Shawn Mendes, Wonder | Album Review 💿

Shawn Mendes begins the transition from heartthrob to fully grown adult on his fourth studio album, Wonder.

The transition into adulthood from teen heartthrob can be tough. 🏆 Grammy-nominated pop artist 🎙 Shawn Mendes is no longer 15 – he’s now 22. Mendes is still young but has entered into the next stage of his career as an adult.  His fourth studio album, 💿 Wonder, reflects such, moving the musician into more mature territory.  Does Mendes grow up too fast on Wonder? You might make that argument at times, but honestly, had to happen at some point, right? Ultimately, there are still enjoyable moments to be had on Wonder, even if it’s an imperfect LP.

“Intro”

Despite its brevity, the opening 🎵 “Intro” features five writers, including Mendes. Likewise, it’s produced by 🎙 Kid Harpoon, 🎙 Nate Mercereau, 🎙 Scott Harris and Mendes. It commences with lovely, mysterious piano. Soon enough, Mendes lends his gorgeous, sensitive vocals, where his tone is nothing short of angelic.  There is just one, short verse, but the few lyrics are thought provoking. Following the verse, the production grows fuller and lusher. For just a little more than a minute, “Intro” is pretty sweet, certainly doing its job of foreshadowing what’s to come on Wonder.

✅ 🎵 “Wonder”, the first full-length song, is well-rounded and incredibly relatable. It commences lushly with warm, choral vocals, a welcoming aesthetic. This particular sound appearing on the intro later returns on the chorus.  In the meantime, post-intro, the listeners are treated to gorgeous and vulnerable lead vocals.  Shawn has plenty of questions and hypothetical scenarios on the verses.  “I wonder, wouldn’t it be nice / To live inside a world that isn’t black and white?” he sings on the first verse.  On the second, he gets even more vulnerable and personal, also conveyed vocally: “I wonder, when I cry into my hands / I’m conditioned to feel like it makes me less of a man.”  Man, that’s a powerful moment from Mendes. Also, powerful, is the chorus, which is epic, finding Mendes packing more of a punch.  There’s more oomph, which is extended following the second verse towards the end.  On the chorus, the biggest ‘wonder’ he has is “What it’s like to be loved by you.” The biggest takeaway is his honesty and how he opens up about things that affect him. 

“Higher” 

On ✅ 🎵 “Higher,” Mendes is in a good spot in life, period. Despite the fact that “Last year was a broken heart,” things have improved tremendously – “Damn, flip it around, what a beautiful start.” Indeed, “Higher” is part of a great start to Wonder, following “Intro” and the title track.  This is a fun record that acknowledges the god times and doesn’t get too serious, something that happens at times on Wonder, particularly forthcoming songs.

🎵 “24 Hours” is a prime example of the kid becoming a man… perhaps far too quickly.  The chorus says it all: “All it’d take is 24 hours / Sign the check and the place is ours / It’s a little soon / But I wanna come home to you.” Mendes’ heartfelt dedication is sweet for sure, but as he seems to say himself, it does feel a bit too soon, even at 22. But perhaps it’s too soon because the audience still perceives the hunky Canadian as a kid as opposed to diving into moving in with his significant other or potentially, his wife.  He sticks with the ‘grown’ sentiment on 🎵 “Teach Me How to Love,” where he wants his girlfriend to teach him how to ‘love’ her right (*cough* have good sex *cough*). It’s tasteful, yet also shows a young adult man potentially ready to trade the suggestiveness to explicitness. Nonetheless, “Just draw a map for me / Laced with strawberries / And I’ll get on my knees” tells us exactly what’s on his mind. 

“Call My Friends” 

“I should call my friends and go get high.” Pretty clear what Mendes is going for on ✅ 🎵 “Call My Friends.” Whether you’re ‘Team 420’ like Shawn is here or not, the mindset and sentiment of this record is quite relatable.  For Mendes, being busy as a musician, he misses his friends, period. So, now that he has some time on his hands, he acknowledges he shouldn’t spend it alone.  Of course, given COVID-19, social distancing, and increase isolation, hanging out with friends, family, and love ones definitely looks and feels different.

