Shawn Mendes, If I Can’t Have You | Track Review

Perhaps Shawn Mendes comes off a bit ‘cooler than usual’ on “If I Can’t Have You,” but the Canadian pop heartthrob still delivers a potential mega-hit.   

Ah, a certain Canadian heartthrob is back sooner than later.  That’s right, 20-year old (nearly 21) Grammy-nominated pop superstar Shawn Mendes returns with his first brand-new single of 2019, “If I Can’t Have You.”  Last we heard from Mendes, he was dropping gems such as “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” from his self-titled, third studio album.  Now, he’s picking up where he left off, driven by matters of the heart.

“If I Can’t Have You” commences with a brief, building pad, before Shawn Mendes unveils the chorus.  It’s memorable, even if it isn’t necessarily the crème de la crème of the pop star’s career. Worth noting, the final line of the chorus is also the final line of the pre-chorus leading into the chorus – a nice unifying lyric to say the least.

“I can’t write one song that’s not about you

Can’t drink without thinking about you

Is it too late to tell you that

Everything means nothing if I can’t have you?”

The vocal production stands out on the chorus in particular. Also, there’s a nice dash of falsetto from Mendes.  Beyond the chorus, he delivers smooth vocals on the first verse and following pre-chorus, maintaining a cool vibe: “It doesn’t matter ‘cause I’m so consumed / Spending all my nights reading texts from you.” The second verse and pre-chorus, much like the first, remains cool, low-key, and smooth in execution: “Is it wrong for me to not want half? / I want all of you, all the strings attached.”  Later, the brief bridge is also cool like the verses that precede it. In addition to Mendes’ vocals and overall vocal approach and performance, the production appeals throughout “If I Can’t Have You” with the rhythmic guitars, synths, pads, etc.

Final Thoughts

All in all, “If I Can’t Have You” gives the Canadian pop star another potential big-time hit.  It’s another well-rounded record that’s quite relatable and easy on the ears.  That said, perhaps the biggest rub with “If I Can’t Have You” is that you kind of want Mendes to dig in a bit more throughout the course of the record.  On the verses and pre-chorus, he’s particularly low-key, and while it’s appealing enough, you wonder where full-throttle, “In My Blood” Shawn is.  Nitpicking, but ultimately, another winning single for the heartthrob.

Shawn Mendes • If I Can’t Have You [Single] • Island • Release: 5.3.19

Photo Credit: Island