Who is Shawn Mendes? The next Justin Bieber? The wannabe John Mayer? No, Shawn Mendes is not a shadow in Justin Bieber's spotlight nor is he trying to be someone he's not. Shawn Mendes is the next big rockstar - mark my words. From the start, he was stealing girls' hearts from all around the world and was known as a teen heartthrob with his debut album, "Handwritten," and his sophomore album, "Illuminate."
However, like all of us, he is a person going through new phases of life and as he changes so do his albums. This is why his self-titled album, "Shawn Mendes," is a work of art that everyone should listen to.
It is stereotyped that all of Shawn's songs are about heartbreak and girls, but what many people do not understand is that he has more songs than those three that are replayed over and over and over again on the radio. Shawn's third album broke down barriers for the pop industry because it wasn't "typical" pop music. The genre of songs on the album varies from Pop to R&B to Rock, etc. Shawn discussed this in a recent interview with Billboard Magazine saying, "I realize that it's not about the genre of the song anymore. People don't care about the genre. If it's a good song, it's a good song." That is why this album is different from all the other artists today.
In this album, I believe he found his voice. He no longer went with what he thought the people wanted to hear. He wrote with his heart for this album and that is why this album is the best one yet. This album is real and emotional; you can hear and understand what he was going through when you press play. It allows you to feel connected in a way that many artists cannot do.
This album represented a shift in Shawn life from childhood to adulthood, which is why this album allows the listeners to feel connected to his songs. The song "In My Blood," was an epidemic when released for all people suffering from anxiety and mental health conditions because Shawn spoke out about his anxiety. "Nervous," is an upbeat song that is being played at festivals all across the globe, like The Governors Ball. Then it shifts to a slower song such as, "Like to Be You," which describes how you don't know what someone else is experiencing and how you never know what they may be going through, but the best you can do is try to understand. Then there are some like, "Mutual," that is fast-paced and discusses the hardship of not knowing if someone likes you back and the feelings that come along with that, because let's be honest, we have all been there before.
These are only four out of the 14 songs on the album - just imagine how amazing the other 10 are! I guess you are just going to have to find out for yourself. Overall, there are songs on this album for anyone in any mood and no other album will "Treat You Better."
