Review of Shawn Mendes’ 'Wonder' and predictions for the upcoming album

Though the year 2020 has come with its challenges, we can thank musicians and artists for coming out and attempting to celebrate the change that we have all been through. The change and acceptance that comes with a hard year. Turning a negative into a positive! I feel as though Shawn Mendes‘ new album is going to not only celebrate growth as a person but talk about how it can affect a person.

With a video surprise announcement posted on Mendes‘ personal Instagram on September 30, featuring the man himself chilling in what looks like a cozy modern apartment, we see him lying on the ground playing a piano and watching birds dance around his window. The video abruptly turns into a black screen where the word “wonder” appears.

But the excitement does not stop there. On Oct. 2 Mendes decided to release his single called "Wonder" with a music video! The music video was filled with cool tones such as greens, blues, browns and other dark earth tones. In addition, the video features Mendes "exploring," similar to Taylor Swift’s "Out of the Woods" music video. Plus, there is a romantic nature featuring soft dance moves within the video.

This single shows what love may mean or look like to Mendes and what it means to be your true authentic self. In addition, the single promotes the idea of living in an accepting world with one another.

Circling back to his Instagram, Mendes also announced an album, which at this moment we do not know the name, to be released on Dec. 4. It is currently available for pre-order with the link in his bio. Now that we know that SM4 is underway, what does this album mean and what are some clues as to what may be featured on this album?

Mendes discussed the new album in an interview that happened on Oct. 2 on the PopCrush radio and is titled on their YouTube channel as “Shawn Mendes on How ‘Wonder’ is His Most Reflective Song Yet.” Mendes said this may be the beginning of a “more free Shawn Mendes."

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily going to be mature but it’s going to feel much more like I let go of the reins,” said Mendes. Here, I think he is playing up the sense that this album could mean more vulnerability and him letting his creativity take him wherever it wants to go. Not to say on previous albums he wasn’t as vulnerable or creative, but I think with this one he’s going to be more open about himself as an artist, his own masculinity, his personal relationship with Camila Cabello and the perspective he has on life now thanks to different experiences.

The one thing that I love about Shawn Mendes' music is his ability to tell a story through his wording of it all. Whether he’s talking about love or himself, Mendes has the ability to be open and present this picture to his audience. I’m excited to see what SM4 brings to the future and to see how Shawn Mendes has developed throughout the years.