7

Lost in Japan (Remix)



8.10

Highest score: 10.0 (SamJudd)
Lowest score: 05.5 (Cameron)

Up next is Shawn's collaboration with Russian-German DJ and producer Zedd. Although the original version of Lost in Japan was absolutely fine as it was (and probably could have performed just as well commercially had they left it alone and pushed that properly as a single), the remixed version of this song adds that extra layer and gave us another song to bop along to, thinking of the good times with cocktails in the sun etc. Released in September 2018, the remix of one of the songs we were treated to prior to the release of Shawn Mendes: The Album probably didn't get as great a reception as it could have; some criticised what had happened to Shawn's vocals on the mix, some criticised it for cheapening one of the best songs on the album in some way, and some just didn't like it for reasons other than those. Personally, at the time of release I would have fallen into one of those categories, but over time when it started to rack up radio play, and with its accompanying music video I've grown to love the remix a lot. It's a surprise to see it finish ahead of the likes of Señorita, but it's good to see that maybe its fortunes have reversed somewhat in the two years we've had to let it grow on us. In terms of commercial success, this is another song/remix that New Zealand fell in love with, #4 on their Hot Singles being its highest position - hopefully Jordan's around to confirm if that's true or not. It (or the original version) did also manage to peak inside the top 40 at #30 in the UK, so it wasn't a disaster, just not a smash hit. I guess this can serve as an introduction to what we'd likely hear from Shawn and Zedd should they collaborate on a brand new single sometime in the future - I'd be absolutely here for that, just not with another song we'd already known and loved from a Shawn album, and I certainly hope it'd be nothing like what came next from Zedd in the form of 365.

Bop tbh *.*

 

Lost in Japan was one of my early favourites on the album, but I actually like the remix more! It has a very carefree quality to it.

6

Treat You Better



8.20

Highest score: 10.0 (Jonjo, Nick F1, Calum)
Lowest score: 00.0 (George.keh)

Just missing out on a place in the prestigious top 5 of the 2020 singles rate is the song that started off Shawn's sophomore era Illuminate; Treat You Better. Released on 3 June 2016 (anniversary coming up very soon - how was this four years ago already!?), the song went on to become a hit, with it hitting #1 in several countries, however in both the UK and the US it peaked at #6 in the official singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Despite that, it has been certified 2x and 4x platinum in the UK and the US - certainly not a bad feat! Despite not being his absolute strongest single to date, I think I'm always surprised when I hear this because although it isn't at the top end of the scale, I'm always reminded of just how brilliant a song it is when I hear it. Just now as I'm typing this I'm listening to my Shawn playlist, and it absolutely slaps. It stays true to the style Shawn brought to us with the Handwritten era in terms of singles like Stitches. Treat You Better manages to build on that pretty successfully, giving us a lot more substance to boot. This is always such a moment on tour too - both on the Illuminate tour and the self-titled tour this was one of the loudest fan moments - as soon as you hear the strums of the guitar in the opening seconds of the song, you know you're in for a rollercoaster ride for the next three minutes. Of course, there's so much to love in the music video too as Shawn started to delve into taking his top off (we love to see it xx), and he also managed to tackle a sensitive issue, highlighting abusive relationships and his lyrics instilling some sort of hope at the other end of it all; stepping things up a gear with the songwriting.

I prefer the Lost In Japan remix too! :wub: and Treat You Better's a great track *.* high quality up this end!

5

If I Can't Have You



8.50

Highest score: 10.0 (SamJudd, Cameron, Calum)
Lowest score: 05.5 (George.keh)

Down to the final five singles now, and first to appear in the top 5 is one of Shawn's most recent singles, If I Can't Have You. One of only two songs released as a lead artist in 2019 (the other being a feature on Taylor Swift's remix of her song Lover), If I Can't Have You was the first to be released on 3 May 2019 (if you haven't already, check out the anniversary thread celebrating a year of the song in this forum x). Both this and later Señorita brought the self-titled era to a close after many mishaps with will-they-won't-they regarding single releases, with these being given proper pushes, proper airplay, music videos, etc. Undoubtedly too, they've both become two of his biggest songs, and while the latter release is the bigger of the two, If I Can't Have You has always been my favourite. There's something about this song that just makes me feel so joyous and care-free. Every time it comes on the radio, or I listen as normal on Spotify, it's just so infectious and you want to get up and dance it all out. In terms of commercial success, If I Can't Have You peaked in the top 10 in the UK, at #9, but if we ignore that and consider that it reached #3 in the Scottish charts, that's a much better result. It did however also manage to reach #1 in Hungary, so it's got that achievement under its belt. The music video for this is something else too - absolutely love it, but just wish it was in colour to appreciate Shawn in all his beauty. Never has he looked finer and never have I been more thirsty, oop.

