BuzzJack Music Forum _ Pop _ Shawn Mendes: WonderInc.
Posted by: Calum 28th July 2019, 08:48 PM
Thread for general chat and off-topic Shawn related discussion that you think may not warrant its own thread, etc!
Posted by: Jay ☆ 29th July 2019, 01:21 PM
Not the most upbeat way to kick off this topic(!), but Shawn has come under fire for his abrupt non-answer at one of his recent Q&As:
People have been criticising him for being rude here, considering the amount of money that fans spend to attend the Q&As, only for him to choose not to answer a rather straight forward question!
There's been some reading between the lines going on that he dodged the question because it's about Camila, which is supposedly a subject matter that is off limits (although the hypocrisy of this has been pointed out given their PDA in recent weeks). It's also been discussed that the song was written almost a year ago, when Camila was still in a relationship... so he either inadvertently revealed that the song was written about a woman who was seeing someone else, or that the song wasn't about Camila at all but he decided to imply that it actually is. Either way, kind of awkward!
He replied to the criticism (although he seems to have deleted the tweet now?) -
"Hey! There was no bad intention here. If you were there you would have known it was the last question & that’s why I decided to turn it into a light hearted funny goodbye! Sorry if that upset anyone, I adore you guys! No need for any negativity. ❤️"
What do you guys think? Admittedly I'd have to say I'd be disappointed if I was brushed off like that, even if he was attempting to be jokey in the moment.
I'm actually kind of surprised that he does Q&A sessions at this stage of his career, because it has lead to some rather uncomfortable encounters. For instance, the recent request from an LGBTQ fan asking if Shawn would come out to her parents on her behalf, and him swerving that request because that's something personal she should do herself (which I completely agree with). That caused a bit of a furore on Twitter as well! I personally think he handled that situation as best as he could when put on the spot like that, however his reassurances that all parents love their children no matter what was an ignorant thing to say, even though that clearly came from a well intended place.
Posted by: JosephAvery 29th July 2019, 03:09 PM
The entire Camila relationship feels kinda forced / like a PR stunt and I'm not that surprised he swerved the question, but I can't lie, I laughed at his response there! If I asked that question, I'd have simply been happy he acknowledged me
Posted by: Calum 29th July 2019, 07:10 PM
I do think there are some pressed fans out there who are just trying to find any excuse to create some drama or controversy out of what he is (or isn't) saying at the Q&As. The girl who asked him to help her come out to her parents for instance - when I read that I was thinking that's... not really something you should be asking your favourite artist to do, or putting them in an awkward position like that. He did the right thing, but he maybe could have chosen some better words.
Posted by: Spiceboy 31st July 2019, 10:07 AM
Someone asked him to tell their parents she was gay? People are so strange and inappropriate goodness me!
Posted by: Calum 2nd August 2019, 07:36 PM
Alessia Cara And Shawn Mendes Surprise Kids At Pediatric Hospital
Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes are giving back in an important way.
The two young Canadian stars visited Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a pediatric hospital system in the state of Georgia, on Wednesday. “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest shared photos from the special day on Instagram.
“Such an incredible day at Children’s Atlanta with back-to-back visits from Shawn Mendes and Alessia Cara,” he captioned the Instagram post on Wednesday. “The kids will be wearing those smiles for a very long time. Thank you both for making this happen ”
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta was sure to post a couple photos of Mendes on its own Instagram as well.
Mendes, 20, was in town for a concert in Atlanta. He specifically went to meet 17-year-old Catherine Williams. In May, Williams was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of cancer that produces immature bones.
“I was so surprised when I first heard about it. I had no idea it was going to happen,” Williams said after finding out about the visit. “I’m definitely most excited about meeting him. I’ve never met somebody that famous before.”
So nice to see them both taking the time out to go and do this
Posted by: JosephAvery 2nd August 2019, 09:56 PM
I've seen some photos of that on Twitter, such a lovely thing to do!
Posted by: JosephAvery 7th August 2019, 01:32 PM
A fan asked Taylor Swift her favourite song from Shawn Mendes: The Album at one of her secret sessions recently and she said There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back !
