Shawn Mendes is a name you are probably familiar with: the Canadian singer-songwriter got his big break after a series of singing videos on the once-popular social media app Vine, and has released a pair of big albums since then, with several huge singles including three that have peaked in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, those being “Stitches,” “Treat You Better,” and “There’s Nothin’ Holding Me Back.” I’ve had an appreciation for those singles, but I haven’t heard Shawn’s music all that much, so I figured that, with his third album nearing release, what better time to look at his old work than now? So, let’s get started!
Life Of The Party: Shawn’s first single, this is a somewhat minimal, piano-driven track that features some rather romantic lyrics from Shawn. I love Shawn’s very beautiful vocals on this track, and I find the hook to be one of the best ones he’s created. Even though the track becomes a bit more booming during the final two choruses, Shawn’s vocals remain front and center on this one, and he retains the vocal conviction that he has typically shown. Good start to the album!
Stitches: One of the first big singles from Shawn, this is a song I’ve admittedly run hot-and-cold with since it became a huge hit. It used to play all the time when I worked in retail, along with “Treat You Better,” and there were times where I absolutely loved it, but there were also times where I definitely wanted it off. The tale of a huge pop song, I guess. Either way, re-listening to it for this review made me realize why I enjoyed it in the first place; it's a track about being so in love with someone that you don’t want them to leave, even after they hurt you. I like how the verses feel light, but then the hook changes to something more booming, and I think Shawn delivers the hook with such conviction and emotion that it really sticks. Maybe I just needed to get out of retail to more fully appreciate the song.
Never Be Alone: A song allegedly based on The Plain White T’s hit “Hey There Delilah,” Shawn tells a fictional story about love on this track, and I like his acoustic plucking on this one. It’s light but still energetic, and I think it also feels kind of bouncy. I wasn’t really all that crazy about the hook at first, but it grew on me as the song went on, and I once again love Shawn’s vocals and energy on this one. This is a very sweet cut, I definitely dig it.
Kid In Love: A track that gives me some really good John Mayer throwbacks (and also some Ed Sheeran vibes, obviously), Shawn sings another very sweet tale on this one about the kids who would do anything for those that they are head-over-heels about. Blame it on me being a 19-year old Gen Z kid, but I’m definitely one of those people. Either way, beyond the song being relatable, I love the very danceable feel of this one, and Shawn’s very passionate vocals make it really great. There’s a lot of good vibes from this cut, and I really enjoy it!
I Don’t Even Know Your Name: A “love at first sight” kind of song where Shawn talks about an experience that he had at a party, I get some vibes that remind me of something like James Taylor or Lee DeWyze, and maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for these kinds of songs, but yes, I dig this one. Very head-noddy drum beat, more beautiful vocals from Shawn, and a very captivating hook help this one work even if it sticks in some established acoustic formula.
Something Big: A track that sonically calls back in some ways to Ed Sheeran’s “Sing,” this one is very upbeat and faster-paced than some of the other tracks on here. I once again like Shawn’s vocals and the acoustic guitar melody on this one, but I don’t think the hook, or the overall sound, are really sticking with me as much. On top of that, the song feels too short to me, so all in all, this one just isn’t clicking with me as much.
Strings: Shawn surprising sing-raps throughout this track, and I must say that he’s got some very solid flow! Here, Shawn talks about how he wants a relationship with all strings attached, and he does that over a really passionate acoustic guitar melody that, again, feels somewhat familiar, but is too damn charming to pass on. Shawn also reminds us that he has plenty of vocal conviction on the track, and he crafts a song that’s very easily head-noddy and fun.
Aftertaste: This song shows a more confident side of Shawn, as he believes that no one is gonna top him and that no man will ever replace him in a relationship. I really dig the very passionate hook on this one, and I like Shawn’s vocal flow and delivery throughout the song as well. The acoustic guitar melody is also very upbeat and fast-paced, and the song is all-around enjoyable from start to finish.
Air (ft. Astrid S): A somewhat lighter track compared to the last few, Shawn collaborates with Norwegian singer Astrid S on this one, and I think the two of them have solid vocal chemistry together. I like the bright feel of the track (even if it talks about two lovers that smother each other too much, which isn’t the most “bright” topic), and the beat is really fun on this one. I don’t think the hook is all that great on this one (especially the repetitive “air, air, air, air, air, air” part), but it’s still a pretty decent track, even if it’s far from the album’s best.
