The Lost In Japan artist, Shawn Mendes, has released his first single, Wonder, on October 2nd, to set off the hype for his fourth album, also named Wonder, coming out on December 9th. Prior to the single, he released an intro song, indicating that he’s focusing his mind in his own space, “the world of wonder.” 

Before the song was released, he posted a TikTok trailer to his Wonder music video. In the comments section, fans said things like “Shawn is coming to save 2020,” or “This is what we needed this year.” Adding on, people have been learning the dance in the music video, which is the first time we have seen Mendes dance. Everyone was ecstatic for the announcement of his new song. 

After all the anticipation, many fans hit the play button the moment it came out. They are welcomed by the sound of Mendes starting the song with soft vocals, helping you transition into his ideal world. In Wonder, he states, “I wonder, wouldn’t it be nice. To live inside a world that isn’t black and white.” With all the chaos going on in the world right now, I think this is a respectful reminder to start looking at all the colors, all the perspectives of life, instead of facing one or the other.  

With the mix of the instrumentals and his impactful voice, Mendes has created a track that makes us feel not alone in today’s reality, saying that we should just get away from society and escape reality, in this case to run away into his “world of wonder.”

Later in the tune, he expresses how society has caused these thoughts in his head, not allowing him to express his emotions willfully. “I wonder, when I cry into my hands. I’m conditioned to feel like it makes me less of a man,” sang Mendes. No matter if you’re a male or female, you have the right to express your emotions in different ways. In a YouTube live before the release of the song, Mendes stated that this was his favorite line in Wonder, and how Camila Cabello helped him believe in this phrase. 

Mendes also expressed his friend’s perspectives of him in the song. With being a celebrity, it’s hard to maintain a social life, or at least keep up with your old life. The line, “Hope that they don’t think I forget about them,” is Mendes trying to walk in his old friends shoes. 

I am a big fan of Mendes, and seeing the comparison to his old music, the themes of Mendes’s songs have been maturing since his first album, Handwritten. He is definitely not the lovestruck teenager we used to know and love. He is now an adult, who is realizing how to express his other emotions through lyrics. 

Listening to Wonder has made me realize that there is an alternative to everything, even if you can’t see it. The real question is whether we want to go with the alternative or not. If you don’t know the answer, give Mendes’s song another listen, and get lost in wonderland.  I’m excited to experience the rest of his album Wonder in a couple months. Excited to experience the rest of the feeling of wonder. If you would like to also see Wonder, click on the link here for the music video.