Stan anyway tbh *.*
Posted by: Jonjo 7th August 2019, 01:55 PM
Tbh they should've worded it better. They should've said his "self-titled album" or something. I probs woulda assumed she missed hearing "The Album" and just went for her favourite Shawn song.
Posted by: Calum 7th August 2019, 02:14 PM
Mess
We need a Shawn/Taylor collab some time in the very near future though tbh
Posted by: Calum 11th August 2019, 03:06 PM
Billboard have posted an article with their '15 best Shawn songs' (link https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8526846/shawn-mendes-best-songs)! Do you agree with their picks? Are there any you'd replace?
1. In My Blood 2. A Little Too Much 3. Nervous 4. Stitches 5. Treat You Better 6. Lost in Japan 7. If I Can't Have You 8. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back 9. Where Were You in the Morning? 10. Mercy 11. Fallin' All In You 12. Don't Be a Fool 13. Perfectly Wrong 14. Something Big 15. Señorita
I do really like Where Were You in the Morning? and think it's one of the more underrated from the self-titled, but I don't think I'd have it among his best 15 songs.
Posted by: JosephAvery 12th August 2019, 09:58 PM
It's a solid list, though not perfect! Don't Be a Fool definitely sticks out for me.
Posted by: Calum 12th August 2019, 11:00 PM
Yeah Don't Be a Fool... I definitely wouldn't have in a top 15.
Posted by: JosephAvery 14th August 2019, 01:36 PM
Shawn's wax figure at Madame Tussauds Berlin!
Posted by: Calum 14th August 2019, 01:56 PM
Amazing, would love to go and see it at some point
Posted by: Calum 16th August 2019, 02:36 PM
Shawn won a Teen Choice Award on 11 August for Choice Male Artist, although was unable to collect it in person due to 21st birthday celebrations, oops
Congratulations Shawn
Posted by: JosephStyles 1st October 2019, 04:12 PM
Posted by: Jay ☆ 1st October 2019, 04:19 PM
we-
Posted by: Calum 1st October 2019, 04:50 PM
omfg !!
tbh idk how I feel about this bc his hair rn is perfection *.* but I'm sure he could pull it off x
Posted by: Calum 2nd October 2019, 07:29 PM
Shawn's featured in the music video for Alessia Cara's song October, which is apparently a bunch of grouped together memories from summer 2019! Looks incredible as per
Posted by: JosephStyles 6th October 2019, 05:43 PM
Cute video
Posted by: Calum 7th October 2019, 04:10 PM
Not sure if Shawn's been replaced by Justin/Hailey in the Calvin Klein campaigns? There was a new video released on Twitter celebrating 50 years of CK and Kendall Jenner, Troye Sivan, etc were all still included, but it's like they've dropped Shawn and Noah Centineo, oops
Posted by: JosephStyles 9th October 2019, 05:43 PM
Perhaps they could only contract them for a short period of time?
Posted by: Calum 9th October 2019, 06:38 PM
Maybe! And he is still on tour so will probably have very little spare time to pop off and do a CK shoot!
Although tbh I'm living for all the tour pics on Insta and Twitter recently. He knows how to get my attention *.*
Posted by: Calum 3rd November 2019, 02:55 PM
We don't deserve Shawn... This 'fan' :/
Posted by: Lil Xeph 3rd November 2019, 09:37 PM
Congrats Shawn *.*
Posted by: Calum 4th November 2019, 12:36 AM
Fantastic news!!
Posted by: pippa 5th November 2019, 09:30 PM
Congrats to Shawn.
Posted by: Calum 14th November 2019, 06:05 PM
Shawn's recently got another tattoo - this time of the letter A behind his right ear. Not confirmed, but a lot of fans thinking the A is for his sister Aaliyah.
(Camila also got a tattoo the same night - they were on a date night - with 'it's a mystery' along one of her fingers)
Gonna pre-order soon (might even get 2, one to unbox and one to display in the box ), looks amazing
Posted by: JosephStyles 22nd March 2020, 01:47 PM
Cute little message in these difficult times!
