Wonder (Alternate Cover)

Wonder is the first album Shawn Mendes has released as an adult, so perhaps its appropriate that the 2020 record feels like the work of a musician who has entered a period of maturation. Its not so much that Wonder feels stiff or stuffy, as if Mendes were writing songs for an older version of himself. Rather, Mendes attempts a variety of styles and sounds while also expanding his emotional range. Love and self-doubt remain at the core of his obsessions, yet hes allowing himself to feel some joy and fun, even inviting Justin Bieber in for a verse on Monster. This lifting of grey clouds counts for a lot, particularly as its combined with playful genre experimentation. 305 is a nimble bit of new wave power pop, the neo-disco Piece of You pulsates to a glitter-ball beat, and Higher and Teach Me How to Love are sleek examples of modern R&B. Combined, these moments dont amount to half of Wonder, but theyre enough to keep the album moving and pulsing as Mendes glides through his signature ballads. While the slower songs are fine, sometimes sincere, the growth on Wonder is all evident on the livelier tunes, all of which point toward a more adventurous twenties for Shawn Mendes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine