Shawn Mendes is giving fans their first taste of his upcoming album. The star unveiled two tracks, “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough,” on Friday (Aug. 9).
“I stepped off the stage with nothing left/ All the lights were fucking with my head/ But here I am singing songs again/ Why, oh, why/ Ease my mind,” he sings on the vulnerable “Why Why Why,” which captures his mental health over the past few years.
Both “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” will be featured on Mendes’ upcoming self-titled album, Shawn, which will be arriving on October 18. Shawn is the star’s fifth studio album and follows 2020’s Wonder as well as Mendes’ previous self-titled project, 2018’s Shawn Mendes. The album was written and co-produced by Mendes, along with collaborators Scott Harris, Mike Sabath, Nate Mercereau and Eddie Benjamin, with additional songs co-written by Amy Allen and Ethan Gruska.
Last month, Mendes shared a message for fans about the project, writing, “Music really can be medicine. 2 years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift.”
He continued, “Honestly thank god for my friends and family. Life can be brutal but having a small group of people you deeply trust to walk you through makes it so much better. I have no idea how I would have made it through the last couple years let alone make an album without you.”
Stream both “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” below.