I am a self-proclaimed die-hard Shawn Mendes fan, so with all the very subtle hints he’s been dropping recently on social media, I knew something was coming. I dropped everything I was doing naturally when I saw the teaser video last week for his new single, “Wonder,” which was released on October 2nd.
His hints first began back in July when he captioned one of his Instagram posts with the orange and black heart emojis, signifying the festive Halloween colors of October. OK, I’ll admit that I didn’t think anything of it then, but he was definitely being sneaky there. Speculation then arose about the meaning of the singer’s new tattoo of the word “wonder.” Finally, there was some concrete evidence when The Elvis Duran Show posted that Mendes would be a guest on the radio show on October 2nd. A radio appearance always equates to something new coming!
The official teaser held a few notable clues. The video preview showed Mendes in a city apartment cluttered with papers before he stepped out onto the balcony and into the sunlight. One of the newspapers a part of the clutter had the headline “Singer Goes Missing.” This is in reference to how he had been MIA in terms of releasing music since “Senorita” last summer. A note from the teaser circulated on social media, as it seemed to be a tracklist for an album, or a setlist for a concert since it listed a few of his older songs. We’re still waiting for a confirmation about that.
By Thursday night, the suspense for “Wonder” was building. Mendes began posting short clips of the music video leading up to its release at midnight. I jumped on a Zoom call with my friend so we could watch the music video for the first time together because yes, this was a very big deal.
By the end of the video, my friend and I were left speechless and so in awe of our first listen of the song and viewing of the music video too. It was that epic!
To start with the song itself, “Wonder” is reflective. Its sound is a logical progression for Mendes from 2018’s, “In My Blood,” a guitar-centric anthem that resonates through stadiums. The new song’s base sound is composed of a dull drum beat and piano throughout the verses. With its climax full of a choral background under Mendes’ signature vocal belts that are so vast-reaching, “Wonder” is an optimistic anthem.
The lyrics go deeper than ever before, detailing the star’s reality of presenting himself as he truly is. At first listen, the chorus “I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you” (Genius), seems to be a question meant for a lover. The verses, however, prove that the “you” represents the public listeners, fans, and anyone who doesn’t know him personally. This is especially evident with the second verse’s lyric, “wonder why I’m so afraid/Of saying something wrong, I never said I was a saint” (Genius). The lyric that sticks out to me (and also Mendes’ favorite line as per his multiple interviews) is, “I wonder, when I cry into my hands/I’m conditioned to feel like it makes me less of a man”(Genius). This truly shows vulnerability and a condemning of toxic masculinity (which we love to hear)!
The music video encapsulates the song’s reflective tone while also showing a sense of freedom. Aside from its perfect fall vibes in a forest, it ends with Mendes running to a cliff that overlooks the water. It’s fulfilling to see him so unabashedly scream the lyrics while feeling free. He opens himself up to the rain falling on the cliff and falls to his knees, with the closing shot of him looking out onto the water. The music video gives a glimpse into how Mendes has taken what he’s learned from reflection to truly evolve into who he really is.
The promotion leading up to “Wonder” was so meticulous and made me excited for every aspect of the song’s release. The wait and all of the hidden clues were definitely worth it since I feel so connected to this song. While watching the “Wonder” music video, I couldn’t help but feel empowered along with Mendes. I’m not going to say it’s the best piece of music video cinema, but it definitely is the best piece of music video cinema!