'Treat You Better' is SO good. The first Shawn track I loved/the track that got me invested in him as an artist.

 

'If I Can't Have You' is a bop. But not one I really play much.

4

Mercy



9.00

Highest score: 11.0 (George.keh)
Lowest score: 07.0 (Cameron)

The first of the four songs that shared everybody's 11.0 scores drops out in fourth place now, and it's the second single from Illuminate - Mercy. Slowing things down a bit in a different tempo to Treat You Better, the second single from Shawn's sophomore era gave us even more to fawn over. Probably one of his most-liked singles (as proven in this rate, obviously) in terms of general public opinion, it's more surprising that the song didn't actually peak inside the top 10 in the UK - only just managing to sneak into the top 20 at #15. It also only managed to match that peak in the US, hitting #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, while also managing a few peaks in other US charts (notably #6 in the Mainstream Top 40 and #2 in the Adult Top 40). I think the Illuminate era kinda solidified Shawn as an artist that was going to blow up and become massive, and Mercy was another step in the right direction for him. The lyrics are powerful, and this is conveyed magically through his vocals on the track too - he just sounds absolutely divine and honestly the song could go on forever and I wouldn't be bored. This is another one that goes down fantastically on tour, with the crowd reactions making an arena erupt. The music video for this is probably one of my favourites of his too. It's understated, but it tells the story that he wants to and ties in beautifully with the lyrics and the meaning behind the song. Yes Shawn, I'll definitely show you mercy.

happy to see this top 5!

Mercy is fantastic. Really powerful and very under appreciated to me, I'm pleased to see it represented here on Buzzjack.

Strong showing for Mercy :o

3

Stitches



9.15

Highest score: 11.0 (Nick F1, JosephStyles, Riser)
Lowest score: 06.0 (...ready for it)

The song that propelled Shawn into the super-stardom that he now embraces, Stitches became a sensational hit and undoubtedly his biggest in terms of bringing on board the general public, and it was probably the moment everybody stopped and first started to take notice and think 'oh okay who's this guy?'. Stitches was the third official single to be released from his debut album Handwritten, however for many it probably seemed like the first single that really lay the foundations for what was to come. Life of the Party and Something Big, while obviously still singles seemed more like attachments to his earlier work and self-titled EP released prior to the album. With regards to the song itself though, while for me it doesn't come close to some of his other singles (obviously he's now had three eras to fully form his artistic style and grow, giving us more powerful output each time), but it still packs a massive punch and it's so memorable. I'll never forget hearing just how loudly every person in the Hydro Arena in Glasgow sung along to this song, knowing every single word from the first verse to the final chorus. The roof truly blew off. It seems like this is a song that Shawn himself looks back on fondly too and enjoys performing so much, which is really nice. The music video for this is another quality one too - with an emotional storyline that sees Shawn being battered and bruised by his emotions (an invisible force), eventually picking himself back up by the end. Commercially, this became Shawn's first #1 single in the UK, and despite only peaking at #4 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100, it did reach #1 on Adult Contemporary, Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40. Whether you love this song or not, it's safe to say it needed to happen for us to be at the place we are now in Shawn's career - hopefully with many more hits and albums yet to come.

So that leaves us with just two songs fighting for the top spot now; will it be the raw, emotional In My Blood, or fun-filled bop There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back? :o

Unsurprising top 2 but Stitches is still my favourite :wub:

I don't dislike Stitches since actually becoming a fan. It's good. Hoping for an In My Blood win, but There's Nothing Holding Me Back would be a brilliant winner too... his two best for sure :wub:

2

There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back



9.20

Highest score: 11.0 (SamJudd)
Lowest score: 06.0 (Nick F1)

