Shawn Mendes is back with another full-length album three years after canceling his world tour ‘Wonder: The World Tour’ and four years after his last full-length album ‘Wonder.’ Get excited because this album promises to show Shawn’s journey in the two years since he produced his last album. The 26-year-old says this is his “most musically intimate and lyrically honest work to date” according to a press release per People magazine.
RELATED: Shawn Mendes Breaks His Silence on His ‘Beautifully Complex’ Sexuality
Recently, Grammy-nominated singer Shawn Mendes went viral after opening up about his journey to understand his own sexuality, admitting he’s been trying to figure things out on his own—just like everyone else. One thing Mendes is certain of, however, is his ability to put out great music. Since his hiatus, he’s headlined Rock in Rio and made guest appearances at concerts for artists like Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan. You can’t take music away from Shawn—that’s for sure.
RELATED: Is Shawn Mendes Breaking His Silence on Long-Standing Gay Rumors?
In just a few weeks, Mendes will be releasing a new album aptly self-titled ‘Shawn,’ with both familiar and new songs. The Canadian singer has been performing a couple of singles off his latest album like ‘Why Why Why‘ and ‘Isn’t That Enough,’ the former of which peaked at number 84 at the Billboard Hot 100. One song even went viral since Mendes had seemingly addressed his sexuality, and people all over the internet went crazy. In his song ‘The Mountain,’ Shawn sings:
“You can say I’m too young
You can say I’m too old
You can say I like girls or boys
Whatеver fits your mold
You can say I’m a fool”
RELATED:Shawn Mendes Is Sus(tainable) With His Love Of Crop Tops
Listeners and internet sleuths quickly chimed in, suggesting that this was Shawn’s response to years of speculation. But Shawn has addressed this topic before, and people should let him figure things out at his own pace. After all, he’s still in his 20s.
RELATED: Nearly Nude Shawn Mendes Frolics in Snow
In an Instagram post, Shawn bared his soul and shared his gratitude with friends and family who helped him get through the past two years:
“Music really can be medicine. 2 years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift.
Honestly thank god for my friends and family. Life can be brutal but having a small group of people you deeply trust to walk you through makes it so much better. I have no idea how I would have made it through the last couple years let alone make an album without you.”
As soon as November rolled around, Shawn landed a top 5 spot on the U.S. iTunes chart with his single ‘Heart of Gold.’ Following his hiatus, he’s been taking more intimate, carefully planned steps to ease back into performing in front of bigger audiences. The Canadian singer performed for audiences of roughly 2,000 to 3,000 fans in venues where he recorded his new tracks, featuring songs from his latest album.
RELATED: Thirsty Twitter Enjoys Steamy & Glistening Shawn Mendes at the Beach
Don’t worry if you weren’t able to secure tickets though because Shawn recorded a concert film titled, ‘Shawn Mendes: For Friends and Family Only (A Live Concert Film)‘ which will premiere one day ahead (November 14) of the album’s official release on November 15. The film’s release before the album perfectly encapsulates Shawn’s latest journey of keeping his songs real and raw, because the film will show Shawn explaining the inspiration behind each of the songs in the new album. Ultimately, the ‘Mercy‘ singer hopes that the album “makes you feel warm and close to the earth like it does for me.”
Source: The Rolling Stones, People