Shawn Mendes’ fifth studio album, “Shawn,” came out on Nov. 15, 2024. This is the first album he’s released since he stepped back for mental health reasons in 2022. He has done small concerts and written some songs, but this is his big return to the music scene.
This album is a deeply personal one and is focused on self-reflection and exploration. This can be seen in songs like “Why Why Why” or “That’ll Be The Day.” Because of the themes explored in the album, Mendes turned away from the pop that he normally had done and turned to a more folky sound with a lot more guitar to accompany him.
The concert tour of this album has been in small ventures with only a couple thousand people allowed to attend and was given the nickname “for friends and family only.” That nickname then became the name of the concert film, “Shawn Mendes: For Friends and Family Only (A Live Concert Film)” which had a limited theatrical release.
It is really nice to have Mendes back with music as well as caring about his mental health. This music is very soulful and feels that it was made with a lot of emotions that people could relate to or understand. Mendes has done amazing work, once again.
Rating: 8/10
