If anyone has seen Shawn Mendes perform live, then you know exactly why he is one of the many musical loves of my life. His last release was his second album, Illuminate, in September 2016. His online fan army has been eagerly awaiting what is tentatively being called “SM3” and waiting for news on his third album. At midnight on March 22nd, just days after announcing he was finally releasing new music, Shawn dropped “In My Blood.”
My first listen to this song occurred at 12:30 in the morning when I was too anxious to sleep. I knew nothing about the song going into it and I’m not going to lie, I cried before Shawn finished the first verse. This song is powerful. It is beautiful. And it is everything I’ve been waiting for as a Shawn Mendes fan.
According to the video Shawn posted on his Instagram, his goal for this album is to give off a more “Kings of Leon” vibe and if you’ve heard the song, you know he did it. (You can listen to it online here!) Shawn told Zane Lowe from Beats1 that the only way he could “step up” for this album is to “be more honest.” This song is as honest as it comes.
Shawn discusses his recent run-ins with anxiety and that is exactly what this song is about. Not only does this song capture what me, Shawn, and so many others feel every day, it does it in a powerful, moving way. While the song hits hard lyrically, it also has the upbeat, stadium-style rock sound that Kings of Leon are known for. This is the kind of song you can cry to alone in your room or scream with your friends in the car on a road trip. Shawn has new music on the way with a new song coming out on March 23rd as well and we can only guess that his album won’t be far behind.
If you’re not already excited about Shawn’s new music, you need to get excited because it’s to die for.