Shawn Mendes was slammed for using a photo of New York City engulfed in wildfire smoke to promote his new single.
The “Stitches” singer posted a photo Thursday of the Manhattan skyline, which had become nearly invisible due to the smoke from the raging Canadian wildfires — less than 36 hours after it occurred.
Imposed over the photo were the words “What the hell are we dying for.”
Despite some fans gushing over his musical comeback, others were not amused by the imagery.
“ppl are dying in wildfires n getting sick by the poor air quality n u rlly [sic] decided to make it ur aesthetic?” one Instagram user commented, while another said, “Why are you trying to profit off a natural disaster.”
“did bro actually commercialise [sic] New York’s climate lmao,” another user wrote.
Fans also came for the artist via Twitter, with one user writing, “he… used… the unhealthy air quality photos… from LITERALLY YESTERDAY… as an album cover??? oh he’s lost his damn mind 😭😭😭😭.”
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“even if this song is about the climate crisis — this seems a bit much. like there better be intersectionality of climate justice and have a feat from greta herself,” another Twitter user commented, referring to Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
Mendes’ choice of promotional material for his newest single, releasing Thursday at midnight, comes after Mayor Eric Adams urged New Yorkers to mask up and stay inside due to the unhealthy air quality conditions.
The Canadian singer, 24, has recently found himself back on the market after his rekindled relationship with Camila Cabello, 26, came to an end, according to the Sun.
The former couple had been spotted in the last few weeks on a series of dates in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as at the Eras Tour concert in New Jersey.
A source told the outlet, “Shawn and Camila have a lot of history and they tested the waters again after coming back into each other’s lives.
“But it was just a fling and they’ve put an end to it now. They realized it was probably a mistake to give things another shot. Things ended between them the first time for a reason, after all.”
The source added, “In reality, both of them know they aren’t right for each other romantically and now they just want to move on.”
The couple first crossed paths in 2014, sparking romance rumors at the time. However, they officially began dating in 2019.
By 2021, things fizzled out, as they said in a statement, “Hey guys, we’ve decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever.
“We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends. We so appreciate your support from the beginning and moving forward. Camila and Shawn.”
