Shawn Mendes tour 2019
Shawn Mendes is pictured performing at the Power 96.1 Atlanta Jingle Ball on Dec. 14, 2018 in Atlanta. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

KEY POINTS

  • Shawn Mendes sported a fresh buzzcut for the new year
  • Fans are "heartbroken" over his decision to ditch his signature curly hair
  • Mendes has taken a break from touring to "focus" on his mental health

Shawn Mendes said goodbye to his luscious curls and welcomed the new year with a new haircut, which had fans "mourning" the loss of the singer's signature look.

The 24-year-old "There's Nothing Holding Me Back" singer showed off a fresh buzzcut Saturday when he was spotted leaving a café in Los Angeles after having breakfast with his friends, E! News reported.

Mendes was photographed with a shaved head as he stepped out in a casual ensemble, which included a light gray sweater, a plain white T-shirt, a dark gray scarf wrapped around his neck, baggy navy blue pants and black Birkenstock clogs.

Prior to the haircut, the three-time Grammy-nominated musician had been sporting his iconic curls since he debuted in the music industry nearly a decade ago with his first single, "Life of The Party."

Fans took to Twitter to express their reactions to the new look, and many were "heartbroken" and "upset" that the singer ditched his curly hair.

"Mourning this loss of Shawn Mendes' head of hair this week," one Twitter user wrote, while another said, "Just saw Shawn Mendes cut his hair. Do not text me, I'm in mourning."

Another person shared her experience of breaking the news to her daughter, tweeting: "I just told my daughter that @ShawnMendes cut his hair and she fell into tears because she loved his curly hair LMAO. I can't."

"R.I.P Shawn Mendes' hair," a fourth user wrote, adding a humorously edited photo of the "Mercy" singer's new look next to a grave with an old photo of Mendes with his long curly hair still intact.

Another user reacted by writing, "I already miss Shawn Mendes curly hair," alongside a gallery of photos of the singer's curly hair through the years.

But some fans defended Mendes' buzzcut, calling some social media users "weird" for criticizing his new look.

"Just gonna bring this back to the [timeline] 'cause some of [you all] are already acting weird. @ShawnMendes can do whatever [the f--k] he wants to do with his own body. I lowkey knew that at some point he would experiment with a buzzcut or dyed hair. LET HIM DO IT. Hair is just hair it'll grow back," one person tweeted.

"To be honest, Shawn Mendes looks better with short hair," another user claimed, while another commented, "The shaved head definitely makes him look older I think, but only because we aren't used to seeing him [as] this and hair grows...still."

"The way you are all talking about Shawn Mendes' hair doesn't sit right with me. I'm pretty sure Shawn can decide how he wants his hair, and he doesn't need your opinions on it," a fourth user said.

Mendes' new hair came as a shock to fans as he was still spotted with his curls on Christmas Day. In a video posted on the chart-topping artist's Instagram, he was seen on a hiking trip with friends and stripping off his clothes before jumping into a freezing-cold lake.

The pop star took a break from producing music and touring in the past year. He reportedly canceled his "Wonder World" tour in 2022 to "focus" on his mental health, according to Entertainment Tonight.

He officially pulled the plug on the highly anticipated tour in July 2022 after an extended break.

"After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become [clearer] that I need to take the time I've never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger," Mendes wrote in a statement, according to the outlet.

When the singer spoke with the ET in October last year, he revealed more details about his decision to cancel the tour, explaining, "I think I needed some time just to ground and spend some time with family and friends and gain some perspective of how beautiful it is what I get to do for a living."

Mendes has not announced plans to return to touring nor revealed any projects for this year.

shawn mendes new album
Shawn Mendes, who visited Music Choice on March 22, 2018 in New York City, is releasing a new album in May. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images