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Shawn (album)

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Shawn
Black and white picture of Shawn Mendes facing the camera in front of a curtain.
Standard cover
Studio album by
Shawn Mendes
ReleasedNovember 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)
Recordedc. 2022–2024
Genre
Length30:36
LabelIsland
Producer
Shawn Mendes chronology
Wonder
(2020) 		Shawn
(2024)
Singles from Shawn
  1. "Why Why Why"
    Released: August 8, 2024
  2. "Isn't That Enough"
    Released: August 8, 2024
  3. "Nobody Knows"
    Released: September 12, 2024
  4. "Heart of Gold"
    Released: November 1, 2024

Shawn is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, released on November 15, 2024, through Island Records. Influenced by his mental health break following the cancellation of the Wonder: The World Tour in 2022, Mendes conceived Shawn as the most personal album of his career. He wrote and co-produced it along with a group of collaborators including Scott Harris, Mike Sabath, Nate Mercereau, Eddie Benjamin, and Ethan Gruska. Shawn is primarily a folk rock and folk-pop record, marking a departure from Mendes' previous pop sound. It addresses themes of self-reflection and exploration.

The lead single from the album "Why Why Why" was released alongside "Isn't That Enough" on August 8, 2024. Mendes debuted the third single, "Nobody Knows", in the first televised performance from the album at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. It was followed by "Heart of Gold" on November 1. Shawn was further promoted by an intimate concert tour in the United States and a concert film titled Shawn Mendes: For Friends and Family Only (A Live Concert Film), which premiered the day before the album's release.

Background and conception

[edit]

In order to focus on his mental health, Shawn Mendes cancelled his fifth concert tour, Wonder: The World Tour, in 2022. The tour, which contained seven officialized shows, supported his fourth studio album, Wonder, released on December 4, 2020.[1] Mendes later would explain that he "had absolutely no idea who [he] was", and could not "step into a studio without falling into complete panic".[2] In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he opened up about this topic: "It has become clear that I need to take the time I've never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger".[3] Following his one-year break, Mendes returned to the studio to record "What the Hell Are We Dying For?", a song about climate crisis.[4]

In March 2024, Mendes teased a snippet of a then-unreleased song titled "Nobody Knows" via social media, with a video of a guitar solo without vocals.[5] Two months after, the singer confirmed that his next album was "coming soon".[6] He returned to the stage as a special guest at an Ed Sheeran concert, where they performed together "Lego House" and an acoustic rendition of "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back".[7] Shawn was announced on July 31, 2024, through Mendes' official social media accounts, along with its release date and the confirmation of the first two singles, "Why Why Why" and "Isn't That Enough".[8] In a statement while announcing the album, Mendes dubbed it as his "most musically intimate and lyrically honest work to date", and praised his family and closest friends for helping him throughout its conception.[9]

Production

[edit]

According to a press release, Shawn was written and recorded "over the course of two years",[10] in various locations including Costa Rica, New York City, Washington, and Nashville.[11] Mendes co-produced the album with collaborators Scott Harris, Mike Sabath, Nate Mercereau, and Eddie Benjamin, with additional songwriting contributions from Amy Allen and Ethan Gruska.[12]

Composition

[edit]

Mendes conceived Shawn as the most personal album of his career.[13] It is a meditative album centered in self-reflection and exploration,[14] inspired by the events following the cancellation of his tour and the end of a public relationship.[15] Led by acoustic guitar and kick drums,[16] its production was described as "rustic" by Billboard's Jason Lipshutz.[13] Shawn marked a departure from the pop genre that defined Mendes' career, in order to lean toward the folk rock and folk-pop genres.[14][17][18] Mendes named singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan as inspirations for the album.[19] The sound was compared by Slant Magazine's Jeffrey Davies to the works of the American band the Lumineers and the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men.[14]

The album opens with the acoustic "Who I Am", which contains "airy" production and distant backing vocals.[18][17] On the track, Mendes deals with anxiety, quarter-life crisis, mental health struggles, and the lack of knowledge of oneself.[15][18] The second track is the "Why Why Why", where he continues with the mental exploration and mentions the experience of nearly becoming a father.[20][15] The Americana track "That's the Dream" focuses on the duality between romanticism and reality, while remarking the dark side of ambitions.[21][22] James Hall of The Daily Telegraph found "Nobody Knows" and "Isn't That Enough" similar to the 2000s ballads of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and American band Bon Iver,[18] while Robin Murray of Clash compared the latter to Neil Young's Harvest (1972).[21] The sixth track "Heart of Gold" is a 1970s-inspired folk rock ballad written after the death of a childhood friend.[14] Murray also compared "That'll Be the Day" to the 2001 song "New Slang" by the Shins, and called the eleventh track, "Rolling' Right Allong", "worthy" of Grand Ole Opry.[21] The lyrical content of "The Mountain" is an attempt from Mendes to reconnect with himself, while confronting rumors about his sexuality: "You can say I like girls or boys/Whatever fits your mold".[14] The album closes with a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (1984).[23]

