Shawn Mendes is gearing up for his music comeback with the release of his fifth full-length album, “Shawn.” The singer-songwriter’s self-titled record was originally set to be released on October 18, but it has now been pushed back to November 15. While fans are eagerly awaiting the album, Mendes has raised the anticipation as he recently sat down with his mentor, John Mayer, for an interview where he got candid about rediscovering himself.
For the Interview Magazine feature, Mendes opened up about the curating process of his upcoming album, “Shawn.” Mayer, who has the “whole record,” praised the 26-year-old’s new musical work and said, “It doesn’t sound like an artist trying to impress him or herself to their friend.” He added that Mendes’ self-titled album is “telling the truth.”
Shawn Mendes opens up about finding himself through his upcoming album ‘Shawn’
During the interview, John Mayer asked Shawn Mendes if this was the record he had been searching for that was “hiding inside” him. The 26-year-old agreed with the statement and said he enjoys doing the interview with Mayer because he knows what Mendes is talking about. During the interview, Mendes shared that during the first week or two of the writing process, he “kept pushing through this gunk.” However, at some point, “it got so beautiful and deep” that he started considering it as a “medicine.”
After Mayer asked his mentee if he thought it was “easy,” Mendes replied, “To a degree.” He explained the “mode” was to have a guitar in his hand, play the chords he knew, and sing the melodies that came “naturally” to him. The “Stitches” singer recalled, “Anything that wasn’t natural, we just were like, ‘That’s not it.'”
Mendes then said, “I never thought that the most stripped-back art I’ve made would return the most to me.” He shared that his upcoming album has already given him more than any of his previous works “by so much.” Mayer added that his mentee “found the truth” not just in the message but also in the process of making it. Following that, Mendes shared how his mother stated he “found” himself after he played her the track “Isn’t That Enough.”
Mendes later added, “I think within finding yourself, there’s humor. There’s not taking myself so seriously.” The “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” singer also shared that he doesn’t feel like he wakes up every day and steps into “the role of Shawn.” Mendes further articulated, “I feel like I’m just waking up as him.”
