Shawn Mendes’ “Shawn” is a bold declaration of personal evolution and artistic vulnerability. For long-time fans, it’s clear the album marks a turning point in Mendes’ career, shaped by years of navigating fame, internal struggles and public scrutiny of his personal life.
The 26-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter has captivated audiences with heartfelt pop anthems and impressive vocal talent. From amassing millions of followers online in his early days, Mendes quickly transitioned from a social media sensation to a global pop star. However, his rise to stardom came with its fair share of challenges. The media has long speculated about his sexuality, a topic he has publicly addressed over the years. Alongside that, Mendes’ tumultuous, on-and-off public relationship with fellow pop star Camila Cabello and the love triangle rumors that followed became constant talking points, complicating his already difficult path to adulthood under the harsh spotlight of fame.
Mendes’ highly publicized mental health struggles became a defining chapter in his journey. After beginning his sold-out “Wonder: The World Tour” in 2022, Shawn Mendes made the courageous decision to cancel the remaining dates, prioritizing his mental well-being. His hiatus created a period of introspection that not only marked a crucial turning point in Mendes’ personal life but also deeply influenced the creation of “Shawn,” an album that offers an unfiltered look at his struggles, growth and desire to reconnect with his true self.
The first of the singles, “Why Why Why,” dropped in early August 2024, immediately captivating listeners with its meditative lyrics and infectious rhythm. The song grapples with internal struggle, “Everything that hurts me’s still the same,” questioning one’s choices and searching for meaning in the face of uncertainty, “I stepped off the stage with nothin’ left / But I went off and chose myself instead.” This music video, filmed in Washington State, showcases Mendes barefoot in the woods looking seemingly free alongside a river and inside a barn with his black labrador. The bridge of this country-like ballad shocked fans the most: “I thought I was about to be a father / Shook me to the core, I’m still a kid.”
Shawn Mendes unveiled, “Isn’t That Enough,” the second track of his birthday double release on Aug. 8. It leans into a more folk minimalist pop sound and greater emotional depth with Mendes’ haunting vocals: “Gone are the birds / Close are the tears / A house full of love / Space for your fears.” Exploring themes of self-doubt and the desire for external validation, “Isn’t that enough? Isn’t that enough?” captures a universal struggle that speaks directly to the fans.
Mendes debuted “Nobody Knows” for the first time with an acoustic guitar during his MTV Video Music Awards performance on Sept. 11. He writes about how, when everything seems right, there is still uncertainty about where love goes when it begins to fade. Mendes questions the intricacies of love in the chorus: “When you’re so in love / And your souls touch / But it’s still not enough / Where does it go? Nobody knows.”
Following a five-week pushback of the album release from October to November, Shawn released “Heart of Gold” on Nov. 1. Applauded as an excellent track to close out the last of the singles, it honors losing loved ones. Mendes sings about a childhood friend, Deijomi, whose death came too soon from a drug overdose, “I didn’t know what you were going through / I’m sorry that I wasn’t there.” He explains how the song is just as much about celebrating the people who have made an impact, “You had a heart of gold / You left too soon, it was out of your control.” Mendes recently dedicated a live performance in New York City on Oct. 18 to the late musician Liam Payne.
“Who I Am” officially opens the album. The song begins with an apology –– “Got a lotta talk in my brain right now / Sorry, gotta do it, gotta let you down” –– and it doesn’t become clear who the apology is for until later in the song when Mendes sings in the third verse “And it broke my heart when I canceled tour.” Throughout his career, Mendes has always shown love for his fanbase, affectionately dubbed the Mendes Army, and it’s clear that deciding to cancel his long-awaited “Wonder: The World Tour” took a toll on the singer. The verses capture the vulnerability that the entire album carries, setting the scene for the raw, emotional vocals that Mendes showcases for 11 more songs. In his live concert film, “Shawn Mendes: For Friends & Family Only (A Live Concert Film),” Mendes opens up about how “Who I Am” almost didn’t make it on the album; his friend Mike made sure that it ended up front and center.
In “That’s The Dream,” Mendes sings about a long-term relationship with an unnamed lover, writing about broken promises and a forever that seems unreachable. Although he doesn’t name anyone specifically, one is led to believe that the song could reference his on-again, off-again romance with Cabello. The opening lines “It’s been this way since 17 / The highs and lows and in-betweens, my love” align with when the two pop stars met while opening for Austin Mahone’s tour in 2014. The second verse stands out, as Mendes brings up a wedding: “Got this wedding in a week / Can’t believe you won’t be there with me, my love / I know that space is supposed to help / But I feel like a shadow of myself.” It seems to the listener that Cabello is still an integral part of Mendes’ life and that Mendes will always feel love for her even if the hope of a continued romantic relationship is out of reach.
