Shawn Mendes has just released “Heart of Gold,” a new single that's as emotional as it is personal.
Written about a childhood friend who died of a drug overdose, “Heart of Gold” touches on the raw emotions of losing someone too soon.
In the song, Mendes opens with lines that reflect regrets about not being there when it mattered: “Honestly, it's been a while since I thought about you / In the end, we didn't talk much / I didn't know what you were going through / I'm sorry I wasn't there” . Then, on the chorus, he celebrates his friend's legacy: “You had a heart of gold, yeah / You had a heart of gold / You left too soon, it was out of control.”
Mendes recently gave “Heart of Gold” another layer of meaning by dedicating it to late One Direction member Liam Payne during a live performance in New York City on Oct. 18. Pausing the music to speak to fans, Mendes shared: “We heard the news about Liam. I felt like… I felt completely devastated. I met him a few times, and he was a beautiful soul and his eyes shone – he was beauty, shining in his eyes”.
He explained that the song is not just about loss, but about celebrating those who have left an impact: “It's about mourning those we miss with tears, but it's also about celebrating them… who they were and what they left in this world. ” Mendes added, “I just want to take a second to send him so much love wherever he is up there… Liam, we love you! And the world weeps for you, brother.”
As the song began, Mendes dedicated the night's performance to Liam, saying: “This one's for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.”
During his career, Mendes has scored four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, with his debut album Manuscript starting his career reaching No. 1 in 2015. His collaboration with Camila Cabello, “Señorita”, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and had major hits such as “Stitches” and “Treat You Better” which reached the Top 10. Mendes has also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Songs chart three times.
stream “Heart of Gold” below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/shawn-mendes-heart-of-gold-stream-it-now-1235817390/