Shawn moves beyond yearning for friends to yearning for his girlfriend (Camila Cabello, of course) on 🎵 “Dream.” On this particular love-centric joint, distance has Mendes feeling some type of way. “I don’t wanna wake up without you laying next to me,” he sings adoringly on the second verse. Notably, the production, which includes mammoth drums, synthesizer/programming, and choral voices, does a fantastic job of capturing this dream-like sentiment that Mendes is experiencing about his lover.  Speaking of production, ✅ 🎵 “Song For No One” has one of the biggest musical moments of the entire album. A surprise production switch, filled with big, soulful, vintage sounds, makes it totally ear-catching – a worthwhile listen.  Prior to the grand contras, Mendes does a nice job of capturing his loneliness and sadness.  Afterwards, he blesses us with the nuanced, potent, and powerful nature of his pipes.

“Monster” 

A collaboration between two former teen heartthrobs finally happens on ✅ 🎵 “Monster”. Mendes taps 🏆 Grammy-winning Canadian pop artist 🎙 Justin Bieber for the assist. Sleekly produced, 🎙 Frank Dukes, 🎙 Matthew Tavares, and 🎙 Kaan Gunesberk give Mendes and Bieber a sweet backdrop to work with.  There’s a soulfulness about this pop track, starting with the production.  Of course, with two skilled, soulful vocals, it’s reflected within the vocal performances.  Mendes kicks things off, impressing with his gorgeous, vulnerable pipes, singing about the ups and downs of fame and superstardom. Bieber takes a similar perspective on the second verse, mentioning the mistakes he’s made and adds on the bridge how hard it’s been to redeem himself. The centerpiece, the chorus, is quite powerful and emotional. Both artists marvelously, and both do a fine job capturing the plight of fame.

🎵 “305” brings a taste of old-school into Wonder, hearkening back to the 1960s.  Even so, it’s still sounds fresh and idiomatic of 2020.  The number is most significant here because it’s the Miami area code.  Obviously, that’s where Mendes’ bae is from (Camila Cabello was born in Cuba), and where he’s spent a significant amount of time.  It’s an enjoyable, up-tempo cut, though not game changing. 🎵 “Always Been You” totally contrasts, at least regarding sound.  “Always Been You” begins lushly, before the chorus evolves into a truly bombastic moment, where Mendes professes his – wait for it – L-O-V-E.  The horns and mammoth drums are definitely a selling point.  I’d argue the dynamic nature of the sound and production supplants the song itself.

“Piece of You”

You’ve got to adore the dramatic intro on ✅🎵 “Piece of You,” where Shawn reminds us why we’re so in love with his voice. Following an initial, slow intro, “Piece of You” evolves into a cool, groovy, moderately paced cut.  This is exactly what Wonder needed at this point, particularly as things seemed to be a bit too ‘love-centric.’  Mendes never forces things, generally delivering a cooler, subtler vocal.  Still, he blesses us with a ripe falsetto on the utterly infectious chorus.

🎵 “Look Up at the Stars” appears as the penultimate record on the standard edition, slackening the pace, opting for balladry. While it maintains the balladry, “Look Up at the Stars” evolves, gaining more oomph and overall punch.  There’s some 70s or 80s sensibility, with more of that big, pop/rock power ballad going down.  It’s an interesting record that I’m not entirely sure works but brings a bit of experimentation to Wonder. As always, Mendes delivers a beautiful vocal performance.  His voice remains his best attribute. He closes out Wonder, totally in his feelings with the stripped, guitar-accompanied 🎵 “Can’t Imagine.”  As you might imagine, if you haven’t heard the song, he “Can’t imagine what a world would be / without you.” Hmm, wonder who in the world he could be talking about? His dedication is definitely undisputed.

Final Thoughts 💭

All in all, Shawn Mendes adds another enjoyable, respectable album to his discography.  Is Wonder the best album he’s released? No, but what we do see is a pop artist continuing to mature, transitioning from teen pop heartthrob to a fully grown adult.  A sufficient amount of gems, even if there’s not “Mercy” or “In My Blood” per se.  

✅ Gems 💎: “Wonder,” “Higher,” “Call My Friends,” “Song For No One,” “Monster,” “Piece of You”  

🎙 Shawn Mendes • 💿 Wonder • 🏷 Island • 🗓 12.4.20

[📷: Island]