The Canadian heartthrob’s shocking release of a new single with accompanying music video, and further announcement of a fourth studio album has left fans elated and hopeful for one last attempt to save the year 2020. 

Shawn Mendes released “Wonder” on Oct. 2, 2020, the title-track to his upcoming album scheduled to come out on Dec. 4, 2020, just in time for the holiday season. 

“[‘Wonder’] has this really super intimate feel. I’m going back and forth with tons of concepts of reflection and by the end it’s kind of like don’t forget, life rocks,” said Mendes in an interview with Sirius XM radio. 

Mendes originally gained a following through platforms such as Vine and YouTube at just 15 years old, and has gone on to become one of the most successful pop artists of the last decade. Currently, 22-year-old Mendes has produced three widely popular studio albums and headlined three corresponding world tours. He has also been personally involved in many philanthropic ventures, eventually creating the Shawn Mendes Foundation. The artist has even found time to dabble in modeling, all while racking up countless awards and nominations for his music.

His latest anthem “Wonder” starts out with a serenading choir, angelic singing that is found accompanying the kind of movie presuming life is inconceivable. The track transforms into Mendes’ pure voice, asking similarly profound questions in the first verse. “I wonder, if I’m being real / Do I speak my truth or do I filter how I feel?” Mendes asks, “I wonder, wouldn’t it be nice / To live inside a world that isn’t black and white?” The tune continues to eagerly build into a passionate chorus which he ends by saying “I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you,” and the explosion of aweing vocals and electrifying percussion is overwhelming.

Similar to his 2018 hit, “In My Blood” where Mendes opens up about his anxiety, the artist gets personal in the second verse of the ballad. He discloses, “I wonder, why I’m so afraid / Of saying something wrong, I never said I was a saint,” and goes on to address a common stereotype of masculinity: “I wonder, when I cry into my hands / I’m conditioned to feel it makes me less of a man.” 

Perfectly complementing the song’s dramatic flair is its music video, directed by Matty Peacock. The mini movie flawlessly captures the essence of the track, showcasing Mendes sprinting through a forest and pouring his heart out on a cliff in the middle of a rainstorm. He is seen traveling in and eventually on top of a train, and later surprisingly pulling out several modern dance moves. This certainly is not Peacock’s first rodeo, having worked on music videos for Madonna, Carly Rae Jepsen and Hozier, just to name a few. He is an extremely accomplished choreographer, performer and videographer who truly outdid himself with “Wonder.”

Needless to say, this enthralling number is surely engaging fans, leaving them “wondering” what the rest of the album holds.