Why are Shawn Mendes’ fans split on the singer's musical comeback as he releases a song about New York?

While the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are drawing in big dollars for their respective 2023 tours, Shawn Mendes is making his musical comeback after cancelling his tour last summer to focus on his mental health.

However, the year-long wait for Shawn’s return to the music industry has not been met with the most warmth from fans after he promoted his newest single ‘What The Hell Are We Dying For?’

The 24-year-old singer shared a picture of the New York skyline surrounded by fog as a result of wildfires in his home country Canada with the caption:

“WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DYING FOR? OUT NOW Started writing this song yesterday morning with my friends in upstate New York & finished it only a few hours ago...felt so important to me to share with you guys in real time.”

Shawn, who has an apartment in the Big Apple, has been spotted in the city fairly frequently recently with friends as rumours swirled around his reunion with former girlfriend Camilla Cabello.

Despite some people being eager to know more about his potential relationship with the Havana singer and to welcome him back into the music scene, other fans have slammed Shawn’s timing and promotion efforts for his new single.

Less than 36 hours after Manhattan was engulfed in wildfire smoke, one fan wrote: “[people] are dying in wildfires and getting sick by the poor air quality and you really decided to make it your aesthetic?” while another commented on Instagram: “Why are you trying to profit off a natural disaster?”

The criticism spread across other social media platforms too as Twitter users slammed Shawn’s use of ‘unhealthy air quality photos’ stating the Treat You Better hitmaker had ‘lost his mind’.

Some followers wanted to hold off on commenting about Shawn’s marketing choice for his return to music until the actual song was released last night at midnight ET.