Shawn Mendes slammed for using wildfire smoke as artwork for new song

nypost.com:

canceling his Wonder Tour in July 2022 to focus on his mental health, so fans were excited to get a new song.The “Mercy” singer has long been vocal about the dangers of climate change, but many fans also questioned Mendes’ decision to use the devastating results of wildfires to promote the song.“Shawn Mendes turning the fire smoke pollution into single cover art is sending me into orbit,” one person wrote.“Not Shawn Mendes using a photo of the NYC fire to promote his new song,” another said.“Shawn Mendes did not just slap some words on a picture of Smokey a-s NYC and used it as cover art,” someone tweeted.“Not Shawn using the air quality in new york as promo for a new song,” a fan commented.People also made their thoughts known in the comments of his Instagram post announcing the single.“Canada burning was just Shawn Mendes promo?” one questioned.“Bro saw an opportunity and took it,” another wrote.A post shared by Shawn Mendes (@shawnmendes)“Ppl are dying in wildfires n getting sick by the poor air quality n u rlly decided to make it ur aesthetic?” a disappointed fan commented.“Did bro actually commercialize New York’s climate lmao,” one person said.“Why are you trying to profit off a natural disaster,” someone asked.Some fans speculated that the song was actually about his relationship status with Camila Cabello, 26, rather than actually about the wildfires because of some of the lyrics.“Smoke in the air/ the city’s burning down/ I want to speak/ but I don’t make a sound,” Mendes sings in the 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?” he sings in the chorus.