The Most Personal Lyrics On The New Shawn Mendes Album

25 May 2018, 15:00 | Updated: 25 May 2018, 16:35

Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images // Mike Windle/Getty Images

By Sam Prance

Is he singing about Camila Cabello? We delve deep into the 'Mercy' singer's latest LP...

The new Shawn Mendes album is finally here and unsurprisingly it is incredible. Not only does it see the Canadian superstar explore new sounds (the LP includes genres ranging from rock and funk to pop and R&B) but it's also far and away his most mature release to date. The 19 year old is no longer the 15 year old vine star that rose to fame in 2014.

To make things even more impressive, it's also his most personal record yet. The 'Stitches' hitmaker opens up about relationships, anxiety and so much more. There's a reason that this album is self-titled.

In Shawn's words: "I wanted to stamp this moment in time at 19 because ive never felt so true to myself".

Here we've gathered the most personal lyrics on the album.

1. "I'm looking through my phone again, feeling anxious // Afraid to be alone again, I hate this // I'm trying to find a way to chill, can't breathe"

There's no question that 'In My Blood' is Shawn's most honest song to date. It's an unbelievably candid portrayal of what it's like to experience anxiety. This lyric in particular is magic. The more you try to 'chill', the harder it gets to 'breathe'. It might be a difficult song to listen to but it's Shawn's most important single yet.

2. "Talk a little too much around you // Get a little self-conscious when I think about you"

Things get more light hearted on 'Nervous'. Shawn co-wrote this song with Julia Michaels and you can really tell because it's both super personal and super relatable at the same time. Shawn is struggling to keep his cool over a crush and boy have we been there.

Shawn Mendes - In My Blood

3. "I know it's more than just a friendship // I can hear you thinking about it"

'Lost In Japan' is Shawn at his most sexy and ever since it came out, fans have been wondering who he's singing about. This lyric appears to narrow things down. Shawn clearly has romantic feelings for a friend but who could it be? Camila Cabello? Hayley Baldwin? Dua Lipa? Let's investigate.

4. "How could you make me believe? // That there was something in between you and me"

While 'Lost In Japan' is about one night of passion, 'Where Were You in the Morning?' is about the morning after. It's a longing R&B ballad about a lover "who walks away". This lyric cuts particularly deep. Our hearts.

Shawn Mendes "Lost In Japan" (Audio)

5. "Don't cry or do, whatever makes you comfortable"

'Like To Be You' is a stunning pop duet with Julia Michaels about wanting to know your lover more intimately. Our fave thing about it is how much of a gentleman Shawn is in it. He wants his girlfriend to be 'comfortable' so, instead of ordering her around, he's encouraging her "cry or not cry" on her own terms.

6. "So close with you on my lips // Touch noses, feeling your breath"

'Fallin' All In You' speaks for itself. Shawn is getting intimate with a lover and we are into it.

7. "If I try to play it cool, it never goes right // Got me drownin', drownin'"

Shawn is head over heels obsessed with this girl and 'Particular Taste' doesn't hold back.

Shawn Mendes & Julia Michaels Choose Each Other As Their 'Song Of The Summer'

Watch Shawn and Julia gush over each other's music above.

8. "When I hear you sing, it gets hard to breathe // Can't help but think every song's about me"

Okay. This is where things get explicit. Not only does 'Why' contain Shawn's most stunning vocal performance to date but it also directly alludes to a relationship with a popstar. That narrows things down to Camila, Dua and every musician Shawn has ever come into contact with. Oh boy.

9. "And she might help me forget that loving her is something I could never do // Because I had, because I had you"

Wait a minute. 'Because I Had You' proves that Shawn has all-consuming feelings for this girl. In fact, so much so that he can't love anyone else but her. Is this Camila?! Is this another lover?! We need answers!

10. "Making beautiful look ugly // The way you put yourself above me"

Shawn turns the tables on 'Queen'. After a series of lovelorn songs, 'Queen' sees the teenage heartthrob call out a girl who acts like she is above him. Amazing.

11. "Waking up to headlines, filled with devastation again // My heart is broken, but I keep going"

Much has already been said about how brilliant 'Youth' is. The Khalid duet is a remarkable song about holding onto positivity and joy in spite of hardship. It was inspired by the Shawn being on tour in the UK when the Manchester bombing happened and it's every bit as moving as you'd expect it to be. Each lyric is inspirational in a way that doesn't feel crass or forced.

Shawn Mendes - Youth (Lyric Video) ft. Khalid

12. "Are you playin' me, is this a game? // When you show up late, say love at 2AM"

'Mutual' takes us back to this lover (or another lover) that's messing Shawn around. Who is playing games with Shawn? We need to have words.

13. "But when we're making love, you make it worth it // I can't believe the places that you take me"

'Perfectly Wrong' is a song about hopeless, uncontrollable love and how Shawn 'can't quit' someone who breaks his heart. No we're not crying. You are.

14. "Call you when it's late, and I know that you're in bed // 'Cause I'm three hours back, seems like you're always six ahead"

Okay. This is too much for us to bear. After all of this heartbreak, 'When You're Ready' confirms that Shawn is just waiting for the love of his life to be in a relationship with him no matter what they've been through and how long it takes. This lyric is key because it hints at who Shawn may be lovelorn over. "Three hours back" is the time difference between Toronto and LA. It doesn't let on anything specific but it doesn't deny any of our theories that many of these songs may be about Camila either.

To add fuel to the fire, Camila tweeted about the album today and how much she loves Shawn.

Simple friendly praise or evidence of a romance? Who do you think Shawn is in love with?