It has been a long time coming, but Shawn Mendes has finally released his highly anticipated 5th album, Shawn. After 4 years without a full-length body of work and cancelling his Wonder World Tour, the singer/songwriter presents 11 new beautifully crafted tracks that I’ll dive into below.
Who I Am
The first track on the record sees Shawn making a conscious decision to take time to himself. He softly sings across an ethereal and soulful arrangement that sets the tone for the rest of the album. He acknowledges that he doesn’t know who he is, which is why he is forced to let the people around down. It’s a poignant way to begin his journey throughout the rest of the album.
Why Why Why
Why Why Why is full of questions and even more drums. Beginning with a laugh, the song booms with a soft vocal and a folksy arrangement that brings the listener to blissful uncertainty. He recounts the things that have happened to him as of late, acknowledging that he isn’t ready to move on from those things, going as far as to talk about a time he almost became a father and how the event changed his approach to tending to his feelings.
That’s The Dream
This song is simply the fantasy of being with somewhere you love forever. The singer expresses how his breakup wasn’t what he saw in his future and how he now just looks to the future, whether it’s with the same person or with someone else. Either way, loving someone else for the rest of his life is the dream.
Nobody Knows
A beautiful song with a simple arrangement, Mendes fills the instrumental of Nobody Knows with his yearning vocals, asking where his love should go now that he has no one to share it with. The live performance of this song was performed with an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, and drum set.
Isn’t That Enough
This song is the first moment on the album that Shawn acknowledges life itself. He points out the “warm rain” and the “singing birds,” and leans into the folksy tone he’s set with the first few songs on the album.
Heart of Gold
Heart of Gold is heart-breaking. The songwriter recounts the loss of a friend, whom he hadn’t spoken to or thought of for some time. He expresses his regret for not being around at the time and goes on to honor his friend with this incredible crafted song. Mendes skates over a continuous guitar that leads the drums to the end of this bittersweet track.
Heavy
Track seven sees Mendes expressing his gratitude toward someone who has been trying to get through to him. He sings “It’s been so Heavy,” but that he’s finally ready to talk and let the people around him help him out of the negative feelings he’s been dealing with.
That’ll Be The Day
A song about moving on disguised as a love song, That’ll Be The Day sees Shawn speaking to someone he loves, saying that no matter what, the feelings they have for each other won’t fade until death.
In Between
In Between references Isn’t that Enough in its lyrics, but the song deals with very different subject matter. Mendes grapples with whether the relationships he has mean anything in the long run, and expresses that to him, the big gestures mean nothing without the “in betweens”.
The Mountain
The Mountain sees Shawn either breaking up with the world or making up with himself, or maybe both. A beautiful song with a lively instrumentation and lyrics about what he’s witnessed in his decade in the spotlight. He recounts some of trips he took while on his hiatus, and while you expect him to come out with the answers, he comes out with something better: peace of mind.
Rollin’ Right Along
This song is so folksy, it runs on the edge of a country song. We hear Mendes at his most free, making you dance while listening to this joyous song.
Hallelujah
While not an original song by the singer, this rendition of Hallelujah is personal and powerful. Mendes floats on the organ and synth infested track, bring all the lessons he’s showed us he’s learned from his time away with a spiritual send off. While this song isn’t original, you feel the peace Shawn expresses throughout the album, making this moment the perfect ending to an introspective journey.
Shawn Mendes returned with an album that blew my expectations out of the water. His self-awareness and honesty on this record is commendable, and I cannot wait to see more growth and creativity from this wonderful artist. I give this album a 9.8- my highest score yet.
