After spending years out of the spotlight, Shawn Mendes has finally reentered the world of music. His previous album, Wonder was released in December of 2020, and since then, Shawn has released only a number of songs.
Despite certain difficulties over the past few years (including cancelling his Wonder Tour and his split with his then-girlfriend Camila Cabello) Shawn laid low and took time to reflect. His album is a perfect representation of his time spent healing. Every song in Shawn tells a personal story from Shawn’s life.
Track 1: Who Am I
The opener of the album talks about Shawn’s internal conflict. He either pleases everyone while being unsure of himself versus putting himself first but letting down his fans. He talked about cancelling his Wonder tour and how difficult the decision was for him. Through this song, we can see Shawn’s acceptance toward his mental health, and how taking that break to find himself was a necessity.
Track 2: Why Why Why (E)
This is easily one of the best songs on the album, and the most popular. In a nutshell, “Why Why Why” talks about choosing himself while also accepting help from those who are important to him, not knowing the reason for anything, and trying to figure those reasons out. He makes references to his main issues during this time: his lack of inspiration while songwriting, the end of his relationship, the end of his tour, and his anxiety and racing thoughts. Adding everything he experienced during his years out of the spotlight into one song is not easy, but Shawn managed to perfectly encapsulate his thoughts and turn it into a song that everyone could relate to.
Track 3: That’s the Dream
When someone is in love, they never expect it to end. It can be difficult to move on and picture your life without your significant other. Here, Shawn discusses the uncertainty that comes with being in and out of love.
Track 4: Nobody Knows (E)
Relationships can leave a lasting impact on both involved, and this is very clearly the case for both Shawn and Camila, who still write songs about their relationship. In “Nobody Knows”, Shawn describes the power of the relationship he had with Camila. Despite the strong love that held them together, it could disappear one day, and Shawn is left questioning “where the love goes”.
Track 5: Isn’t That Enough
Quality over quantity has been expressed by everyone, and in “Isn’t That Enough”, Shawn emphasizes this idea. Even though he is changing as a person, his friends and family are there with him through his vulnerable moments.
Track 6: Heart of Gold
At one of his private shows, Shawn dedicated this song to Liam Payne shortly after his unexpected passing. After I listened to the full song, it meant so much more that he would sing this song to honor Liam one last time. “Heart of Gold” talks about one of Shawn’s friends who passed away from an overdose. The grief that comes with death, especially when unanticipated and undiscussed, leads to not expressing negative feelings. Shawn admitted that the first time he ever processed his friend’s death was when he was in the studio recording this particular album. This is one of my favorite songs on the album.
Track 7: Heavy
To me, “Heavy” discusses Shawn carrying emotional burden and pain for the past few years. Taking time for himself helped Shawn realize that he had been unaccepting of the love around him, and he had to work on appreciating those who love him.
Track 8: That’ll Be The Day
Nothing is permanent. In this song, Shawn says that the only time he will ever stop loving his friends and family is when he dies. Love stays after one dies until everyone who knows you dies.
Track 9: In Between
This song was honestly difficult for me to interpret. I think Shawn is saying that the moments between the bad and good in relationships make them worth it. At this point in his life he is ready for a serious relationship. He also wanted to emphasize that there are two sides to every story, and life is not necessarily all “black and white”.
Track 10: The Mountain
I love “The Mountain”. This song talks about Shawn’s process of self-discovery. He tried everything in order to heal. He ignored the media, and gave all his energy in feeling like himself once more. He has reached the point in his life in which he does not care what anyone says – he accepted himself and has “never been better”.
Track 11: Rollin’ Right Along
The message to this song was simple: life does not stop for you. It continues on and things get better as you surpass difficulties that everyone has experienced. The first step is realizing that no experience is unique, and it becomes easier knowing nothing is impossible to get over.
Track 12: Hallelujah
It took time for Shawn to make music since cancelling his tour. Sitting quietly and listening to the sound of his voice was critical in his ability to be able to get comfortable with himself once again. His vocals in this song were incredible. His progression during these years can be clearly heard.
Shawn played these songs at venues For Friends and Family Only before the album’s scheduled release date of November 15th.
In addition to the album, Shawn had a special one-day event in the cinema on November 14th, a day before the album release. It was his For Friends and Family Only show turned into a movie. I was so excited to watch it and it was stupendous. I loved the backstory he would tell to every song before playing them for his fans.
I absolutely loved Shawn’s new album. I will not say that I was surprised with the overall feel of the album, because it delivered exactly what I thought: feeling, love, and stories. One of my favorite parts about this album was that it can be interpreted in so many different ways, and each way makes sense. We can see how much Shawn has grown in the past four years. He really has found himself, and his fans could not be prouder.