Breakups are always hard, and music can help to ease the pain. Unsurprisingly, Shawn Mendes‘ latest single addressed his breakup from Camila Cabello on November 17. A source close to the 23-year-old singer told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that Shawn had written “It’ll Be Okay,” as he and Camila were having problems with their relationship, and he played it for her before it dropped on December 1.
Even though times were tough, Shawn played the heart-wrenching ballad for the “Havana” singer, and Camila thought the track was also moving. “This song was from his heart and was absolutely written about him and Camila. Camila was able to hear the song before it was released and she told him that it was beautiful,” the source said.
Naturally, the “In My Blood” singer turned to music when his relationship with the 24-year-old popstar started going south. “Shawn started writing his new song when they began falling apart because that is how Shawn gets through tough times in his life – he writes about them,” the source said, but said Shawn hoped the two could remain close. “Shawn doesn’t want her to be in any pain and he would like to remain in each other’s lives, but he wants some time apart before they can jump back into a friendship because they both need to learn to live without each other.”
When the couple broke up, they noted that they would “continue to be best friends” in their joint statement, released at the time. “We’ve decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever,” the couple said.
Shortly after the split, Camila shared her feelings on the Time to Walk app on Apple Fitness+ on November 22. “I felt so anxious, cripplingly anxious. I just felt really unstable, and I just felt a mess because suddenly, this thing that was distracting me, my work and filming, was not there,” the singer said. “And it was getting in the way of my relationship. It was getting in the way of my friendships, my time at home.”