Is Shawn Mendes’ "When You're Gone" About Camila Cabello? He Offered A Hint
These theories are everything.
Shawn Mendes may have just dropped his most emotional song yet. Seriously before you listen, go grab some tissues because “When You’re Gone” is a tear-jerker. He dropped the track on March 31, and the lyrics explore the feeling of realizing you’re drifting away from the person you love most.
Mendes co-wrote the song with Jonah Shy and Scott Harris. Considering Mendes broke up with Camila Cabello in November, it’s not far-fetched to think there are some real experiences imbued in the lyrics.
In fact, Mendes told BBC Radio the day the song dropped that he began writing it about a month after his split from Cabello. “It’s interesting because I think after you get over the shock of ‘Wow I’m not going to be with this person every day,’ comes in the ways that you realized you were relying on that person,” he said about the inspiration behind the track. “For me, Camila was a lot of my support system.”
Mendes added that, after their split, he had to learn how to “cope” with his hardships by himself. “A lot of that just came through in the song. Yeah, a lot of that is very true to me,” he said, confirming the lyrics in his new song are personal to him.
It’s clear the breakup proved difficult for Mendes because he begins the track with a heartbreaking line: “You never know how good you have it / until you're starin' at a picture of the only girl that matters.” Then, during the pre-chorus, he sings about finding it hard to come to terms with a relationship not working out. “I know what we're supposed to do,” he croons. “It's hard for me to let go of you, so I'm just tryna hold on.”
The chorus dives deeper into the fear of losing that other person. “I don't wanna know what it's like when you're gone for good / You're slipping through my fingertips a little bit, by a little bit,” Mendes sings. “I didn't know that loving you was the happiest I've ever been.”
“When You’re Gone” is Mendes’ first single since he dropped “It’ll Be Okay” on Dec. 1. The song arrived just days after their breakup announcement on Nov. 17.
Mendes has remained honest about the breakup, notably opening up in a March 18 Instagram video. “When you’re breaking up with someone and you think it’s the right thing, you don’t realize all the sh*t that comes after it,” Mendes said while teasing that his new music would touch on the feeling of heartbreak.
Though Mendes and Cabello are no longer together, they appear to be friendly. After Mendes promoted “When You’re Gone” on Instagram, Cabello reportedly liked his post.
After hearing “When You’re Gone” and “It’ll Be Okay,” I’m not prepared to hear what else Mendes has been cooking up in the studio. You could say...I’m not okay.
