Shawn Mendes addresses gay speculation in new unreleased song

Just ahead of the release of his new album Shawn, pop singer Shawn Mendes is singing some of the unreleased tracks live – including one that addresses the speculation around his sexuality.

Fan recordings of Mendes's song "The Mountain" include the lyrics "Some days/I have a change of heart/You can say what you need to say/You can say I'm too young/You can say I'm too old/You can say I like girls or boys, whatever fits your mold."

In the years since he burst into the pop scene, speculation around his sexuality has followed him pervasively, despite him publicly dating women only.

In a full recording of the song and the speech he gave before it, Mendes tells the Woodstock, N.Y., audience that "The Mountain" is "one of my favorites off the album."

At one point in his life, he shared, the rumors about the people he was dating, that he was in a cult, etc. would get to him, but he's since learned to let it go with the help of "exploring realms" and "a little bit of mushrooms."

Shawn, the singer's fourth studio album, is set to release November 15.