Shawn Mendes is the white bread of musicians. Most people recognize his music from açaí bowl restaurants or Urban Outfitters.
The 26-year-old singer is set to release his fifth studio album, “Shawn,” on Oct. 18. Where all his previous work has been marked by a Top 40 radio sound, this new release will feature 12 distinctly different songs.
To many, Mendes is the definition of pop. His singles have dominated the radio for years. His career began on Vine where he showcased six-second pop covers like John Legend’s “All of Me.” When he became the Radio Disney “Next Big Thing” in 2014, it was clear Mendes’ career made it mainstream.
But now, the pop star is pushing 30 and has decided to take an increasingly common route for freshening up one’s sound. Mendes, for better or for worse, is going folk.
We’ve seen it time and time again. Justin Timberlake brought sexy back then later released “Man of the Woods” in 2018. Lady Gaga dominated the club in the early 2010’s. She also sported a pink cowboy hat on the cover of 2016’s “Joanne.” Although “GUTS” is definitively a pop album, Olivia Rodrigo included “girl i’ve always been” on the deluxe edition. The plucky acoustic guitar and sarcastic vocals make the song stand out from her typical production.
But don’t worry, not all pop artists are releasing folk music. Some transitioned to country instead. Beyonce’s “COWBOY CARTER” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and broke the record for most sales of an album that year. Post Malone’s “F-1 Trillion,” another recent release, has a feature from probably every notable country artist. He even got Dolly Parton.
Folk and country have historically been synonymous. Is Glen Campbell not folk? Is he not country, too? It all falls under the broad Americana umbrella. Taylor Swift’s transition to folk seemed natural considering her country roots.
So where did the singer-songwriter obsession come from? Why not continue making club hits, songs you can jam to in a mini skirt? Why does everything have to be so serious and brooding?
Think about all the budding folk performers gaining massive fanbases in the matter of a few months. Tyler Childers has had multiple songs go viral on TikTok. Zach Bryan is selling out stadium tours. Leon Bridges is booking festivals like Austin City Limits and Stagecoach.
After Swift’s 2019’s “Lover” lacked the critical acclaim the singer-songwriter drove for, “Folklore” and “Evermore” rejuvenated her career. Folklore won Swift her first Album of the Year Grammy since 2014.
Not only are these artists monetarily successful, they are also critically praised. The historical significance of Americana music grants it validity among older critics. Americans love folk music the way they love a cowboy. It’s just classic.
Stripped-down acoustics and melancholic chords make an artist sound introspective or poetic no matter what lyrics they’ve written.
Contrast that with Mendes, whose music is the stuff you hear at the mall right when you’re ready to leave. 2019’s “Señorita” feels like our generation’s “We Didn't Start the Fire” or “Ice Ice Baby.” If the song plays in public, you're sure to hear a few sighs of disappointment.
So like many before him, Mendes is looking to shed his long-held reputation and finally be taken seriously. No more music you hear in the background of an Uber.
Perhaps Mendes will manage to utilize Americana to his advantage. Two singles (“Why Why Why” and “Isn't That Enough”) have already been released with mixed reviews.
“Why Why Why” features a textured guitar, sweeping fiddle and plenty of clapping and chanting. You can almost picture Mendes writing this track while sitting on a log by a campfire. The chorus is catchy and the song builds in a satisfying way.
I actually see myself listening to “Isn’t That Enough.” Its aching chords remind me of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” or The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” Harmonica and slide guitar mix with Mendes’ simple harmonies creating a warmth few songs have managed this year.
Therefore, I struggle to decide whether or not this redirection is a misstep. Has Mendes denounced the pop gods, written a new song for white boys to play at their unsuspecting girlfriends? Or is he simply experimenting, as all good musicians should?
I’m not offended by an artist changing over the years. This trend has produced some great work. Rather, I question why artists feel the need to turn to Americana in crisis.
We shouldn't be using folk as a shortcut to impress audiences. The narrative on what is considered intellectually impressive in music production should shift.
I loathe the idea that pop music lacks intelligence. It takes just as much ingenuity to write and record a hit like Swift’s “Style” as it does to make the tearjerker “Cardigan.” Writing addictive melodies like Timbaland or Pharrell Williams have throughout their entire careers should be a feat all musicians strive for.
I want my generation to have music we can dance to. If you go to a party in 2024, chances are any pop music played will be from our childhood. The 2010’s had artists like Pitbull, Kesha, Rihanna and Katy Perry at their prime. New pop girls like Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter are rising to fill the void, but we need a greater effort.
Gen Z has some of the worst mental health of any living generation. I certainly don’t have the ability to blame that on music, but shouldn’t the saddest generation have more songs that will cheer us up?
Rather than switching genres, maybe artists like Mendes could put all their effort into producing an amazing pop album — an album I can play for my kids one day and reminisce on how much fun I had listening to it in my youth.
2020’s “Chromatica” was a much more exciting “I’m back” announcement from Lady Gaga than “Joanne” because we saw her both return to her roots and elevate her content. Even though the album is full of 808 beats, it still has serious messages about Lady Gaga’s life and her struggles with mental health and addiction.
Charli XCX’s most recent release “Brat” is undoubtedly a party girl’s dream. Still, look closely, and you see many of its tracks hold a deeper meaning. “Apple” delves into her generational trauma. In “So I,” the artist mourns the loss of a friend. “Girl, so confusing” covers the intricacies of female friendships.
I find this integration of lyric and sound far more interesting than “Shawn” because it is unexpected.
If Mendes wants to turn to folk for artistic reasons, then he can. But he shouldn't have to. Musical artists should be appreciated for the intellectualism of the work, whatever genre it happens to be in.
Marit Erickson is a sophomore studying English. Do you agree that pop music should be taken seriously? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