Posted by: Calum 23rd March 2020, 06:27 PM
We love to see it
He looks so good right now, that video and the one with Camila! Time away is doing him good
Posted by: Calum 24th March 2020, 09:04 PM
Some lovely pics of Shawn surfacing over the last day or so (that sadly can't be posted ) - he looks so happy and care-free right now, I love it
Posted by: Calum 26th March 2020, 07:31 PM
he looks SO good right now, ugh
Posted by: Calum 4th April 2020, 06:24 PM
*.*
Posted by: Jay ☆ 6th April 2020, 08:36 AM
Hot stuff
Posted by: Calum 🐠 10th April 2020, 07:29 PM
So many pictures being posted on Twitter right now! If you don't follow @bestpicofshawn, or any like that then it's totally worth it! *.*
Posted by: Calum 🐠 12th April 2020, 04:30 PM
Shawn has been crowned Buzzjack's Hottest Male Celebrity of 2019 in The Lounge, check out the results thread http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=224330!
Posted by: Jay ☆ 13th April 2020, 02:20 AM
A thoroughly deserved win *_*
Posted by: JosephStyles* 21st April 2020, 06:49 PM
We LOVE to see it *.*
Posted by: Calum 9th May 2020, 09:13 PM
Shawn and Camila gave staff at a Canadian hospital envelopes with gift cards for Tim Horton's to thank them for what they're doing through COVID-19. Obviously only fuelled by Shawn's partnership with Tim Horton's but a lovely gesture nonetheless! <3
Posted by: Calum 27th May 2020, 10:17 PM
How stunning does he look here though, ugh? *.*
(imagine being that little boy being able to grow up and tell people, btw I've met Shawn Mendes and he was shirtless xx)
Posted by: Calum 24th June 2020, 10:26 PM
If you haven't already, make sure to head over to The Lounge and vote for Shawn in http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=235270! Give him all your #1 spots x
Posted by: Calum 30th September 2020, 11:30 PM
We now have a NEW BANNER to bring in the Wonder era - what do we think? *.*
Posted by: Jay* 30th September 2020, 11:34 PM
Love it, of course!
Posted by: Calum 1st October 2020, 12:39 AM
I'm glad - hopefully there'll be lots more photoshoots to come too (the zine apparently has a LOT of unseen photos *.*) so we may be able to update it to something else if a better picture comes along
Posted by: Calum 1st October 2020, 04:55 PM
I've updated the banner again because there's a slightly better image that's become available in good quality
Posted by: JosephStyles 1st October 2020, 08:39 PM
Beautiful *.*
Posted by: Calum 7th October 2020, 06:46 PM
There are now Wonder filters on Instagram, and omg Shawn trying them out... he looks incredible
Posted by: Calum 10th October 2020, 05:57 PM
Shawn's got a new tattoo - 'little sunflower'! (although with that pic, it's probably the least exciting thing )
Posted by: Jay* 11th October 2020, 04:09 PM
Do we think that's what he calls Camila?
Posted by: Calum 11th October 2020, 05:00 PM
QUOTE(Jay* @ Oct 11 2020, 05:09 PM)
Do we think that's what he calls Camila?
There seem to be conflicting theories - some fans are saying it's for his sister, and some are saying it's for Camila.
Posted by: Calum 17th October 2020, 09:20 PM
He's so perfect
Posted by: Calum 21st October 2020, 07:34 PM
I forgot to post this at the time, but can we just take a moment to at this photo:
Two ICONS
Posted by: Jay* 24th October 2020, 02:42 PM
Two KINGS *.* I wonder what led them to meeting each other? Collab please x
Posted by: Calum 24th October 2020, 02:42 PM
QUOTE(Jay* @ Oct 24 2020, 03:42 PM)
Two KINGS *.* I wonder what led them to meeting each other? Collab please x
Omg imagine this is the collab that we keep getting teased about
Posted by: Jay* 24th October 2020, 02:45 PM
QUOTE(Calum @ Oct 24 2020, 03:42 PM)
Omg imagine this is the collab that we keep getting teased about
Posted by: Calum 24th October 2020, 02:56 PM
Shawn Mendes feat. Greyson Chance
Posted by: JosephStyles 25th October 2020, 10:34 PM
Two kings together, and what a PIC
Posted by: Calum 27th October 2020, 05:41 PM
why is he so goddamn PERFECT
Posted by: Calum 4th November 2020, 09:46 AM
Posted by: Calum 8th November 2020, 12:17 PM
Shawn has been tweeting his Joe/Kamala support since the US election results were announced King! (also a video from Camila's Insta showing them all watching it)
Posted by: Calum 11th November 2020, 09:05 PM
Can we appreciate how on point Shawn's selfie game is recently
Posted by: JosephStyles 11th November 2020, 09:17 PM
a stunning photo!!