Release and promotion

[edit]

Shawn was released on November 15, 2024, via Island Records.[24] Its release date was initially October 18,[25] but was reprogrammed.[26] It was issued via streaming, digital download, cassette, CD, and two vinyl LP variants. Pre-orders began on July 31, 2024, the day the album was officially announced.[27] On the same date, the track listing was also unveiled.[25] The singer also shared a trailer for the album featuring "Isn't That Enough", in which he can be seen at a campfire surrounded by friends playing guitar and singing the song.[28] Two singles were released in August: the lead "Why Why Why" and "Isn't That Enough".[29][30]

To promote Shawn, Mendes embarked on an intimate concert tour of theatre shows throughout the places he recorded the album.[31] Billed as "for friends and family only", its selected venues hold between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees.[32] The concerts started in Woodstock, New York at the Bearsville Theater on August 8, 2024, coinciding with the date of his birthday and the release of the first singles from the album, and concluded in Seattle on October 24, 2024.[33] The set list of the shows contains the songs off Shawn "from top to bottom".[34] Mendes performed "Nobody Knows" at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, which was released as the album's third single on September 12, 2024.[35] It was followed by "Heart of Gold" on November 1.[36]

Shawn was further supported by a concert film titled Shawn Mendes: For Friends and Family Only (A Live Concert Film), which premiered on November 14, 2024, the day before the album's release.[37] It was filmed at the Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock, New York and features footage of Mendes explaining the inspiration behind each song on the album.[38] A live performance of the track "The Mountain" was uploaded to Mendes' YouTube channel on November 15.[39]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.3/10[40]
Metacritic72/100[41]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[42]
Clash8/10[21]
Evening Standard[43]
The Guardian[17]
i[44]
The Independent[45]
The Line of Best Fit6/10[19]
Rolling Stone[15]
Slant Magazine[14]
The Telegraph[18]

Shawn received a score of 72 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics reviews, which the website categorized as "generally favorable".[41] The site AnyDecentMusic? gave Shawn an average of 6.3 out of 10, based on six reviews and their assessment of the critical consensus.[40]

Jeffrey Davies praised the album's sound as being the one that suits Mendes the most,[14] and Rolling Stone's Britanny Spanos wrote that it works "for the most part".[15] The latter criticized Mendes for being "too restless to be fully realized", and dubbed some moments on the album as forgettable and cliches.[15] Annabel Nugent of The Independent called the album not compelling but praised Mendes' vulnerability, although wanted that the songs were "half as daring".[45] The Line of Best Fit's Sam Franzini called the production of some songs "ridiculous" and "flat", and questioned Mendes' authenticity. However, Franzini praised his voice and found that it works well.[19]

In a positive review, Riff Magazine's Mike DeWald said that Shawn marked "an admirable step for a still-budding talent".[16] James Hall described the album as "brave" and "risky", although he was "unconvinced this represents a great leap forward".[18] The Guardian's Michael Cragg praised "Why Why Why" and "Heart of Gold" for having "a stronger emotional connection" than the rest of the songs on the album.[17] Several critics found unnecessary the cover of "Hallelujah", believing that it added little to the album or Mendes' journey.[18][17][15]

Track listing

[edit]
Shawn track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Who I Am"
1:40
2."Why Why Why"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin[a]
  • Harris[a]
2:49
3."That's the Dream"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin
  • Harris
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
2:14
4."Nobody Knows"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin
  • Harris
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin[a]
2:32
5."Isn't That Enough"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Mercereau[a]
  • Harris[a]
2:45
6."Heart of Gold"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin
  • Harris
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin[a]
  • Harris[a]
2:52
7."Heavy"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Mercereau
  • Harris
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Mercereau[a]
2:34
8."That'll Be the Day"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Harris[a]
1:52
9."In Between"
  • Mendes
  • Gruska
  • Allen
  • Mendes
  • Gruska
1:57
10."The Mountain"
  • Mendes
  • Mercereau
  • Harris
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Mercereau
2:56
11."Rollin' Right Along"
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin
  • Harris
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
2:39
12."Hallelujah"Leonard Cohen
  • Mendes
  • Sabath
3:46
Total length:30:36

