Shawn Mendes is back stronger and busier than ever with his new music!
He just released his brand new third and self-titled album, performed at our iHeartRadio Wango Tango, and is gearing up for a festival tour before he hits the road next year for his own tour!
Ever since the album came out on May 25th, we have been listening to it and have been singing along NON-STOP!
If you think we're joking, we're really not!
We've basically had every single song stuck in our heads!
We have so many thoughts and feelings about each song, we figured why not share it with all of you!
1. IN MY BLOOD
The first track and single off of Shawn's album is "In My Blood." When we first heard this song, we were instantly captivated by every single word he was saying. This song showed us a whole different side of Shawn because we could feel his vulnerability. This song is so real, raw, and relatable to everyone showing that everyone faces their own battles, but we can get through it. "In My Blood" showed us and the entire fandom that Shawn was not messing around this album! The Mendes Army knew that if "In My Blood" was just the single we were in store for a great album and that was exactly what we got!
2. NERVOUS
Can we just talk about the great imagery that Shawn does with his lyrics for a second? We could clearly see and feel everything Shawn was feeling in this song. We could see him in the cafe being so nervous to approach this person. We've all been there so nervous, but yet excited to talk to our crush because we don't want to embarrass ourselves and say the wrong thing. The way Shawn clearly depicts this makes us nervous FOR him because we know what it's like! What's so great about this song musically is that the beat goes with the lyrics perfectly. The strumming in the verses to us shows the nervousness like when you talk to your crush. However, when it gets to the upbeat chorus it's like the excitement and giddiness you get because you're having a conversation with them. We're not sure if that's what Shawn was trying to do, but that's how we translate the music. This song is such a BOP, you can't help but dance to it!
3. LOST IN JAPAN
When we hear Lost In Japan, we are instantly sucked into this perfect fantasy world of being able to just take a quick plane ride to see our crush. It's such a fun song that can instantly put you in a great mood. We know this might be a little weird, but can anyone else HEAR SHAWN SMILING throughout this song especially at 2:40?! You know...like this...
If you didn't notice this before, we just want to say...you are very welcome! When Shawn smiles we can't help, but smile. In other words we were smiling throughout this ENTIRE song!
4. WHERE WERE YOU IN THE MORNING?
Oh how we were so happy when Shawn accidentally leaked a snippet of this song on Snapchat. Then imagine how excited we got when we found out this song made the album!! First of all..HOLY VOCALS! That perfect falsetto OMG! This song totally channels John Mayer, which we're not surprised by at all considering how big of a fan Shawn is! The guitar, bass, piano, the electronics, it all has the perfect blend on this song. Also side note, why would anyone want to leave shawn alone in the morning? We would gladly leave our phone number soooo Shawn hit us up!
5. LIKE TO BE YOU FEAT. JULIA MICAHELS
This duet are we in music heaven or what?! This song is so catchy we can't stop listening to it! Their vocals go perfectly together with Shawn's smooth voice and the rasp in Julia's voice. We love how this song shows two different perspectives in the aftermath of a relationship fight. It's interesting how both sides want to move past the fight, but neither one knows how to communicate that. This is the most relatable thing ever! Our favorite line is "I get worried. I might lose you a little every time we argue and get caught up in the moment." WE FELT THAT LINE RIGHT IN THE HEART! Also when they go back to the chorus and the way Shawn says "tell me what's inside of your head," OMG we are screaming, it was sang perfectly!
6. FALLIN' ALL IN YOU
"Fallin' All In You" is our absolute favorite favorite favorite song on this album! Ed Sheeran helped write this song! Anytime Ed helps artists write songs, they always end up being our favorite. I love when Shawn does songs just on his guitar and doesn't need so much production behind him. It shows how great of an artist he his with his strong vocals I think what I really love is the storytelling with such imagery. This song is such a relatable type of love song. Falling for someone that you didn't expect to fall for could be a scary thought, but you can't help it because of the chemistry. We love that he lyrically translates that by describing it as being on a tight rope and having no safety net and just falling because that's exactly what it is. The line "I thought I knew it all. Found love but I was wrong more times than enough..." is such a great lyric because there's so many times you have love, but it doesn't work out for whatever reason. Our favorite part of the whole song that hits us right in the feels is the bridge. When he says "Every time I see you baby I get lost. If I'm dreaming, baby, please don't wake me up. Every night I'm with you. I fall more in love. Now I'm laying by your side. Everything feels right since you came along..." That is honestly the cutest and best part of the whole song you can't help, but die a little!