Posted by: Calum 14th November 2020, 06:50 PM
Have added the Wonder tracklist into the Discography thread
Posted by: Calum 18th November 2020, 07:52 PM
We have a new banner, courtesy of Shawn's recent photos from his Apple Music interview
Posted by: Jay* 18th November 2020, 08:11 PM
Gorgeous
Posted by: JosephStyles 18th November 2020, 08:30 PM
Love it, thanks Calum!!
Posted by: Calum 25th November 2020, 08:53 AM
Another announcement coming tomorrow - with most on Twitter assuming it’s Jingle Bell Ball, or a Christmas single (wishful thinking but that would be SO GOOD)!
Posted by: Calum 25th November 2020, 07:49 PM
QUOTE(Calum @ Nov 25 2020, 08:53 AM)
Another announcement coming tomorrow - with most on Twitter assuming it’s Jingle Bell Ball, or a Christmas single (wishful thinking but that would be SO GOOD)!
Seems Jingle Bell Ball is more or less confirmed now with him appearing on Capital tomorrow morning to talk to them!
Another treat of a live performance incoming then *.*
Posted by: Calum 25th November 2020, 10:27 PM
QUOTE(Calum @ Nov 25 2020, 07:49 PM)
Seems Jingle Bell Ball is more or less confirmed now with him appearing on Capital tomorrow morning to talk to them!
Another treat of a live performance incoming then *.*
Sorry for so many posts at once in here, but just realised there is no Jingle Bell Ball this year
Could we actually be getting a Christmas song? 'special festive announcement' is v vague though x
Posted by: Calum 26th November 2020, 09:25 PM
So the news this morning was indeed that he'll be appearing on the Best of Jingle Bell Ball
BUT he's apparently performing a 'brand new exclusive version of Wonder' AND 'another special song'
Posted by: Jay* 28th November 2020, 07:13 PM
Your string of posts made me think that I would really like a Shawn original Christmas song at some point
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 6th December 2020, 06:27 PM
Have updated the Discography thread with the Holiday Deluxe edition of Wonder as well as stats for Wonder (single) and Monster!
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 7th December 2020, 01:23 PM
QUOTE(Advent Calumdar @ Dec 6 2020, 06:27 PM)
Have updated the Discography thread with the Holiday Deluxe edition of Wonder as well as stats for Wonder (single) and Monster!
Updated again with the full deluxe edition released today!
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 8th December 2020, 12:49 PM
Not particularly any juicy information from that segment - Shawn read out some text messages between him and Camila, but declined to rank his collaborators or reveal the amount of his highest endorsement.
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 9th December 2020, 04:03 PM
Interview with The Guardian (who seem to have changed their tune now after their ridiculous review of Wonder):
QUOTE
Shawn Mendes had a simple ambition. He wanted to be the biggest pop star in the world. At the age of 14, he taught himself guitar from YouTube videos. At 15, he was recording six-second covers of other people’s songs on the social media platform Vine. By the time Vine was discontinued three years later, he had clocked up more than half a billion views.
When he was 17, his debut album of self-penned songs (with help from seasoned professionals), Handwritten, went to No 1 in the US and his home country, Canada. So did its two successors. His first No 1 single, Stitches, has been viewed on YouTube well over 1bn times, as has Señorita, a duet with his girlfriend, Camila Cabello. His song Treat You Better is closing in on 2bn YouTube views. It really is an astonishing story.
I expect to meet a self-assured 22-year-old, bathing in his success and telling me why his fourth album, Wonder, will be his biggest and his best. But he could not be more different. Sure, Mendes has talked about his vulnerability and neuroses in the past, but often it has seemed part of his relatability shtick. Today, though, he is punishingly self-critical.
