Wonder
| Shawn Mendes
Wonder
Canadian singer Shawn Mendes released his fourth studio album—Wonder—on December 4, 2020, through Island Records. The production was mainly handled by the singer himself, along with Kid Harpoon, Scott Harris, and Frank Dukes, among others. Wonder precedes Shawn Mendes’s Netflix documentary, Mendes: In Wonder, capturing his off-stage life.
The album was received many favorable reviews from critics, who took note of the singer’s vast vocal improvements. However, fans were polarized over the album’s songwriting and production, deeming it formulaic and predictable. Wonder was supported by three singles, “Monster” with Justin Bieber, “Wonder,” and “Call My Friends.” Learn more about Shawn Mendes’ Wonder album reviews here!
Critic Reviews
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Variety
while “Wonder” is at times overambitious and overwrought, it does feel like the last stop on a particular journey. Mendes can’t sound much bigger than this without going full Adele, so what might come next is wide open.
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The New York Times
“Wonder” is, overall, much less polished than Mendes’s last album or the one prior, “Illuminate,” released in 2016 and still his best work, which featured oodles of tightly zipped and anxious teen pop-rock.
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US Weekly
With its grandiose chorus, the standout tackles Mendes’ “scars and insecurities” and honors the evolution of his romance with Cabello. “You’re the only one that my heart keeps coming back to,” he croons. And with an album like Wonder, fans are sure to keep coming back too.
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Pitchfork
The pop heartthrob’s lovestruck fourth album comes across like your friend who just got into a relationship and won’t shut up about it: You’re happy for them and also tremendously bored.
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EW
Shawn Mendes grows up, glows up on the love-struck Wonder.
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The Independent
Cosy vintage values but not one original idea.
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Daily Bruin
‘Wonder’ reflects Shawn Mendes’ growth, maturity through diverse tracks.
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Clash Magazine
Overall, the record is ambitious as it aims to explore genres, stories and showcase Mendes artistic evolution all at once. It doesn’t always succeed, at times feeling too shallow for it to be as impactful as Mendes intended it to be. But when it succeeds, there’s no flaw to be picked out and for that it’s worth a listen.
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South China Morning Post
Shawn Mendes’ love for Camila Cabello has inspired some powerful songs.
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AP News
Shawn Mendes is airy, grand, intense and rapturous. It is the sound of a man totally and hopelessly in love.
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Ratings Game Music
Mendes hits highs both vocally and lyrically on his latest album “Wonder.”
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The Red Ledger
Shawn Mendes’ new studio album “Wonder” is for Mendes’ most dedicated fans, but not the rest of the public. This is because of the unoriginality of the handful of songs in the album. This album did have some bright spots; however, that made the listener feel those nostalgic emotions that they don’t feel often.
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Metro Weekly
As a coming-of-age album, Wonder feels premature. It’s held back by its failure to present the kind of depth it so clearly wants to achieve. And yet, it shows us glimmers of a potential creative breakthrough still to come.
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Thomas Bleach
The tight production and earworm melodies are there, but what’s lacking is the genuine heart. I wanted to feel in love with him, to feel sad, confused and heartbroken too. I wanted to be taken on a journey while also learning about what was happening in his life, and what he was actually feeling. Instead we’ve got a vague description of the emotions he wanted to try convey with an excerpt of words from a thesaurus.
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The Guardian
There’s something there, buried though it is amid the musical and lyrical truisms, that nods faintly towards a career that might continue after the screaming stops. It seems improbable, given most of Wonder, but as the current frontman of Dead and Co might attest, stranger things have happened.
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Vinyl Chapters
Wonder truly shows Shawn’s growth and maturity of not only him as an artist but as a young adult as well. His musical direction and his fresh new ideas are what we are here for and this album is definitely one to pay attention to.
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Commedia
Overall, the album shows Mendes’ growth as a person and a musician. For his future works, he should keep the dynamic instrumentals and continue to be open and honest about his emotions in his heartfelt lyrics. Fans will adore the fact that Mendes is thriving, even if they secretly wish he was still on the market.
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The Eagle Eye
Seeing that Mendes’ song style is changing and evolving makes fans of his and other spectators excited to see what’s next for him. “Wonder” is a great segue for changing his music style and creating buzz towards the rest of the album.
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Spectrum Pulse
this is Shawn Mendes taking an enormously awkward step towards artistic growth, and even if he’s faceplanting, I don’t want him to stop trying.
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The Daily Californian
Shawn Mendes’ weary album ‘Wonder’ wanders far from wonderland.
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