Originally appeared on E! Online
Shawn Mendes has a feeling 2024 will treat him better.
While celebrating the new year, the "Mercy" singer reflected on some of the challenges he faced in 2023 and the lessons he learned along the way.
"The biggest lesson for me this year has been to accept and welcome the lows of life," Mendes shared on Instagram Jan. 2, "not to constantly need to change or fix something in order to feel high again, because i know if i really slow down and listen when i'm low there's always something to hear."
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It was music that taught the 25-year-old how to embrace the imperfect parts of life.
"I found that in moments of extreme anxiety or fear," he explained, "if i sat down with my harmonium and allowed myself with full trust to sing whatever came out it would often ease the pain."
Although it was difficult at first to sing out loud without the practice to sound flawless, Mendes said he began to accept himself more and more.
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"After a while i actually started to fall in love with the dance between the 'right' and the 'wrong' notes," he continued. "I realized there were only moments of bliss and euphoria from the 'right' notes because of the 'wrong' notes. The only reason i can sing in key is because i've learned to listen."
Mendes—who released his last album Wonder in 2020 but canceled the tour in July 2022 due to mental health concerns—posted the message alongside a black-and-white video of himself playing the keyboard and sharing his raw vocals, as his way to ring in the new year.