It all starts with an innocent question. How is Wonder different from his previous albums? “Well, that’s a loaded question,” Mendes says, as if preparing to go on the attack. But he doesn’t – far from it. Instead, he tells me about his past year. “I had a moment at the end of January when my body would not allow me to sing.” He looks terrific – fit and fresh-faced – but he sounds tired. Why does he think he couldn’t sing? “I physically couldn’t sing because of my anxiety to have a successful album. The fear strangled me and literally stopped me being able to sing.” How long for? “It was a month before I felt like I was taking the first step. I really fell down.”
Of course, he worried about his voice – he’s a singer. But he started to ask bigger questions, too: what did he want out of life, why was it so important to be succeed, and did his idea of success correlate to anything of real value? He takes me back to the beginning. “I started playing music in front of an audience of the world at 15 years old. I was on the road for seven years straight and I had a lot of success, a lot of big songs, a lot of reasons for people to praise me and to think I was great, and a lot of reasons for me to think I was great.”
And did you think you were great? “That’s where it gets stressful. All of that praise and all that success was turning into a big monster that was eating my self-confidence because, if anybody said they didn’t like my music, all of a sudden I felt I was worth nothing. And that’s what happens when you connect who you are with what you do.”
The early marketing of Shawn Mendes was ingenious and relentless – and condemned by child-advocacy groups as unethical. Mendes and his management encouraged fans to buy multiple copies of Handwritten in the hope of finding a golden access pass to meet him in person and watch him perform in a tropical destination. Young kids and teenagers – predominantly girls – adored him. He sold himself on his likability and authenticity. He never refused fans’ selfies, turned up for endless meet-and-greets. He built himself an eight-pack, wore white vests, frequently went topless and modelled underwear for Calvin Klein. He was unfailingly polite, charming, gorgeous: the perfect pop star.
But there was a hint of something more. While many of his early songs channelled Taylor Swift and Justins Timberlake and Bieber, In My Blood showed he could rock like Kings of Leon. An article on NME last year even suggested he had the makings of a Generation Z Bruce Springsteen: he looks good in a sleeveless vest, knows how to steam up a crowd, and is regarded as an all-round good guy who respects rather than objectifies women.
Mendes is in Miami when we Zoom. He is chatting from what looks like an exotic glasshouse, but is in fact a luxury Airbnb. He had been staying with Cabello, but has moved out for a couple of days while she focuses on making new music. “I’m giving her space because I don’t want to mess up her creative flow.” He says he loves it in Miami, where the Cuba-born Cabello grew up. “I’m looking for a house here with Camila, just trying to figure out where.”
Perhaps it is not so surprising that Mendes is so sensitive to criticism. For all the millions of fans, he has plenty of detractors who say he lacks personality, his music is bland and formulaic, and that his relationship with Cabello is a PR stunt designed to boost both careers. That must hurt, but I am still amazed when he says he gets upset if anybody dislikes his music. That’s bonkers, I say, because the music is designed for a particular demographic; it is inevitable that some people won’t like it. He nods. Of course, he knows that. “That’s the problem. That’s where you go into a complete meltdown, when you try to make something that’s impossible to make: something that the whole world likes.”
I ask if Camila is more pragmatic: does she think it’s a mad ambition to be liked by everybody? “She believes more that your art is magical because some people believe it’s magical. Not everybody needs to believe it’s magical. She is not as obsessive as I am in that sense.” He corrects himself. “Or as I was.”
It all sounds like a nightmare. He nods again, and smiles. “It is a psychological head-f***. It completely is, and that’s after three therapists and 55 self-help books plus meditation and exercise and life experience and all of the things I’ve been working through for the last year and a half.”
Mendes says it all goes back to his hunger, or greed, for success. He looks back now and thinks it was unseemly: the desperation to measure everything by figures. Mendes may be clean living (the odd glass of wine and spliff), but it does sound as if he became addicted to success. And a very specific kind of corporate success. I remind him of a time early in his career when he was so determined to sell out the 55,000-capacity Rogers Centre in Toronto that he wrote: “I will sell out the Rogers Centre” repeatedly in his diary. “But I sold it out!” he protests. “I willed a lot of those things to happen. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to sell out a stadium. But now I understand that it doesn’t bring you fulfilment.”
