Shawn Mendes Drops Powerful New Song ‘What The Hell Are We Dying For?’
The surprise new release marks the Canadian star’s first his contributions to the ‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ OST in the fall of 2022.
Shawn Mendes has dropped a surprise new song “What the Hell Are We Dying For?” featuring one of his most powerful lyrics to date. You can check the song out below.
The Canadian singer-songwriter first announced the newly-penned track just hours before it was released last night (Thursday, June 8) along with cover art for the track, featuring the ominously orange New York City skyline, which has been transformed into something quasi-apocalyptic as a result of the Canadian wildfires which are currently still raging.
The lyrics, which appear to tackle the fires and the overall dangers of climate change include powerful lines such as “Smoke in the air/ the city’s burning down/ I want to speak/ but I don’t make a sound,” Mendes croons in the new song. “Locked in my mind, you’re all I think about./ I want to save us, but I don’t know how.”
“If we don’t love like we used to, if we don’t care like we used to, what the hell are we dying for?,” Mendes then sings in the chorus. “If it doesn’t cut like it used to, if you’re not mine and I’m not yours, what the hell are we dying for?”
The singer also took to social media to reveal more about his inspiration for writing his new song.
“Started writing this song yesterday morning with my friends in upstate New York & finished it only a few hours ago,” Mendes wrote on Twitter. “Felt so important to me to share with you guys in real time ♥️♥️”
“What The Hell Are We Dying For?” marks Mendes’ first new music since he released ““Heartbeat,” for the soundtrack of the movie, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile in the fall of 2022. Mendes provided the voice for the titular character in the family-friendly film.
The release of “Heartbeat” followed Mendes’ launching the “Wonder of Music” program in his hometown of Toronto, with funding from the Shawn Mendes Foundation. The program, to which a $1 million commitment was made, will provide music therapy and education at the Hospital for Sick Children, known throughout the city as SickKids.