Shawn Mendes Has Entered His Authentic Era

Shawn Mendes has finally stopped feeling like he's "stepping into a role."

The 26-year-old musician has reflected on how therapy and working on his new stripped-back album Shawn has helped him reconnect with himself.

"I think within finding yourself, there’s humor. There’s not taking myself so seriously. I don’t feel like I’m waking up every day and stepping into the role of Shawn. I feel like I’m just waking up as him," he told singer John Mayer for Interview magazine.

He's surprised his upcoming record has given him so much before he's even unveiled it to the world.

"Dude, I never thought that the most stripped-back art I’ve made would return the most to me. It’s already given me more than any of my albums by so much, and I haven’t even shown anyone... My mom doesn’t say these things, but when I played her 'Isn’t That Enough', she was like, 'Oh, you found yourself,'" he said.

Mayer asked if he figures "another parcel of yourself out", will he "keep that forever", but Mendes was philosophical about the idea.

"I’m always here to let parts die, but subconsciously I hold onto some parts. Because of therapy and the experience of being burned and frozen, I’m not as extreme anymore," he explained.

The "Stitches" singer was asked if he meant "relationship or industry," but he insisted it's not as "black-or-white" as that.

"Both. When I say burned, I mean one end of the spectrum, and frozen the other. I am not doing this black-or-white, binary thing as much anymore, and that allows me to keep flowing. I would get onto a concept about life and how to live, and I’d hold that so tight for six months. At some point, it would all come crumbling down because I’d realize it was just one part of the picture, and then I’d basically redo that in a different way," Mendes added.

Mendes' new album, Shawn, is expected to be released on Friday, Nov. 15.