Look, he says, he has been fantastically lucky; he’s hardly complaining. “When you have been given the wave, you have to ride it.” But you cannot help thinking he believes he may just have caught the wrong one. “If you asked 15-year-old Shawn what it is to be majorly successful, he would have said to have a couple of big songs and play shows in front of lots of people. Well I’ve had more than a couple of big songs and it is amazing, but happiness definitely isn’t spawned from that. Happiness is spawned from human connection and falling in love and being there for your sister’s birthday and having close friends, not just playing shows in front of 50,000 people. Happiness doesn’t lie at the end of a crazy long train ride.”
When Mendes realised he was so anxious he couldn’t sing, he started to question his motives. “I asked myself: why is it so valuable to me to be such a successful musician? Is success just something that feeds my ego or is it really great? And I found it was something that was feeding my ego, and I just wasn’t going to feed that any more. The more success you have, the more fearful you are of losing it, so you become desperate.”
Did people tell him he had changed? “Thank God, no.” But he knows he did. “I moved into my condo when I was 18, and the first time I had dinner with my family there was this year. I made dinner and we had wine, and I was, like, why hasn’t this happened in three years?” The answer was simple, he says: he had not made time for it. Did they say anything about it? “No, cos they are so sweet, and they just really want me to be living my dream now.”
Did he tell them that he discovered what he thought was his dream no longer is. “Absolutely. The truth is I don’t know what my dream is now.” His parents, who live in Ontario, Canada, sound lovely, anything but the classic pushy parents of child stars. His mother grew up in Somerset, England, and is an estate agent, while his Portuguese father sells bar and restaurant supplies. Mendes talks about how brilliant they are at keeping him real. “I don’t know if it’s because my mom grew up on a farm that she has a perspective on what really matters in life. She always told me, when I was freaking out about something, that everything was going to be OK, because I have a family that loves me.”
In Monster, the duet with Bieber, he addresses his issues with celebrity, notably being put on a pedestal and the fear of falling. I mention Bieber’s very public meltdown in 2014, morphing from angelic teen idol to bad boy overnight. Mendes simply asks how you can not go loopy in the world of celebrity. “Being famous is crazy, it’s absurd. Having millions of people worldwide praise you and paparazzi follow you and show up at your front door every day while you’re trying to have a coffee is ridiculous.”
I tell him I was surprised he recorded a song with Bieber; they were supposed to be bitter rivals. In 2015, when asked about Mendes, Bieber dismissively replied: “Who’s Shawn Mendes?” Today, Mendes says: “I don’t think he actually did know who I was at that point. People put more of a tension on us than we had on ourselves.” Are they genuine friends now? “Yes, we absolutely are friends now. He texted me last night checking in on me, and that’s the best thing that has come out of this: a friendship that was unexpected for me.”
I ask if he also lost the plot this year, albeit in a very different way from Bieber: a quiet, internalised Shawnish-style meltdown. He laughs. “Yes, in a very Shawnish way. I burnt out and had a meltdown within, but not externally.” Did he think of quitting the music industry? “Yes,” he says. “I came extremely close. Extremely, extremely close.” What stopped him? “I realised it’s not the industry, it’s the way I do the industry. I let the industry control what I do, rather than me controlling my life.”
Mendes does seem to have suffered a profound identity crisis. What he always prided himself on in the past was his authenticity, but he began to realise that in obsessing over success he had sacrificed just that, or he no longer knew what it meant. He was desperate not to offend lest he alienate people. “I became a bit of a politician at a young age with my words, and the problem with that was that I wasn’t standing for much. Most of the time I would weasel my way out of any question that made me uncomfortable.”
It is funny, I say: here you are talking now about your lack of authenticity in the past, but the one thing you were accused of faking was your relationship with Camila, which is real. “There was a desperation for me to come out as being gay, which is such a ridiculous thing. I got upset because I know people who are gay who haven’t come out and I know the suffering they experience because of that. It’s just completely ignorant and insensitive of people to be on that shit.”