“Heavy” is about the emotional weight that Mendes has carried in his struggles with mental health and the disconnect he’s previously felt from the people and world around him. The lines “You’ve been rock steady tryna help me through / Now I’m finally ready to let you” show the difficulties he has with being vulnerable and how hard it was for him to accept the help he needed from others. In a recent interview with NME, Mendes also shares that the use of powerful backing vocals is not an accident: “Metaphorically, it really shows you [that] I actually needed support to even be in the studio singing those songs.”
“That’ll Be The Day” is one of the album’s most emotionally charged tracks, delving into the unshakeable bond with a past love. Mendes expresses an unwillingness — or inability — to fully move on, he captures the permanence of this connection with lines like, “There will be a day I don’t hear a sound / I’ll be six feet underground,” suggesting that only death could sever his emotional ties. The song’s confessional tone, haunting simplicity, whispery vocals and steady guitar rhythm emphasize the weight of Mendes’ sentiments. He describes being emotionally unavailable for future relationships: “I could pretend I have a chance at another romance, but, honey, in the end…” This has drawn parallels to his public relationships, including speculation about Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter. The raw pauses in instrumentation spotlight its most gut-wrenching moments and highlight the album’s exploration of loss, vulnerability and self-discovery, positioning Mendes as a master of deeply personal storytelling.
Mendes grapples with navigating the casualness of an undefined relationship in the track “In Between,” highlighting the emotional weight of moments that don’t conform to traditional romantic milestones. In lines like, “If it doesn’t end with a ring, is it just sex?” Mendes voices a longing for clarity and dealing with fleeting intimacy and trust. These “In-betweens” are portrayed as meaningful despite challenging social expectations of relationships that lack a clear end goal. Lyrics such as, “The way you hold a pen could make me fall in love / But I’m not there yet, so to you, it doesn’t mean too much,” express admiration laced with emotional hesitation. Mendes captures humor and heartbreak in “You say, ‘I guess I’ll see you never,’ with tears in your eyes.” Musically, the track’s acoustic guitar and descending piano lines imitate intimacy.
“The Mountain” was written during his travels to Costa Rica and Hawaii, exploring the introspective journey that led Mendes to better understand himself. Mendes reflects on public speculation, rumors and tabloid gossip surrounding his life. “You can say it was drugs / You can say it was God / You can say it was aliens / You can say I’ve lost the plot,” address the media’s relentless attempts to define him, from rumors about his sexuality to allegations of involvement with the “Modern Mystery School” cult. “The Mountain” pokes fun at these misconceptions while affirming his individuality. Lyrics like “You can say I’m a dreamer / But I feel something different” and “You can say I like girls or boys / Whatever fits your mold” reveal Mendes’ acceptance of his unique perspective, despite others’ skepticism. The song channels the growth he achieved during this period of self-reflection and that his journey was one of personal discovery, not the sensationalized narratives crafted online.
“Rollin’ Right Along” is one of the happier-sounding songs on the album, using a steady drum beat and higher guitar notes to give it a more positive tone. The lyrics are about perseverance and continuing to live life despite setbacks. Like most of the songs on the album, there is a reference to an ex-lover; the second verse includes the lines “Two years since I held my baby tight / Learned my heart can break and that’s alright / ‘Cause I’m not the only one who’s movin’ on / Rollin’ right along.” Cabello and Mendes broke up in 2021, so the timing of the song’s release does not match two years, but it isn’t known when Mendes wrote the song originally. “Movin’ on” could refer to Mendes’ brief stint with Carpenter or Cabello’s relationship with Austin Kevitch.
Mendes closes the album with a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which is the only song on the album with a run time longer than three minutes. It’s a song that Mendes has always loved; he shared a cover of the song on his YouTube channel in 2013, dedicating the cover to a family member. In his NME interview, Mendes describes the song as one of the greatest ever written, sharing that though the cover was a last-minute album addition he had an overwhelming gut feeling that it needed to be there. He also shares that he looks up to Cohen’s ideas of spirituality, saying that in another life he would have emulated Cohen and gone to live as a monk in a Japanese monastery. Overall, “Shawn” grapples with vulnerability and raw emotion and provides listeners with tangible evidence that Mendes has grown from a young, naive pop star to a man who has worked through real emotional struggle. Every song on this album is worthy of love and can serve as medicine for any listener who might be struggling with vulnerability and perseverance.
