Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back


There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back - Shawn Mendes |

I haven't seen this music video before today because I was waiting to write it up for my Chart Mondays review; however, it looks like this song isn't going to return to the UK's top ten anytime soon, even though this visual has been released. So I thought I might as well review this today, since I am obsessed with Shawn Mendes, and not just because of his beautiful voice and emotional songs. This track has me singing along whenever I hear it, although I don't think it's as good as many of his other songs. Watch Shawn Mendes be free travelling with his love-interest, Ellie Bamber, throughout Europe, as well as showing his gigs in those respective cities in this music video for "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back".

Shawn Mendes is the Canadian superstar who is bringing out hit after hit after hit. Thanks to the music channels, I was aware of "Stitches" before it blew up in the UK. He is quite the climber on the UK chart, usually charting low to start off with and then zooming straight up. This has happened often with his singles; but, he's quickly becoming a male artist everyone is talking about, so he definitely has a bright future ahead of him. This song was released as part of the reissue of his second studio album. It was written by Shawn Mendes, John Theodore Geiger II, Geoff Warburton, and Scott Harris.

The music video is directed by Jay Martin. It was filmed in Paris, Amsterdam, and Isle of Thanet, Kent. The visual also features actress Ellie Bamber as Shawn Mendes' love-interest and on-screen girlfriend.

They travel around together, just like the opening lyric suggests. They are clearly having a lot of fun together travelling on trains, trekking along the coastline, and running through transportation hubs. They clearly get along great, and their acting skills really come into play as they easily showcase a relationship that we are all jealous of.

That's about all that goes on in this music video. There's a slight performance piece which sees Shawn Mendes performing on stage, with his guitar. He displays his emotion just like he does in every other performance we've seen. You definitely won't be disappointed at one of his gigs. Overall the video is good, but it just feels like it's missing something; it might be that the visuals don't showcase their on-screen relationship all that well.
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Shawn Mendes - Mercy


Mercy - Shawn Mendes |

When this was released last week, I knew it I'd have to review it at some point. Thing was, when I was able to review it, I was writing up an album review for Outlet Magazine. I was pretty much done reviewing Shawn Mendes by that point and I needed a break, regardless of his amazing vocals and songs, I just couldn't put myself through that. However, now I'm ready and this is definitely one of my favourite songs from his new album! In a split music video between narrative and performance, Shawn Mendes starts to drown inside a car as he struggles to get out. With a great performance piece proving his instrumentality, we're definitely giving him some "Mercy".

Shawn Mendes has really become this magnificent male artist over night. "Stitches" climbed up the chart slowly but surely in one of the most phenomenal climbs in the UK chart history, where he finally reached the top spot. It has been a similar case with a few of his songs, but then again it shows how catchy they really are. This song has "Stitches" elements to it, yet it's much more slower and more of a pop-ballad, yet totally strong. The song was written by Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger, Ilsey Juber and Danny Parker.

This music video was directed by Jay Martin, and as I said before, it consists of both a narrative and a performance piece, which usually adds up to an amazing music video, and this is sure as hell what this is.

Although basic and simple, what with Shawn Mendes slowly descending into a sea of water. Obviously, every girl and gay guy are commemorating whoever came up with this idea because a wet Shawn Mendes is an extremely hot Shawn Mendes!

The car symbolises the girl he's singing about, it suggests that he's drowning and she's not giving him mercy and so he can't get out, but finally it gives way and he swims to the surface. Totally relatable to the song, yet so simplistic. It's perfect.

The performance side shows that Shawn Mendes is a one-man band, he can literally play an assortment of instruments whilst singing. But, boy, he's not just singing, he's putting so much emotion into this song and the performance of this song, that as an audience we feel him right in our hearts. He means every single word he is singing, and we can see that. Even in the narrative piece of the video, he sings the song like his life depends on it like his heart is calling out for mercy. He's such an emotional performer and singer it's a gift we're glad to receive both visually and aurally.

This is a faultless video, it may be simple, but who needs chaos in something so authentically good? The song has so much emotion, and Shawn Mendes transcends that right into the music video. There's not a lot else for me to say. I just hope his next music video is just as good because he never fails to knock it out of the park.
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Shawn Mendes - Ruin



Here comes a prolific ballad sure to melt our hearts, not quite the pop ballad we expect to hear from Shawn Mendes, and one that is totally a different direction. It manages to show versatility, becoming a possible stand-out track on his new album (something we won't be able to be sure of until it drops in it's entirety later on in the year). Flooding it with emotion in both the song and the performance-based music video, Shawn Mendes releases frustration in Ruin.

