Perfectly toned skin glistening under the spotlight. His smile, blinding from the rays of heaven. The brown-haired swoosh, growing immensely by the minute. His humbleness and backstory, the coming of age; his advantages, those that increase the number of swooning females. 

Stepping onto the stage at the American Music Awards with a wave and a smile, 22-year-old songwriter and musician Shawn Mendes stared out into the audience and began one of many duet performances throughout his career.

On Dec. 4, Shawn Mendes released his new album “Wonder” through Island records. Previewed through Instagram, YouTube interviews, and even the early release of his single, Mendes continuously teased the album and kept his followers on various social media platforms wondering what he was getting at by posting things like “WHAT IS #WONDER”. 

Additionally, on Nov. 23, to promote the album Netflix released a documentary called, Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, directed by Grant Singer. The documentary takes viewers through the recent years of Mendes’ life, his rise to fame, his 2019 self-titled world tour, and the making of his album, “Wonder”. 

“I went into the album and within 2 weeks of writing, quarantine happened. There was definitely some panic though. I was thinking, ‘there’s no way I can make this album in this type of situation,” Mendes said in a YouTube interview with Zach Sang. 

A lot of times when new albums are released, listeners do not necessarily take the time to dive deep into how the album got its name. For this one in particular, Mendes went out of his way to ensure the reasoning behind the name of the album was clear in various interviews from the press.

“[In quarantine] I started journaling. I started reflecting on my entire life; reflecting on everything that was going on in the world at the time and I found myself always wondering this and I wondering that. Not knowing that’d be the name of my album,” Mendes said to Sang in the interview. 

On Nov. 13, Mendes revealed the official tracklist of the album on social media with his single, no surprise, being called “Wonder”.

With various moments of instrumental backfall and a peaceful-like introduction, Mendes claimed to have worked with the best instrumentalists on this album to maintain a tranquil vibe in these times of uncertainty.

“With this song “Wonder”, I hope people can feel that sense of ‘hey, I let go a little bit, I let go of the reins,’” Mendes said. 

Going down the tracklist, listeners will most definitely be taken aback at the relatable emotions and the vulnerability Mendes feels and expresses through his music. 

“It’s absolutely one of the most personal records I’ve put out there and always, always am I trying to be as real and as honest as possible,” Mendes said. 

Listeners should also take note of the various artists featured in some of the album’s trending hits like “Monster” featuring Justin Bieber and even “The Christmas Song” featuring Camila Cabello in Mendes’s special ‘Holiday Deluxe’ version of the album. 

In his unintentional humble-like nature, Mendes is open about his journey leading up to the album’s release in hopes to inspire all audiences. He additionally reiterates the idea that vulnerability is a normal feeling and expresses that even if you do not have all the answers, it does not make you any less of an influencer.

“It’s hard to know the right thing to say and the right thing to write about. The thing I learned through this process is you do not have to be an expert in the matters of the heart to write about it and to speak about it,” Mendes said.

From a personal standpoint, “Teach Me How To Love” was definitely one of my favorites from the first listen, from its catchy beat and well-said lyrics.

Be sure to check out “Wonder” now on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere you listen to music!