Just missing out on the top spot by a small margin (but somehow outdoing Stitches despite receiving less 11.0s) is the final single from Shawn's Illuminate era - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back. Released as a single on 20 April 2017, the song came the year after the release of Illuminate, and served as the single pushing the repackaged edition of that album. When this was first released, I did think that there were other songs from Illuminate that could have been pushed as singles to extend the campaign a little further, but alas this is what they went for. In a way I'm glad it panned out this way because, as we can see from the results, There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back has certainly become one of Shawn's most popular singles, and I completely agree with its placing here. It's a fun BOP that is completely care-free and you can really hear in Shawn's voice that he believes every word he's singing, and it shows when he performs the song live too. This was the perfect way to open the Illuminate world tour (luckily it was added to the setlist as it was released around the same time!!) - it got everybody on their feet and set the tone for what would be a perfect evening. In terms of music video, this is probably one of his most forgettable. It has a rather simplistic storyline and only really follows Shawn and his 'companion' making their way through the world and having the time of their lives together, but I guess that ties into the lyrics perfectly too. Commercially, There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back managed to hit the #1 spot in several countries, however in the UK it did only peak at #4 - still not a bad turnout at all though. While only peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, it did hit #1 in the Adult Contemporary, Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 charts.

Shameless plug: if you haven't already voted in the first round of AF Idol (currently happening in the Artist Forum Hub), click HERE to support Shawn by voting for There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back, alongside 12 more of your favourite songs from the list! :magic:

1

In My Blood



10.15

Highest score: 11.0 (Jonjo, Cameron, Calum, ...ready for it, Jay)
Lowest score: 07.5 (Nick F1)

Where to start with In My Blood? Honestly, completely expected that it would come out on top here but I'm so happy that it has at the same time. It achieved 5 11.0 scores, and the rest all ranged from 07.5-10.0, so really no haters at all in sight. We love to see it. In My Blood was released as the first single from Shawn's third self-titled album, and since then it's gone on to become a favourite and adored by almost everybody (in terms of Shawn singles, at least). Personally, In My Blood is a song that really helped me with my own struggles. It was released at just the right time, and Shawn came along and ripped up the rulebook in comparison to the singles he'd released before, poured his heart and soul out bare in front of us all and allowed us to see that... it's okay not to be okay. But, at the end of the day, it's not in his blood to give up so he fights on. Fight the good fight. This song will always and forever hold a special place in my heart, purely because it's Shawn at his most vulnerable (but at the same time his most powerful lyrically and artistically) and it's just... THAT song that gets you through whenever you're just not feeling it.

One of my favourite memories associated with the song is hearing it live as the encore to his latest tour - he really put everything he had into making it a memorable, unforgettable final moment for the evening, and preceded by a cover of Coldplay's Fix You, everything about it just had you feeling all the feels. As the confetti burst out and the stage illuminated in bright white lights... it was completely magical and overwhelming. Anyway, enough about me and more stats about the song. The song managed to reach #1 in the Hungary top 40 (Hungary seem to be another country that love Shawn more than the rest of the world like to admit - I need to move there or New Zealand !!) - however it peaked at #10 in the UK and #11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 - obviously another top 10 under his belt is nothing to frown upon, but for undoubtedly his best song to date, it's a shame it didn't nudge itself up any higher. One of his best live performances was one of In My Blood too, with his MTV VMAs appearance in 2018 being one of the most emotional and raw I've seen from him to date - you can just tell in his eyes that this one means so much to him, and then some.

Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I just can't. It isn't in my blood.

Holy cow, that's a decisive win! And I'm very glad about that, what a song :wub:

 

Also glad to see 'Stitches' top 3 and 'Mercy' just behind it!

Wow at that average!! :o Not a surprising winner but a great one nonetheless (even if I'd have swapped the order of the top 3 :kink:)

 

Thanks for hosting Calum!

(even if I'd have swapped the order of the top 3 :kink:)

:frankie:

 

Thanks to everybody for commenting along the way and for submitting rates too! :wub: It's been a lot of fun revisiting Shawn's singles discography and typing up commentary for each one!

 

A full results rundown coming in a minute :cool:

Shawn Mendes: The Singles Rate 2020 Results

 

 

01 10.15 In My Blood

02 09.20 There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back

03 09.15 Stitches

04 09.00 Mercy

05 08.50 If I Can't Have You

06 08.20 Treat You Better

07 08.10 Lost in Japan (Remix)

08 07.95 Señorita

09 07.90 Youth

10 07.75 Lover (Remix)

11 07.35 Nervous

12 06.60 I Know What You Did Last Summer

13 06.55 Life of the Party

14 06.30 Something Big

15 05.05 Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)

It's a shame TYB couldn't quite make it to the top 3 to make it a perfect top 3, but that top 2 is FLAWLESS! IMB is incredible. If it wasn't for ntltc, I think it might have been my favourite song of 2018. :wub: