I have good news: Shawn Mendes has stepped up to the plate to become the new Justin Timberlake for millennials, Gen Z-ers, and for all the rest of y'all.
The proof is in the singles: Mendes released two singles this week, "In My Blood" on 21st March, and "Lost In Japan" on 23rd March, and they are bops that will make you reminiscent of the Timberlake we used to know. To put it simply: he snapped!
Fans and critics of the singer have been sharing their approval of Mendes' sudden transformation into Timberlake, and I, too, am a fan of the shift. The 19-year-old singer was first pitched to the public as the "new Justin Bieber" mostly due to their common Canadian heritage, but as Mendes hits his stride, it's clear that he is much more Timberlake than Bieber. And that's a good thing because the public needs a break from the Man of the Woods narrative that Timberlake is currently pushing.
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Where Timberlake is sexy, Mendes is tender. Where Timberlake moonwalks, Mendes strums. Timberlake is "woke," and Mendes is just a Canadian teen. Much like Timothée Chalamet, he's what we need right now.
"In My Blood" is about Mendes' anxieties and all the ways he tries to cure them and heal himself. It's an upbeat song about not giving up, despite feeling down and emotionally overwhelmed. Instead of singing about getting revenge on ex-lovers ("Cry Me A River"), Mendes is talking about issues that teens face all the time.
And then "Lost In Japan." Wow, "Lost In Japan." Fans are saying it is very Coldplay-esque, and critics are deeming it R&B meets rock. Either way, from the moment that piano intro starts, you know you're in for something more than just a Top 40s hit.
Now all we need is the 2018 answer to "My Love."
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