I have been a Shawn Mendes fan for a decade and have always enjoyed his music. In 2020 I was going to go to his concerts for the “Wonder” album in two different cities, and until it all got cancelled. Ever since then, Shawn Mendes has unfortunately fallen off a bit and created a couple singles that have been just okay. As a die hard fan, I have stayed in touch with his old albums and have continued to listen to them all the time. While he has not released an album since 2020, Shawn released a new album called “Shawn” on Nov. 15, 2024, after postponing the album for a month. While it hasn’t been very popular in the media, I was so excited for more music to come out and for a new album. Here is my review of the album and each song on it in order of how it is on the album.
To begin, my overall feeling about this album is that it is much different than his other albums. This album is only 30 minutes long, and is very folk compared to his usual pop. Additionally, most of his albums are about love and romance (there are some exceptions) but this one, from what I have inferred, is all about how he lost himself and his love for music, and this is him apologizing to the fans but also explaining what he has learned. My favorite thing about this album is that it is like a story. He goes from apologizing to fans and talking about how he lost himself to explaining how he matured and how he isn’t sorry for finding himself. Now, I don’t love these songs as much as his other albums, except for “Wonder” (his previous album) because it was never my favorite, but they are good songs and I think that as I listen to them more I will enjoy them more (once I can sing along).
Here is the list of songs and my thoughts on them:
- “Who Am I”
I actually really like this one, but I do think it is quite slow. This song talks about mental health and how he canceled his tour. This song is essentially an apology to fans and not knowing how to come back after. This one is emotional, but the lyrics are really relatable. Additionally, I like the guitar and beat in this one. Shawn’s voice is just beautiful. One of my favorites on the album for sure.
- “Why Why Why”
This song is the single for the album. I really loved this one right off the bat, and this song definitely made me even more excited for the album. I love the beat and it is really nice to sing along to. The song is upbeat, but talks about struggling to find meaning in life. I think that the chorus is really nice and relatable. This one does spark a question, as Shawn says “I thought I was about to be a father, Shook me to the core, I’m still a kid” which implies some things about what may have happened in past relationships and made lots of fans have questions. Overall, a great song and will always be one of my favorite songs from this album.
- “That’s the Dream”
I really like this song and it is a bit more upbeat which is nice. The guitar sounds great and Shawn’s voice feels very highlighted in this. This song kinda makes me want to dance. It is again very folk-like and has a twangy guitar sound. I think that this song is talking about what the dream is like and how sometimes that doesn’t happen. This song is short and simple, but good.
- “Nobody knows”
Right off the bat this song is very country. It gives me Zach Bryan x Noah Kahan vibes at first and then really reminds me of the song “Lover” by Taylor Swift. This song is very slow and is a little confusing on the meaning exactly but I think it is talking about how his love of music went away. This song gives me a swaying vibe and feels very emotional and powerful.
- “Isn’t that enough”
I like this song and I think it represents a very relatable topic. It gives “folklore” and “evermore” vibes and is very country. I like the whistles that were in the song, as I am always a fan of that.
- “Heart of Gold”
This song talks about a death and some people say it talks about Liam Payne’s death. I think it translates to how he wasn’t there for people because he was taking care of himself. The chorus of this song is amazing and it has a country upbeat vibe.
- “Heavy”
The main thing I have to say about this one is it feels like a worship song. It starts off as acoustic guitar right away, which is beautiful, but the lyrics and beat are just very worshipful songs. This song is talking about his support system after things were heavy while being on the road and away from home.
- “That’ll be the Day”
Not much to say about this one. It was a sad and mediocre song. I wasn’t really sure of the meaning behind it and I didn’t love it. My least favorite song on the album.
- “In Between”
This is one of my favorite songs on the album because of what the lyrics represent. It is talking about how things (relationships) are often seen as black and white but the in between is just as important. The lyric “if it isn’t black and white is on to the next” sums up the idea of how many people, including Shawn, didn’t see how important the in between or little moments were. Through this song you can see him maturing and learning. This song was inspiring and really explains how you need to enjoy the moment.
- “The Mountain”
This song was sad and slow. In the song, he explains how he went away and learned a new way to live life. He discusses how people can say whatever they want about him because he knows who he is now. This is the beginning of the end. The album started with him apologizing but now he is saying how he is maturing and how he has learned a lot and changed along the way.
- “Rollin’ Right Along”
I love this song. The beat is amazing and in the song there is a violin which I think is beautiful and perfect. I also love the meaning behind this song. It explains how you have to keep going past all the hardships. It was a bit more upbeat and inspirational. Shawn uses voices to do a bit of acapella, and it gives official country Zach Bryan vibes. This was the perfect ending to wrap up this story.
- “Hallelujah”
This one was a cover, but was honestly so beautiful. Shawn did the same thing with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” for the “Wonder” album which is kind of cool. I really loved this cover and Shawn’s voice is so pretty.
In conclusion, the album was short but sweet. My favorite parts overall were the guitar and the lyrics. I thought that the guitar just stood out to me in almost every song and the lyrics were very relatable and well written. I love how this album is a story, and I think that it is cool to get a different style from him. As I listen to this album more, I think I will learn to like it even more, and I am excited for more music from one of my favorite artists.