Now, he says, he has finally got the balance right in life. I mention that his last two singles have not been so successful. Is he at a stage where he can accept that, or even embrace it? “I could not care less, to be honest. I guess what people don’t see are the emails and messages I get about how inspired those songs have made people feel.”
Two years ago, Mendes told Rolling Stone magazine: “It’s literally my biggest fear to wake up tomorrow and find that nobody cares.” This seems to be at the heart of …, I begin to say. He completes the sentence for me: “… my anxiety. Exactly. Now what would happen to me if everyone forgot about me tomorrow? Well, I’d say: ‘Do I still have parents and a sister who loves me? Do I still have my girlfriend and this puppy behind me?’” He points to Tarzan, a 10-week golden retriever who has been asleep by his side. “The answer is, I’d be fine. I have health and wealth and support and safety. I would be absolutely fine.”
Honestly it's really sad reading just how much pressure Shawn puts himself under I'm glad he's now at a stage though where he doesn't care so much about commercial success and can just make music he's happy with and that connects with the fans and that becomes something so precious and special for them
Posted by: Liam.k. 9th December 2020, 11:24 PM
This might not go down well but... the bit about him and Camila; I'm sorry but you can't be purposefully ambiguous about your relationship before deciding to shove it down everyone's throat and then complain when people comment and speculate. Although I'd probably place the blame more with the team around him.
That aside, it's refreshing to see someone be so honest about being desperate to be liked and successful, even if it might not paint him in a necessarily good light, as I'm sure a lot of musicians feel the same, so I applaud him for that. He does seems like a really nice guy and I hope he can make peace with himself.
Posted by: Jay* 9th December 2020, 11:40 PM
I still haven't watched his Netflix documentary, but someone on another forum pointed out that him admitting in this interview to being driven by success and the desire to be liked by everyone, is a bit contradictory to the stance he took in the documentary where he apparently insists he never wanted to be famous.
I agree with you Liam; I'm still a bit hmmm about the way this relationship is heavily leaned into for publicity purposes. This era seems to revolve around that. Pitchfork wrote "The pop heartthrob’s lovestruck fourth album comes across like your friend who just got into a relationship and won’t shut up about it: You’re happy for them and also tremendously bored." and I'd have to agree*. I think the scepticism and annoyance has stemmed from their initial ambiguity, then they really shoved it in our faces while also simultaneously being like "respect our privacy pls xx"... I guess it leaves people a bit cold. Some celebrity couples come across as endearing, more natural, and they lack that vibe.
Still, aside from the Camila stuff, I appreciate that he wore his heart on his sleeve in that interview and I hope he is feeling more relaxed about commercial success because it's really true that you can't please everybody.
* Edit: By agreeing with this, I more mean in terms of publicity. The album didn't annoy me in that respect because honestly the lyrics are very general anyway.
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 9th December 2020, 11:51 PM
QUOTE(Jay* @ Dec 9 2020, 11:40 PM)
I still haven't watched his Netflix documentary, but someone on another forum pointed out that him admitting in this interview to being driven by success and the desire to be liked by everyone, is a bit contradictory to the stance he took in the documentary where he apparently insists he never wanted to be famous.
I think that's been taken out of context just a tad. I'm positive he said that when he was younger he never wanted to be famous, essentially because of some of the things that he's now opened up about (that have now turned out to be true / happened). And then of course he did become famous.
I do think there is sometimes a conflict between what Shawn actually wants to say and what his team want him to say however, which is why we end up with conflicting stories some of the time. A lot of what we're hearing now is probably coming from the most genuine place, whereas things said in the past were probably in-ear moments from his team about what's best to say in an interview, etc. And of course, with his relationship with Camila, there'll absolutely be a lot of interference from his team. They probably wanted to be coy about it to begin with, then Señorita happened so they couldn't exactly hide it with a combination of engineered PR moments / journalists trying to find them and track their every movement together. Now I feel like they've embraced it and are continuing as they are while being more open about it.
I guess I could be accused of being overly-positive about all of it and trying to see the good in it all, but it grinds me that his art/music is being scrutinised because of his personal relationship.
