As foreshadowed by its title, “Shawn” — released Nov. 15 — allows listeners to get close and personal with the Canadian singer-songwriter as he shares the battles he’s been fighting since the release of “Wonder” in 2020. After canceling his 2022 world tour to take care of his mental health and going through a somewhat public breakup with Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes shares part of his journey in this album full of rootsy folk-rock lullabies.
The central theme that Mendes explores in this album is his struggles with anxiety, a subject he has touched on in the past, but now with an existentialist perspective. He addresses these worries literally in “Isn’t That Enough,” a whimsical, Cajun-infused melody accompanied by a harmonica, reflecting on the glimpse of peace and normalcy amid troubled times. Mendes transports listeners to a peaceful swamp, finding that sweet spot of comfort in the uncomfortable moments of life. This track is a great example of Mendes’s ability to turn simple lyrics into a larger picture that touches many despite age, gender or sexuality.
In “That’s The Dream,” a romantic, mid-tempo combination of instruments –– a vibrating guitar, humming bass and snaring drum –– eases down for the bridge as Mendes reflects on a relationship that he gave up on: “We said forever ever since / We give a lot, but do we give enough?”
Mendes struggles to lower his expectations to meet reality in “Nobody Knows,” a soulful, hefty composition, makes one wonder if he was in the studio or a bar, pouring his feelings out over a glass of whiskey when recording this track. Even if one can’t relate to the pain of being in a relationship without a future, Mendes brings the listeners to a space of desperation and lament.
“That’ll Be The Day,” is yet another song that relies on mixing vocals and different guitar tunes –– but still achieves some subtle, satisfying melodies –– where he sings about loving until death, even if there’s an attempt to move on. It seems as though Mendes is trying to establish himself as more than what the tabloids say of him, but he still includes lyrics such as “I’ll be faking sex ’cause you’ll be on my mind,” which could be parallels to Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Taste,” creating space for speculations about his love life.
Overall, the run time of each song is short and the verses are repetitive. Songs such as “Rollin’ Right Along” and “Why, Why, Why” feel cliche and don’t add much to the conversation, barely making sense on their own. Throughout the album, Mendes seems to be at the dawn of breaking through but instead falls into spirals of existential doubt that scrape the surface of profound reflection.
Mendes bridges the ideas of private life and his existence in the spotlight by acknowledging his fanbase. In the opening track, “Who am I,” Mendes sets the introspective mood for the rest of this album with a nice staccato of his reliable guitar, “I feel pressure from the people that I love, and it hurts/ But I know I gotta do it, gotta put me first.” “The Mountain,” a very simple acoustic arrangement, also examines his relationship with the public. While at times catchy and enjoyable, both songs don’t get too deep as they fade in with the rest of the album.
It is the following three songs that truly demonstrate the spiritual journey the singer has taken in his hiatus, each of which delves into deeper topics of mortality, religion and mental health struggles.
“Heart of Gold,” one of the singles he released previous to the album earlier in the month, is a country-grunge-infused pop ballad, that goes down memory lane as he grieves a friend who died of a drug overdose, “When we were young / We didn’t care / We shot for the stars / I see you up there,” he sings with a comforting tone, making peace with the time they’ll never get and a possible reunion in the afterlife.
“Heavy,” stands out with a production that combines different tracks of Mendes’ voice to create a chorus and a solo–strumming guitar juxtaposed to the words “I’ve been so lonely, runnin’ from home / I’ve been on my own now for way too long.” While Mendes hasn’t confirmed a correlation to religion for this track, the sound and lyrics are reminiscent of other worship songs as he references an unknown figure that’s been guiding him to the truth. Mendes has mentioned deepening his understanding of God and religion in an interview with NME when addressing his decision to cover “Hallelujah” for the last track of the album.
Mendes is reinventing himself as he steps into unexplored territory, both metaphorically and literally. There are hints of his previous music –– similar to the acoustic sound of his albums “Handwritten” and “Illuminate”–– but he also manages to disassociate himself from his earlier work, showing that he truly has grown into a melancholic, introspective semi-cowboy. Steering away from a mainstream sound most noticeable in his last two albums, Mendes has matured out of that pop-star cocoon and is still in the process of finding his true self.