Note

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Shawn Mendes – vocals (all tracks), guitar (tracks 1–11), clapping (2), harmonium (7, 12), keyboards (9)
  • Eddie Benjamin – upright bass (tracks 1, 3, 12); background vocals, guitar (2–8, 10, 11); clapping (2), bass guitar (4, 11)
  • Nate Mercereau – guitar loops (track 1); bass guitar, piano (7)
  • Mike Sabath – background vocals (tracks 2–8, 10, 11), drums (2–7, 11), clapping (2); Moog bass, synthesizer, zither (10)
  • Scott Harris – background vocals (tracks 2, 5), guitar (4, 6–8, 12), harmonica (5)
  • Kevin Barry – lap steel guitar (tracks 2–6, 11)
  • Chris Thile – mandolin (tracks 2, 8, 11)
  • Jeremy Kittel – viola, violin (tracks 3, 5, 6, 10–12)
  • Emily Brausa – cello (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11, 12)
  • Kola Rai – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Kyana Fanene – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Tajahniya Sapp – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Ethan Gruska – guitar, keyboards (track 9)
  • Zachary Brown – cello (track 10)

Technical

  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Mike Crossey – mixing (tracks 1, 3–5, 8–12)
  • Raul Lopez – mixing (tracks 2, 6)
  • Andrew Maury – mixing (track 7)
  • Alex Pyle – engineering
  • Drew Boals – engineering assistance (track 4)
  • Dani – engineering assistance (tracks 6, 7, 10–12)
  • Gillian Pelkonen – engineering assistance (tracks 3, 7, 10, 11)
  • Drew – engineering assistance (track 8)
  • Jacob – engineering assistance (tracks 10, 11)
  • Jeremy Kittel – string arrangement (tracks 3, 5, 6, 10–12)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Shawn
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[46] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[47] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[48] 13
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[49] 4
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[50] 5
Irish Albums (OCC)[51] 40
Italian Albums (FIMI)[52] 43
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[53] 53
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[54] 31
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[55] 39
Scottish Albums (OCC)[56] 12
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[57] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[58] 22

