Photo Courtesy of Glen Luchford
Shawn Mendes debuted his fourth studio album, “Wonder,” on Friday, Dec. 4. Through all 14 tracks, Mendes takes listeners through a “Wonderland” full of experiences dealing with young stardom and intense love.
Before the album’s release, a documentary titled “Shawn Mendes: In Wonder” premiered on Netflix. The documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look into Mendes’ creative process, as Mendes explains his sources of inspiration for the album.
Wonder” definitely delivers an overwhelming sensation of emotions. The soft yet surging “Intro” leads into the entrancing single “Wonder,” as well as the rest of the album. The lyrics of the opening track state “You have a million different faces / But they’ll never understand unless you let them in.” With this album, Mendes allows his audience to get a glimpse of his vulnerability.
Following “Intro,” the first three tracks describe Mendes’ relationship with Camila Cabello. Any hopeless romantic can get lost in the lyrics of “Higher” or “24 Hours,” in which Mendes sings about being at his peak happiness and his yearning to return home to his partner. Some verses in these songs can appear rather cliché, such as “it’s a little soon, but I want to come home to you,” but the outpouring melodies paired with female background vocals make up for the simplicity. The eccentric fifth track “Teach Me How To Love” is a catchy, yet mildly repetitive exploration of vibrant love. The writing is borderline unoriginal with lyrics such as “body like an ocean,” but song’s sexual undertones add a new level of maturity to Mendes’ work.
“Call My Friends” finally strays away from the romantic utterances and captures the weight Mendes has been carrying. The song addresses his desire to escape to his hometown friends and immerse himself in being a young adult – an opportunity he lost after entering the world of stardom as a young teenager. “Song For No One” and the single “Monster,” featuring Justin Bieber, both express similar concepts. Mendes and Bieber both know what it feels like to be in the spotlight, and the song’s lyrics and hypnotic beat work together to convey their shared anxieties.
Mendes remains true to his pop image with “305,” but he also pushes the limits of the genre by accenting “Always Been You” with sporadic breaks and a cinematic opening. Perhaps one of the most interesting tracks on the album is “Piece Of You.” It’s coated in edgy R&B and disco vibrations, layered by riffs that showcase a crisp soft-rock sound as well
Both “Dream” and “Look Up At The Stars” are twinkling depictions of affection. The sweet cadences sprinkled throughout this record make for numerous potential wedding songs. These whispers of devotion can be compared to those of John Mayer, Justin Timberlake and Ed Sheeran.
Although lyrically the album is full of overused jargon, the satisfying symphonic modulations lead Mendes into a new stage of his career. Love conquers this album, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing during this desolate year. The rhythmic composition is an artistic step in the right direction in terms of creativity. Mendes is growing up and progressing musically. Still scratching the surface of his career, one “can’t imagine” what’s next for him.
