Shawn Mendes has postponed the next 12 dates on the North American leg of his ‘Wonder’ tour, citing a need to prioritise his mental health. 

The dozen shows comprise the next three weeks of Mendes’ touring schedule – he was due to perform in the Minnesotan capital of St. Paul tonight (July 9), followed by shows in Omaha and Milwaukee across the rest of the weekend. 

Also affected by the news are gigs in Rosemont, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Raleigh, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Uncasville. All of these will be rescheduled, however new dates are yet to be announced.

In a personal statement shared on social media, Mendes wrote: “I’ve been touring since I was 15 and to be honest it’s always been difficult to be on the road away from friends and family. After a few years off the road, I felt like was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I’ve hit a breaking point. 

“After speaking with my team and health professionals, I need to take some time to heal and take care of myself and my mental health, first and foremost. As soon as there are more updates I promise I will let you know.”

Have a look at Mendes’ statement below:

pic.twitter.com/dnqNDdh1W8

— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) July 9, 2022

The North American leg of the ‘Wonder’ tour will resume in Toronto on Sunday July 31. It’ll roll on until Wednesday October 26, when Mendes and his crew take to the stage in Newark, New Jersey. At the time of writing, that’s slated to be his last show for 2022, before a UK and European run kicks off next May. Full details for the ‘Wonder’ tour can be seen here.

Meanwhile, May saw Mendes put his spin on Bruce Springsteen‘s ‘Dancing In The Dark’ for the fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger. It wasn’t the first time the Canadian singer has been connected to The Boss – in 2018, Mendes opened the MTV VMAs with a performance and outfit that many deemed reminiscent of Springsteen’s white-collared look. 

In 2019, NME’s Douglas Greenwood compared the two, writing: “Springsteen is a man with nothing to prove but who gives everything at each and every show. Watching Mendes thrash his way through a 21-song set of singles and album deep cuts to a crowd of 20,000 people is a weird kind of exhilaration.”