Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes is Shawn Mendes' self-titled third album that was released on May 25, 2018 by Island Records.
==Tracklisting==
#In My Blood
#Nervous
#Lost In Japan
#Where Were You In The Morning
#Like To Be You (featuring Julia Michaels)
#Fallin' All In You
#Particular Taste
#Why
#Because I Had You
#Queen
#Youth (featuring Khalid)
#Mutual
#Perfectly Wrong
#When You're Ready
==Album Background==
The album was recorded over three to four months, primarily at The Woodshed Studio in Malibu, California. The recording sessions also took place in Port Antonio, Jamaica.
Shawn Mendes drew inspiration from music artists Justin Timberlake, Kings of Leon, Kanye West and Daniel Caesar while making the record.
In an interview with The Recording Academy, he declared: "For me, it was just about exploring myself musically and not just sticking to one genre, and allowing myself to create the music that my heart really wanted to make and understanding that it's not about the genre but it's about the person and the cohesiveness within the stories I was telling and with my voice. That I'm really proud of. I'm proud of the fact that you can listen to the top of this album and hear a big rock anthem, and then halfway through you're in some kind of crazy slow R&B jam and then, at the very end, you're in the singer/songwriter world [...]"
==Chart Performance==
"Shawn Mendes" debuted at number one in Canada, making it Mendes’ third number one album in his home country. 
It also debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, making it his third number one album in the United States, as well as making him the third youngest artist to top the chart at least 3 times. 
The album also topped the album charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. It became his second album to debut in the top 3 in the United Kingdom.
==Critical Reception==
"Shawn Mendes" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with particular praise towards Mendes' songwriting and artistic maturity compared to his previous work.
Ilana Kaplan from The Independent gave the album 4 of 5 stars, praising Mendes's maturity compared to his previous album: "With his latest effort, the 19-year-old singer moves beyond stereotypical relationship woes and goes for something more personal."
In another positive review, Jem Aswad from Variety opined the album as a "remarkably well-crafted pop album that finds the singer trying on different styles, prominently showcasing his collaborators and making some flagrant references - yet his persona has become strong enough that he's never overpowered by any of it."
Hannah Mylrea of NME complimented Mendes's growth, calling his rock- and funk-inspired sound "a bright and bold new direction."
Mike Nied of Idolator called it his best album to date, in addition to one of the best of the year so far.
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times gave a mixed review, calling the album "appealing if not wholly engaging, full of pleasantly anonymous songs that systematically obscure Mr. Mendes's talents."
Jamieson Cox of Pitchfork gave a rating of 5.1 out of 10, noting that Mendes's songs lack a unique sound, "and you can imagine them being recorded by anyone: Nick Jonas, Charlie Puth, a random choice from the One Direction diaspora."
In a three-star review, The Guardian's Laura Snapes opined that Mendes's "attempt to detoxify pop masculinity is admirable, but you’re left yearning for a bit of rough and tumble."
Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press gave the album a positive review, praising the songwriting, hooks, as well as the duet with Khalid, but was unimpressed by "Like to Be You", the duet with singer Julia Michaels and "Fallin' All in You", co-written with Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid.
Maeve McDermott of USA Today highlighted "In My Blood" as one of the best songs, saying the album "nails the innocence, thrills and pain that’s unique to being 19, alone and hopeful."
In contrast, Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone called "In My Blood" one of the album's weakest songs, favouring instead the collaborations with Michaels.
Chris Gillet from South China Morning Post complimented Mendes' songwriting abilities as well, citing "Because I Had You", "Perfectly Wrong", and "When You're Ready" as the album's highlights, as well as acclaiming his vocal performance in "Perfectly Wrong," but was critical with "Queen" and "Fallin' All in You" labelling them "generic," he ended the review with awarding the album 4 out of 5 stars.
==Promotion==
To announce the release date, album artwork, and title, Shawn Mendes hosted a 9-hour live video stream on YouTube, culminating on April 26, 2018, at midnight. The livestream featured a crew setting up a floral arrangement to recreate the album's cover.
In promotion of the album, Mendes played a concert at the Ford Theatres in Hollywood on May 17, 2018 which was live-streamed by Apple Music and followed by a Q&A with radio presenter Zane Lowe.
The recording of the performance, titled "Shawn Mendes: Live In Los Angeles" was released by Apple Music.
Mendes also spent the week of June 4, 2018, on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" where he performed one of his new songs each night. The full week event was hashtagged as LateLateShawn on social media. He also did a Carpool Karaoke episode where he sang some of his new songs alongside his old ones.
Spotify invited Mendes’ fans for an intimate Spotify Fans First event held on July 19 at Beverly Hills, California. To promote the album, he embarked on his third solo world tour, called "Shawn Mendes: The Tour..."
Category:2010s albums
Category:Pop
Category:Shawn Mendes albums