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 11th December 2020, 01:18 AM
Shawn teaching us Canadian slang for Vanity Fair:
I mean the actual content of the video isn't all that interesting, but he looks amazing
Posted by: Advent Calumdar 12th December 2020, 03:12 PM
Shawn has apologised to Sam Smith after misgendering them at the iHeart Radio Jingle Ball, referring to them as 'he' when introducing him. Everything seems to be fine, but eek!
Posted by: Calum 28th December 2020, 09:27 PM
A new song has been registered to ASCAP/BMI called 'Camila's Song', written by Shawn and James TW.
Posted by: JosephCarey 31st December 2020, 01:43 AM
Oh boy x
Posted by: JosephStyles 6th January 2021, 06:33 PM
my heart is full
Posted by: Calum 7th January 2021, 06:09 PM
All the pics of him with Tarzan recently have been so amazing
Posted by: Calum 28th January 2021, 08:57 PM
MARIAH CAREY RECREATING SHAWN'S POST BC HE MENTIONED HER IS WHAT WE NEEDED IN OUR LIVES
Posted by: JosephStyles 29th January 2021, 07:01 AM
Icons supporting icons
Posted by: Jay❄ 4th March 2021, 04:00 AM
Posted by: TalkAboutWall 4th March 2021, 10:40 AM
i like his lyrics " lord knows i'm here to satisfy" but don't think his voice suits as much as dua
Posted by: Calum 4th March 2021, 11:31 AM
Omg it’s been deleted now and I didn’t even get the chance to listen
Posted by: Calum 29th March 2021, 12:50 AM
Shawn has apparently been working in the studio with an artist whose name begins with C - and it's male so NOT Camila Rumours of Cody Simpson were going around, but apparently that's been debunked.
Intrigued
Possibly a new version of Teach Me How to Love, or maybe they're just moving on now?
Posted by: Calum 15th April 2021, 08:55 AM
Shawn (and some of his team, Connor etc) are in New York at the moment so there are rumours he’s working on something! Not gonna hold my breath though given his Teach Me How to Love teasing amounted to absolutely nothing
Posted by: JosephStyles 17th April 2021, 11:38 PM
I really hope we get something soon, leaving it too long after Wonder really won't do him any favours imo
Posted by: Calum 18th April 2021, 11:34 AM
It's starting to seem like the label are in their own world and won't even bother to rush anything out to try and recover from it. Wouldn't be surprised if we're waiting until at least 2022 / early 2023 for a full album again.
Posted by: Calum 18th April 2021, 05:07 PM
Okay so more rumours starting to pick up that he’s been in the studio with Scott Russo and Amy Allen!
Exciting
Posted by: Jamie Barkley 14th May 2021, 06:27 AM
Seems like he's teasing new music in his latest Instagram post
Posted by: Jay❄ 17th May 2021, 11:37 PM
Interesting if it turns out that he's abandoning the Wonder era and moving on. I do find it a shame because I thought the album was great, showcasing artistic progression and a variety of genres... but things just didn't work out.
Onwards and upwards though... I really think his next song needs to be a very accessible uptempo song, something as undeniable as There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back.
Posted by: Calum 24th May 2021, 12:37 AM
COME ON
Posted by: -Jay- 4th June 2021, 09:10 PM
Omfg.
Ordered all three, we-
Posted by: Calum 5th June 2021, 02:06 AM
I've ordered all three too, these pics all need a thread of their own though
Posted by: Calum 10th June 2021, 09:34 PM
Shawn’s entire team are now in New York with him so it seems we may not be far away at all from something happening!!
Posted by: Calum 12th June 2021, 07:21 PM
We now have a brand new banner, enjoy
Posted by: -Jay- 12th June 2021, 07:32 PM
Love!
(If any of you can't see it, press Ctrl and F5!)
Posted by: Calum 12th June 2021, 08:34 PM
Thanks Jay for adding the new icon in too
Posted by: -Jay- 12th June 2021, 08:38 PM
A fresh looking forum - now bring on new music, Shawn!
”
There was a new video released on Twitter celebrating 50 years of CK and Kendall Jenner, Troye Sivan, etc were all still included, but it's like they've dropped Shawn and Noah Centineo, oops 
