Las Vegas pop-rock band Imagine Dragons' front man Dan Reynolds is known for performing shirtless, and he claims he does it to show off his imperfections.
A publication recently reported the 38-year-old getting together with fans for a heart-to-heart on topics like self-image and masculinity. There, he talked about how men were pressured into appearing “tough,” “flawless,” and “unbreakable.”
Highlights
- Reynolds says his shirtless performances are about authenticity, not vanity.
- He credits lifestyle changes for overcoming autoimmune disease.
- Fans embrace his bare-chested look as part of his brand.
His remarks come in the wake of previous revelations about his health battles and a troubled childhood.
The comment came nearly a decade after he transformed himself
Image credits: Lester Cohen/Getty
“Men are told we have to be strong, hide our feelings, and never show weakness.
“But I’ve struggled with uncertainty, scars, pain–just like everyone else,” Dnews reported him saying.
“I want people to see the real me. Not some perfect image.”
Image credits: imaginedragons
This reported statement comes seven years after the Radioactive hitmaker documented himself transforming from slightly built to a brawny hulk with a chiseled upper torso.
He claimed to have rid himself of two diseases over a couple of months
“I’ve spent a decade fighting an autoimmune disease that inflamed my joints (AS). I now live pain-free, am in full remission & am the healthiest I've ever been. I owe it to Brad Feinberg,” Reynolds captioned the now-deleted X post.
“Correct diet, vitamins & exercise. I’ll share it all w u soon. It's been life changing for me.”
He claimed that at the time of the post, in 2018, it took just a few months to bring about the change and supported his reason for the photo dump with:
“When you live in pain for a decade and someone fixes your body it’s nothing short of a miracle.”
“When you live in pain for a decade and someone fixes your body it’s nothing short of a miracle.”
Image credits: Wagner Meier/Getty
Notably, the update, per E! News, came just two months after he had announced his split from his wife of seven years, Anna Volkman.
He made a documentary about Mormons mistreating their LGBTQ members in 2018
The separation came shortly after Reynolds was cast as a central figure in the HBO documentary Believer, where he delved into the Mormon faith and how it treated its LGBTQ members.
Image credits: andi.elloway/imaginedragons
“Last year,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote in January 2018, “Reynolds decided to turn his focus to the dramatic spike in teen s***ides in Utah, an epidemic many have tied to the Mormon church’s harsh official positions on same-s*x relationships and the impact that has had on LGBTQ youth.”
The outlet acknowledged his work but harshly criticized the angle the production took.
It claimed the production centered on a “straight, rich rock star saving the world” when it could have been “20 percent more” focused on “the stories he’s trying to amplify.”
Image credits: imaginedragons
And even then, it surmised, “you’d still have come away thinking the documentary was about this great thing the Imagine Dragons guy decided to do.”
He claims he was depressed and bullied in his teen years
Despite the criticisms, Reynolds, who claims to have been bullied as a child, has been postured as a role model for men.
Australian Mentoring Men Aus posted a snippet of an interview with the man in December 2024, during which he discussed his depression as a scholar.
“I didn’t have a name for it in my teenage years, but I knew I was different from the kids around me,” he said.
Image credits: imaginedragons
“It’s not sad,” he asserted. “Anybody who’s been depressed knows it’s not [sadness].
“I didn’t wanna go out, I felt numb. People would speak to me and it would go in one ear and out the other,” he recalled.
Fans are in favor of his dressed-down look on stage
“Dan’s story is a testament to the strength in vulnerability and the importance of prioritizing mental health. His words encourage us all to break the silence and seek the support we need,” Mentoring Men Aus captioned the video.
Social media, it appears, cannot see as far as Reynold’s motivations—in fact, they cannot see past the topless performances.
For one fan, it is the reason they attend his concerts. “I’d want my money back if he didn’t,” they quipped.
“He does it because the world would be just a little sadder for all of us if he wouldn’t,” echoed another.
