If you haven’t heard of Shawn Mendes then you must be living under a rock. This 22-year-old has taken the world by storm over the past few years with sold-out arena tours all over the world, a groundbreaking documentary, and albums that smash the top charts every time.
Not to mention his millions of screaming fans who are all dreaming of Shawn falling in love with them and writing an album about them rather than his girlfriend Camila Cabello. Although it is easy to pinpoint Shawn as a bubblegum pop artist, Wonder shows pure talent and precision of ear when it comes to music.
The production details within Wonder are spectacular to experience with each song containing their very own moment to bring to life. With a sense of false direction during the tracks, you are then suddenly taken by surprise with either a huge hit of instruments or a visit to a different genre; either way it’s definitely something special.
The album kicks off with Intro before we are hit with the popular Wonder. Intro is a perfect stepping stone into the album as it shows us exactly what to expect in the one minute that it plays for. With gorgeous piano accompaniment, delicate and vulnerable lyrics and a huge synth making an appearance, this is exactly what this album is all about.
Each track has its very own style allowing no two to sound too similar. Teach Me How To Love has its own groove to it and takes you back to old school Justin Timberlake with the sensual hits and saucy bass whereas dream accentuates its title by sounding heavenly with the arpeggiated piano. Piece of you shows a darker side to Shawn that not many people knew existed. There’s also Look Up At The Stars which is an interesting track for Mendes as it constantly switches between his usual acoustic approach to jazzy moments.
Wonder truly shows Shawn’s growth and maturity of not only him as an artist but as a young adult as well. His musical direction and his fresh new ideas are what we are here for and this album is definitely one to pay attention to.
Score: 4/5
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