Shawn Mendes - Heart of Gold

“Heart of Gold” is the latest single from singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes’ upcoming fifth LP “Shawn”. His first album in four years (an eternity in music these days), sees a more mature artist who’s making a play for legitimacy and longevity. “Heart of Gold” is a tribute to a childhood friend who died of a drug overdose. It’s a touching, mature acoustic pop song with emotional lyrics to a friend who had a heart of gold.

When teen heartthrobs enter their 20s, they either embrace an edgier sound (see Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber), or they double down on their sound but update the lyricism to reflect a more mature stance. In Shawn’s case, it’s been the latter, as his music still sounds very much like his old stuff but he’s added more personal touches to reflect the natural growth as one enters their mid-20s. Like his ex Camila Cabello, Shawn finds himself at a career crossroads after a decade of producing big radio-friendly hits. In many ways, Harry Styles took away the logical path to superstardom that Shawn was aiming for with his brand of pop-rock. However, to be fair, it’s rare that most pop stars reach their third album, much less their fifth.

I hope that Shawn builds on the maturity displayed in his most recent singles “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” to further connect to the listener. Oftentimes, his music has seemed like bland middle-of-the-road music that’s played at Target. At this stage of his career, he should carve out a devoted fanbase as opposed to the many fair weather fans who enjoy his catchy singles. If he can do so, he can definitely have a career like his friend Ed Sheeran, but on a much smaller scale.