Shawn Mendes released a vulnerable song Friday (April 1) about his recent breakup.
The song, "When You're Gone," shows Mendes' soft side, where he sings about not knowing how to move on from a relationship. The song wasn't meant to shame his ex-girlfriend Camila Cabello, however, he said.
Mendes told E! News that Cabello actually got a sneak peek of the song before it was released.
"Camila heard this song months ago, so we have a really honest relationship. I would never really put a song out about her before she would hear it," Mendes said.
He added, "She knows me and I know her, and ultimately, we both are writers and we both know what it is to make music and what the bigger picture of making art is. We're supportive of that, always."
Here's a look at some of the lyrics in "When You're Gone":
"You never know how good you have it until you're staring at a picture of the only girl that matters. I know what we're supposed to do, it's hard for me to let go of you so I'm just trying to hold on. Hold on, I don't wanna know what it's like when you're gone. I don't wanna move on."
Mendes and Cabello split in November 2021.
You can watch the music video for "When You're Gone" below: