After months of teasing the #MendesArmy, Shawn Mendes has finally released his fourth album, “Wonder.”
With so many hits from “Stitches” to his last single release in 2018 “I Can’t Have You,” gaining ample recognition worldwide, it’s no wonder so many fans have been anticipating new music from the Canadian heartthrob.
Recently released on December 4, 2020, the album already has a surplus of critical buzz with singles such as “Wonder,” “Monster” ft. Justin Bieber, and “Call My Friends.” Compared to his other albums, this one in particular really shows his growth as a writer, singer and also an adult coming of age. The album also shares more of his adventurous side, stepping out of his comfort zone singing about being away from loved ones, growing and the rise of fame at a young age to being madly in love.
Though I have been an avid follower of Mendes since he was creating covers on the Vine app, I didn’t have high expectations when this album was released. However, once I finally gave it a chance to listen, I was honestly amazed at how much Mendes has evolved as an artist.
Compared to all his earlier albums, all of which I enjoy equally, Mendes shows a different side of his musical talent where he experiments with different ranges in his vocals. Ranges that have gotten stronger over the years. In this album, he has also stepped up with more writing and producing the majority of his tracks. Mendes even collaborated and co-wrote with more artists on this album than in the past. Artists such as Anderson Paak, Daniel Caesar, and Justin Bieber are among the few.
As for my personal picks from the album, some of my personal favorites are “24 Hours,” “Call My Friends,” “Dream,” “Song For No One,” “305,” and “Look Up At The Stars,” and “Can’t Imagine.”
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Overall, the album definitely shows that Shawn Mendes has grown greatly as an artist. Whether you are looking for new music to add to your Spotify or Apple Music playlist or just want some tunes to sing along to in the car, I would recommend giving “Wonder” a listen.