Shawn Mendes has debuted his new tattoo with an up-close-and-personal shirtless photo.
On April 13, LA-based tattoo artist Kane Navasard shared the photo in question, revealing Mendes’ bare torso. Centered on his chest is what’s believed to be his 19th tattoo — a bald eagle “soaring to new heights.”
All of Mendes’ tattoos carry personal significance — from the light bulb on his right arm symbolizing his second studio album Illuminate, to the meditating figure on his right wrist representing his mindfulness practice, and “Good Boy” on his left arm, which is thought to be a tribute to his dog, Tarzan.
The singer-songwriter is yet to publicly acknowledge his new tattoo or explain its meaning.
Mendes, currently on tour in support of his self-titled fifth album, memorably went viral in March for his thirsty comment on Bad Bunny’s Calvin Klein photoshoot. He simply wrote “guapo” — Spanish for “handsome.”
The flirty moment came just months after Mendes shared that he’s still “figuring out” his sexuality.
At the Colorado show of his For Friends And Family Tour (28 October), the Canadian singer took a brief pause to reflect on the viral lyrics in his song ‘The Mountain’, which are as follows: “You can say I like girls or boys, whatеver fits your mould.”
Mendes pointed out to the audience that “people have been talking about [my sexuality]” since he was “really young”, calling it “kinda silly” because, as he put it, “sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.
“It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me, something that I was figuring out in myself, something that I had yet to discover and still have yet to discover.”
He went on to share that creating ‘The Mountain’ was “very personal” for him, as it felt like the right time to address the rumors in a way that was meaningful: “I’m speaking from the heart now because I just want to be open with everyone and live in my truth.”
Amidst a round of applause from the audience, Mendes shared that the truth about his sexuality is that he’s “just figuring it out like everyone else,” adding, “Sometimes I don’t know, and other times I do. It’s really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about it.”
“I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things. Yeah, that’s all I really wanna say about that for now.”
Latest