6. PARTICULAR TASTE
This song was written with the help of Ryan Tedder who is another musical genius. This song gives us major Janelle Monae "Make Me Feel" and Selena Gomez "Bad Liar" vibes with the simplicity of it. This is a fun and catchy song with a funky pop sound.
7. WHY
The honesty in this song is amazing! The best part about Shawn being so vulnerable and completely honest in his music is how relatable the lyrics are. When you don't understand why you aren't dating that someone when you know you're perfect for each other. What we love the most about this song is that he keeps it simple with the music to go along with his story. We also love that he uses his falsetto in this song, but at the same time shows the different ranges of his voice.
8. BECAUSE I HAD YOU
Because I Had You is our second favorite song on this album. This song is absolutely heartbreaking! We can feel the pain of reality hitting Shawn losing the girl because it was too late. This song has the music vibe of "Patience" and "Honest" with the strumming on the guitar and the melody, but has the heart breaking lyrics like "Ruin" or "Three Empty Words." The hardest thing is seeing the person you love move on and be with someone new so when Shawn says that in his lyrics our hearts were breaking for him. When he says he's going to move on and meet someone new, but he could never love her is such a powerful line. This song is written so beautifully.
9. QUEEN
Oooh sassy Shawn came out on this song! This song is relatable because we're sure everyone knows someone that thinks they're better than you. You know sometimes people need to be knocked off of their high horse and Shawn said it perfectly. I mean who named them the queen? Shawn says it perfectly in such a fun, catchy, upbeat way! You can't help, but scream sing these lyrics in the car!
10. YOUTH FEAT. KHALID
Shawn and Khalid working together is the duet we didn't know we needed in our lives and it's amazing! Shawn's voice with Khalid meshes so well together! We love the build up at the beginning with just the guitar and then it goes in to a faster pace at the chorus, then as the song goes on it turns into this huge production at the chorus, which is so catchy! Two young artists using their platforms to speak up in the best way and showing the youth that no one can take their voice away. This song is so powerful with a great message.
11. MUTUAL
We love that this song is just a stripped down acoustic vibe and that it's another honest song that is super relatable! We've all been there not knowing if our crush feels the same way. We just want honesty if the person has mutual feelings or not. Shawn says it in the best "I don't want to have to leave, but half of you is not enough for me." YESS SHAWN. PREACH! The feelings are either mutual or we're walking!
12. PERFECTLY WRONG
Our hearts are breaking hearing this song!! Knowing someone is wrong for you so you know you have to leave is so hard. The way you feel Shawn's genuine raw emotion in this entire song. WE FELT THAT and that's when you know you're a great artist! When you make the audience feel every single word you're saying with your voice and lyrics is absolute perfection. We love that Shawn traded the guitar for a piano because it makes the song even that much better with the classic piano! LOVE THIS SONG!
13. WHEN YOU'RE READY
When You're Ready is the perfect wrap up for this album and it's another one of our favorites. Our favorite Shawn songs is when he does the simple classic strumming on the guitar because you can really hear how great his vocals are and this song is no different. We honestly sing along with this song with the biggest smile on our faces like how cute is he?! WE WEREN'T READY FOR THIS! We are actually obsessed with this song, it's just so good!
Shawn has grown so much over the years with his writing and to be completely honest, we weren't sure how it could get any better than his album "Illuminate." Well he did it! SHAWN DID THAT! He was completely genuine, raw, vulnerable, and honest and that's what makes him such a great artist. When an artist can express themselves so honestly not only in one song but on an ENTIRE album, it leaves a positive impact on everyone! This album has given everyone an inside look in Shawn's mind and we can't wait to see what the future holds for Shawn Mendes!