The next stage of Shawn Mendes’ career kicked off on Oct. 2. Two years after the 22-year-old Canadian singer released his self-titled album – and a year after he and girlfriend Camila Cabello, 23, unleashed their mammoth hit “Senorita” – Shawn helped renew his fans’ sense of “Wonder” with the title track of his new album.
Shawn dropped both the song and a video for it on Oct. 2, and in the three-minute mini movie, Shawn can be seen riding a train, running through a forest, and throwing his fist in the air while looking over the ocean. While standing on a cliff, a wave crashes in front of Shawn, leaving him soaking wet. And because he’s only wearing a white tank top, it becomes completely see-through, so you can see all of his muscles.
Shawn announced the arrival of “Wonder” and his upcoming album by releasing a short teaser on Sept. 30. In the 90-second video, a pair of swallows (identical to the one tattooed on his hand) fly to an open window in a secluded city apartment. “FAMOUS MUSICIAN GONE MISSING” reads the headline on the newspaper thrown courteously on the coffee table. There’s an unfinished painting in the corner, the canvas showing the visage of a man with his back turned to the viewer. All the while that the camera is zooming about, Shawn is playing the piano while laying on a nearby twin mattress. The trailer ends with Shawn promising to “get lost” in wonder.
In addition to this, Shawn shared a handwritten letter to social media. “I’ve missed you all so much! I know it’s been a really scary year for everyone so I’m sending buckets of love to all of you x,” he wrote. “I wrote an album. It’s called ‘Wonder.’ it really feels like a piece of me has been written down on paper and recorded into song. I tried to be as real and as honest as I’ve ever been. It’s a world and a journey and a dream and an album I’ve been wanting to make for a really long time. I absolutely love it. Thank you for being by my side for so many years. I love you all so much. This is the introduction to the album out on Dec 4th, and the first single ‘Wonder’ is out this Friday. I hope you can listen front to back.”
Shawn’s biggest fan chimed in with her excitement for this new project. “The world could use some magic, beauty, and Wonder always, but especially right now,” Camila wrote on Sept. 30 while also sharing the teaser for his new song and album. “[Shawn] what a gorgeous gift to the world,” she added, while also squashing the nascent chatter that she and Shawn might have called it quits. “He’s crafted this album with every last bit of his soul, his spirit, and his essence with the purest of intentions. My love, I’m so proud of the person you are and I’m so excited for people to see and hear your heart.”
To help roll out Wonder, Shawn created a website (WhatIsWonder.com) that provides a 360-degree tour of the apartment in the teaser. A sheet of notebook paper hints at a possible tracklist (h/t Billboard): The Intro,” “Wonder,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Lost in Japan,” “Nervous,” “Never Be Alone,” “Look Up at the Stars,” “Lost Ones,” “Why,” “Always Been You,” “Monster (w/ special guest),” “Higher” and “Picture of the Moon.” The album is due on Dec. 4, so fans will have to just play this song on repeat until then.