to heal.”
The musician has revealed since then he has lots of support from people in Scotland and says he will be back here as soon as he can make it work logistically.
Shawn, who voiced the lead character in hit kids’ movie Lyle Lyle Crocodile, said: “I would love to come back to Scotland – I was supposed to be in Glasgow last year – but I was obviously taking some time out.
“You never want to disappoint fans – but the messages of support I got from my Scottish fans were amazing – so I will come back and say a big thank you.”
Scotland. is an important place for him as it was the first time he had gone on stage without taking beta blockers to help with his stress levels.
During his 2019 gig at the Hydro, he told the fans it was the first time he’d performed without anti-anxiety drugs.
He said: “The love I got back was incredible – we shared a moment.”
The multi-award winning singer is also a big fan of Calvin Harris and says he would love to work with him.
Shawn, who is embarking on an intimate US tour to celebrate his upcoming album release, said: “When you look at some of the collaborations Calvin has been a part of – he has produced some of the most memorable songs of the last ten years or so. I mean who wouldn’t want to work with him.”
Shawn, who lives in downtown Toronto, has experienced a lot of ups and downs in the past two years – especially when it comes to his love life.
He and Cabello spent the Covid pandemic lockdowns together but broke up in 2021. They were then spotted kissing at US music festival Coachella in 2023. But by June, reports claimed after six weeks they had split again, this time for good.
There has also been talk recently that early last year he was involved in a love triangle with Camila and Sabrina Carpenter but it allegedly got messy when Carpenter and Cabello wrote songs, which may have included lines about each other.
Although they are no longer together Shawn and Camila remain on good terms. Last week on the Jay Shetty podcast Shawn, who has an English dad and a Portuguese mum, said: ““Honestly, I think Camila and I have just done the best job at preserving our private little fire of love for each other. Because no matter how strong mentally you are when there are millions of people commenting on it, it’s so hard not to be affected by it, to be swayed by it and to be inspired by it, and to desire it because people desire it, or to hate it because people hate it, and it’s just human.
“And I feel like her and I have just like worked extremely hard to just protect each other, and protect that love, you know, and I learned a lot about that.”
Both Shawn and Camila are currently single and say they are too busy writing music and performing to be involved in relationships.
Shawn – the album is out on October 18.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.