Shawn Mendes: Focus on my music, not my sexuality

SHAWN Mendes

SHAWN Mendes, the young Canadian singer behind the 2015 hit “Stitches,” will hold his first concert in Manila on Oct. 26 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The one-night show, mounted by MMI Live, is part of his ongoing world tour, which kicked off in March to support his Billboard No. 1 debut album, “Handwritten” (call SM Tickets at 4702222).

The 17-year-old recording artist, who was influenced by Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and John Mayer, is known for his brand of catchy, guitar-driven pop tunes. His other notable songs include “Life of the Party” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

Named one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Teens in 2014 and 2015, Mendes’ sexual orientation has been the subject of gossip of late, with some online bashers saying that they get a “gay vibe” from the singer-songwriter when doing interviews.

Recently, on the social networking mobile application Snapchat, the singer-songwriter denied such rumors, stressing that “the focus should be on the music and not my sexuality.”

“First of all, I’m not gay. Secondly, it shouldn’t make a difference if I was or wasn’t,” he said in a video message. Allan Policarpio