As we get closer and closer to the Oct. 18 release date of Shawn Mendes’ new album, Shawn, tensions are heating up between his former girlfriend Camila Cabello and former situationship Sabrina Carpenter. Carpenter and Mendes had a brief fling in January 2023, followed by renewed sparks between Mendes and Cabello in April at Coachella. From there, Mendes and Cabello had a few casual dates but decided that their relationship worked best as friends. The drama died down, and people had little to say about the potential love triangle.
That is, until Sabrina Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet came out this August and had fans speculating about whether or not a few of the songs were about her situationship with Mendes. Something I’ve been wondering about is the timing of her album release, which coincidentally happened right before Mendes is set to release his first album since 2020.
Could this turn of events be a plan to give both Mendes and Carpenter’s new music more coverage? Let’s explore some songs, stories, and allegations to figure out the truth behind these musicians’ love lives and new releases!
“Taste” and “dumb & poetic”
First, we have to look at Sabrina Carpenter’s newly released album Short n’ Sweet, specifically two songs that seem to be about Mendes: “Taste” and “Dumb & Poetic.” I have to say that as a longtime Shawn Mendes fan, I feel like these songs painted a pretty true, albeit harsh, image of him. As “Dumb & Poetic” insinuates, he takes his work incredibly seriously, but I think this song draws on some of the differences between the two artists when it comes to personality types. As Carpenter mentions in the song, Mendes comes off as cool, calm, and work-oriented; while Carpenter presents as more lighthearted, funny, and go-with-the-flow.
I think we can all agree that “Taste” was the most jaw-dropping song out of these two, with Carpenter claiming that “you’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you” in a song that some believe to be about the short time between Mendes’ relationships with Carpenter and Cabello. To me, the reveal of the somewhat questionable relationship timelines illustrated in these songs makes me think that Mendes’ new album might address this brief fling, bringing more attention to both Carpenter’s and Mendes’ new releases.
So what do these songs mean for Mendes’ upcoming album? Well, it certainly adds higher expectations regarding the details he might include; and may increase listeners who tune in to see what his thoughts are on the January fling.
“WHY WHY WHY” AND “ISN’T THAT ENOUGH”
“Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” are the first releases from Shawn’s 12-song album. They talk about one of Mendes’ past relationships, the impacts of mental health, and the simplicity of life’s joys. Surprisingly, neither of these songs seems to address any situationship the singer might’ve had with Sabrina Carpenter. That leads me to believe that one of the 10 remaining songs might have some more information about their relationship from Mendes’ point of view, seeing as this is the first time he’s released music in the past four years.
So, what should you expect from the upcoming album? Maybe some more deets on the situationship? Who knows! All I know is that I’ll be listening closely to see if Mendes has anything to say regarding the recent drama that’s sprung up since Short n’ Sweet‘s release.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about what really went down behind the scenes, but I’m excited to see what’s going to develop as Short n’ Sweet continues to grow in popularity and Mendes releases more of his album! There could be more to this story, and the drama could grow even more complex as these musicians sing about their love, confusion, and complications.
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