Crazy: Another light, but somewhat more sunny-sounding song, Shawn once again brings the John Mayer vibes on this track as he talks about a lover that he realized he can’t live without. It’s a very light song, and it definitely once again shows Shawn’s strong vocals off, but I don’t really find the hook all that compelling on this one, and I don’t find the song really sticking with me all that much. Definitely not a bad track, and maybe it’ll grow on me with a few more listens, but otherwise, I’m not really all that into it right now.
A Little Too Much: One more very light, somewhat minimal track that talks about how sometimes life can be a bit rough, I once again really dig Shawn’s acoustic guitar melody on this one, and his very powerful, passionate vocal performance meshes nicely with the emphatic guitar melody here. Again, not really all that crazy about the hook here, but it’s a decent enough track overall. Not one of my personal favorites on the album, but definitely not one of my least favorites.
This Is What It Takes: Right off the bat, I dig that this is a song about loving someone who is battling depression. This one is again very light and minimal, but it’s yet another very sweet song. Shawn’s vocals remain beautiful and passionate, and the minimal instrumental on here helps bring those very great vocals front and center. Very nice, very enjoyable song that, even if it works safely in established formula, I definitely think I’ll come back to quite a bit in the future.
Bring It Back: Another love ballad, this one has Shawn talking about how his ex, who he admits he no longer loves. He basically states throughout the song that, if he and said ex were to get back together, things would only get worse. I like the more energetic feel of this one, with a more pounding drum beat and a vocal performance that shows Shawn singing his heart out, but I feel like there’s not a whole lot about the song that really sticks with me. Sure, Shawn’s vocals are great, but the hook just isn’t all that captivating, and the song is very short and it feels like it ends all too quickly. Those drawbacks unfortunately make this one of my least favorite cuts on the album.
Imagination: I get a lot of different vibes from this track, and I feel like it’s one of the most notable examples of Shawn working off of formula and some established tropes. Still, there’s some very real charm to this one: a great guitar melody accompanies Shawn’s typically pretty vocals, as he talks on this track about how he imagines unlikely scenarios with someone he is infatuated with. Sure, this kind of song has definitely been done once or twice before, I’m sure of it, but at least Shawn brings some very nice emotions to the track.
The Wait: Shawn talks here about a girl who wants him to stay so badly, even though she slept with a next-door neighbor that he grew up with. Ouch, that’s gotta sting. In any case, this is another very emotional track, with Shawn’s vocals feeling as though they have a very slightly more broken inflection. The instrumental is once again something I’m sure has been done before, but I do think the acoustic guitar melody on here is vibrant and yet emotional enough to blend well with Shawn’s vocals. A solid track, even if it’s not one of my favorites on the album.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (ft. Camila Cabello): A track that was (thankfully) included on the Deluxe Edition of the album on Spotify, this song features Shawn and former Fifth Harmony member turned solo pop star Camila Cabello singing about a relationship that’s obviously tearing the two of them up, but they just don’t want to admit it. I like the more upbeat and fast-paced acoustic guitar riffs on this one, and I think the vocal interplay between Shawn and Camila is quite solid. I also think the hook is really memorable and really ear-wormy, and the song as a whole is one I’ve enjoyed quite a bit. Good ending to the Deluxe Edition of the album.
Overall, I definitely have to say that I was really enjoying myself with the first half of the album. There were a lot of memorable tracks at the beginning that I felt would be worth coming back to from that first half, and I found pretty much the entire album to be a great showcase of Shawn’s very beautiful vocals, even if he sat very comfortably in acoustic pop formula. However, in the last half of the album, I really didn’t find all that much worth remembering. Outside of “This Is What It Takes,” “Imagination,” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” I felt like the latter half of the album just ended up turning a little too contrived, a little less sticky, and maybe a little too basic. Still, I do think this is an album that has some very real charm to it, and even if it’s a bit standard, and it’s nothing you haven’t heard before, it’s a great showcase of Shawn’s vocal talents and solid, emotional instrumentals. It could’ve been better, but at least there were a lot of songs that I took away from it and enjoyed. Hopefully, his next few albums will be a bit more consistent, and have a few more highlights in the back-end, instead of sticking them all in the front.
Next up, I’ll be looking at his sophomore album “Illuminate.” We’ll see if that rather quick follow-up was an improvement, or just an attempt to keep his name out there.
Favorite tracks: Life Of The Party, Stitches, Never Be Alone, Kid in Love, I Don’t Even Know Your Name, Strings, Aftertaste, This Is What It Takes, Imagination, I Know What You Did Last Summer
Least favorite tracks: Something Big, Crazy, Bring It Back
Rating: Good
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