Release history

[edit]
Release history for Shawn
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various November 15, 2024
Standard Island [59]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Aswad, Jem (July 27, 2022). "Shawn Mendes Cancels All Tour Dates to 'Take the Time I've Never Taken Personally'". Variety. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  2. ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Returns With New Album 'Shawn'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  3. ^ Hannah, Dailey (February 21, 2023). "Shawn Mendes Talks Prioritizing Mental Health, Postponing His Tour to 'Help Myself & Heal'". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  4. ^ Blistein, Jon (June 9, 2023). "Shawn Mendes Is Heartbroken — and Anxious About Climate Change — on 'What the Hell Are We Dying For?'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Megan (March 27, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Might Have Teased An Unreleased Song, So Hopefully The Shawn Mendes Drought Is Almost Over". Uproxx. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  6. ^ Pointer, Flisadam (May 12, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Teased That His Next Album Is 'Coming Soon' During An Exchange With A Fan". Uproxx. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  7. ^ Kreps, Daniel (June 18, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Makes Surprise Live Return at Ed Sheeran Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Announces Self-Titled New Album Plus Singles 'Why Why Why' and 'Isn't That Enough'". Variety. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  9. ^ Tate, Sarah (August 1, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Calls New Album 'Such A Gift' As He Reveals Release Date". iHeart. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Shawn Mendes Announces New Album 'Shawn'". iHeartRadio Canada. July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  11. ^ Taylor, Sam (August 1, 2024). "Shawn Mendes has announced his new self-titled album, 'Shawn'". Dork. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  12. ^ Murray, Robin (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Announces New Album 'Shawn'". Clash. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (November 15, 2024). "Friday Music Guide: New Music From Linkin Park, Tate McRae, Shawn Mendes, Shaboozey and More". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Davies, Jeffrey (November 18, 2024). "Shawn Mendes 'Shawn' Review: An Intimate Bid for Self-Discovery". Slant. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Spanos, Brittany (November 15, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Tries Opening Up on 'Shawn'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  16. ^ a b DeWald, Mike (November 14, 2024). "Album review: Shawn Mendes bares his soul on introspective 'Shawn'". Riff Magazine. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e Cragg, Michael (November 15, 2024). "Shawn Mendes: Shawn review – a candid, stripped-back return". The Guardian. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Hall, James; Hobbs, Thomas; Platt, Poppie (November 15, 2024). "Linkin Park's From Zero is a scream – plus the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Franzini, Sam (November 14, 2024). "Shawn Mendes' folksy act isn't convincing on Shawn". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Kickham, Dylan (August 9, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Reveals He Almost Became A Father In New Song". Elite Daily. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d Murray, Robin (November 15, 2024). "Shawn Mendes – Shawn". Clash. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  22. ^ Mlnarik, Carson (November 15, 2024). "Music "That's The Dream" By Shawn Mendes, Explained". Nylon. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Levine, Nick (November 15, 2024). "Shawn Mendes on rewiring his career: "Of course I want this album to do well – but not at the expense of my happiness"". NME. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  24. ^ Aniftos, Rania (October 10, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Pushes Back Release Date of New Album 'Shawn' — Update". Billboard Canada. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Rossignol, Derrick (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Is Finally Ready To Return To Music As He Announces A New Album And Singles Coming Soon". Uproxx. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  26. ^ Zemler, Emily (October 10, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Delays Upcoming LP to 'Bring New Ideas to Life'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Applefeld Olson, Cathy (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Returns With Reflective, Self-Titled Album". Forbes. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  28. ^ Aniftos, Rania (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Announces New Album 'Shawn,' Teases Single 'Isn't That Enough' With Trailer". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  29. ^ Griffiths, George (July 31, 2024). "Shawn Mendes announces new self-titled album, will drop two new singles next week". Official Charts. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  30. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (August 1, 2024). "Shawn Mendes announces forthcoming album, Shawn". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  31. ^ Kile, Meredith B. (August 1, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Announces New Album 'Shawn' and Intimate Theater Tour". ET. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  32. ^ Paul, Larisha (August 1, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Will Perform New Album From Top to Bottom on Intimate Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  33. ^ Armstrong, Megan (August 1, 2024). "How To Get Tickets To Shawn Mendes' 'Shawn' Theater Shows". Uproxx. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  34. ^ Rigotti, Alex (August 2, 2024). "Shawn Mendes announces "special" intimate theatre shows for new album 'Shawn'". NME. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  35. ^ Aswad, Jem (August 27, 2024). "Shawn Mendes, Karol G, Anitta, LL Cool J Join MTV VMAs Lineup". Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  36. ^ Zemler, Emily (November 1, 2024). "Shawn Mendes Shares Emotional Single 'Heart of Gold'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  37. ^ "Shawn Mendes Delays Album, Announces Live Concert Film". iHeartRadio. October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  38. ^ Kaufman, Gil (October 10, 2024). "'Shawn Mendes: For Friends and Family Only' Live Concert Film Hitting Select Theaters For One Night Only". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  39. ^ Martin, Annie (November 15, 2024). "Shawn Mendes returns with 'Shawn' album, 'The Mountain' video". UPI. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Shawn by Shawn Mendes reviews". AnyDecentMusic. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Shawn by Shawn Mendes Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  42. ^ Collar, Matt. "Shawn - Shawn Mendes". AllMusic. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  43. ^ Hunt, El. "Shawn Mendes: Shawn album review: reflective ballads signals the star's Folklore era". The Standard. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  44. ^ Power, Ed (November 15, 2024). "Shawn Mendes, Shawn review: A timely reminder of the perils of fame". i. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  45. ^ a b Nugent, Annabel; O'Connor, Roisin (November 15, 2024). "Albums this week: Shawn Mendes plucks at the heartstrings; Flo fail to make a mark; Warmduscher are here to party". The Independent. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  46. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  47. ^ "Ultratop.be – Shawn Mendes – Shawn" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  48. ^ "Ultratop.be – Shawn Mendes – Shawn" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  49. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Shawn Mendes – Shawn" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  50. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Shawn Mendes – Shawn" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  51. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  52. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 47 (dal 15.11.2024 al 21.11.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  53. ^ "2024 47-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  54. ^ "Official Top 40 Albums". Recorded Music NZ. November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  55. ^ "Album 2024 uke 47". VG-lista. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  56. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  57. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Shawn Mendes – Shawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  58. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  59. ^ Citations concerning Shawn release formats:
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