Shawn Mendes, the Canadian superstar we just keep hearing about again and again, and for all the right reasons. He previously climbed the UK chart with "Stitches" finally grabbing number one, weeks after it was released. Now he just launches right into the chart and yet still climbs later on, just like he has done with "Treat You Better". This album is set to be one I won't be able to stop listening to, and as each new track is dropped I fall in love with his vocals more and more. This song was written by Shawn Mendes, Ido Zmishlany, Scott Harris and Geoffrey Warburton.

The music video was directed by Ryan Pallotta and was set in Madison Square Garden.

There is very little going on in the video, since it is a pure performance piece in this empty arena, although I bet it would be packed if Shawn Mendes' fans could've got tickets to see the filming of this music video.

Filmed purely in black and white, which fails to add any texture to the music video apart from heightening the emotion of the song, it feels like an insight in to Shawn Mendes' life.

This is the sort of arena he would play at, it's like it's being filmed before a big show and something has got under Shawn Mendes' skin, something that makes him want to release his frustrations by singing this song. Something that will calm him down before the show, and it's obvious that that is what this song does for him.

Although basic, this music video is inclusive and feels more like a gift to his fans, something to keep them going. This song is clearly personal to him, and he portrays that perfectly in his performance of the song. Yet there is so much they could have done with this video, only there's no point since it is just a promotional instant grat single, just like Fifth Harmony's "Write On Me" was. So mainly we can be thankful that this actually has a music video, because his other promotional singles might not get one.
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Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better



This music video has got everyone talking about it. It's fully emotional and engaging, Completely relating to domestic violence. I love the fact that the disturbing content is mentioned at the end, the person he likes is in an abusive relationship and the number for National Domestic Violence Hotline is shown at the end of the video. The song feels like an answer to Orianthi's "According To You", although I doubt Shawn Mendes has ever heard of it. Cute and sexy, Shawn Mendes suggests that he can treat you better than any other guy. The video portrays that perfectly, showing that the other guy is abusive.

Shawn Mendes became popular by sharing and uploading vine videos. his song "Stitches" soon became an obsession we all fell in love with, managing to climb the UK chart and grab that all important number one spot. This is the first single from his new album, expected to be released later this year. He recently dropped a second track titled "Ruin" which will act as a promotional single for the album. If these two singles are any indication on what the album is going to be like, it's going to be even better than the first one. Shawn Mendes is really making a mark on the music industry, and with vocals like this, he clearly deserves it. The song was written by Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger and Scott Harris.

Directed by Ryan Pallotta, this love triangle is shown on a visual, translating the lyrics perfectly. There is so much emotion displayed during the visual performance that it actually hurts.

I love the story line, as Shawn Mendes performs this song with such emotion (as well as seeing him shirtless, which is an added bonus), you can tell he means every single word of this song, and that he's been there.

The narrative side of things is performed by a woman and a man (who can also be seen shirtless at times, what's not to like?) showing an abusive relationship, and how simple change in moods can effect the way they interact with one another. Clearly he gets his frustration out of him by hitting things, but that later translates into hitting her, yet she believes she loves him. Girls like a bad guy.

Overall, this is another great music video from Shawn Mendes, it slightly tops "Stitches" because of the continuity and the great transition from song to visual, however I don't think it can quite compare to the awesomeness of his collaborative song with Camila Cabello on "I Know What You Did Last Summer".
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Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello - I Know What You Did Last Summer



One of my favourite new songs this year. One that has a killer backing track and vocal, along with perfect lyrics, I just can't help but sing out loud. The song easily gets stuck in my head. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello create a stormy relationship in this amazing performance based music video which is set in a theoretical storm to which is about to ensue.

Shawn Mendes is one of my favourite new singers I've come across. His hit single "Stitches" is vocally brilliant and has a cracking video to accompany it. I recently bought his album, which got to number 12 on the UK albums chart and it definitely has some brilliant tracks on there. Camila Cabello is one fifth of pop group Fifth Harmony, who are currently working on their second album. They have admitted that they can't promise they won't eventually break up, leaving harmonizers everywhere sad as they await the eventuality. I am a fan of all five girls, from when they first appeared on The X Factor US. And in the event of a break up, I'd end up buying each of the girls future releases as I don't have a favourite and I like all of them equally. This is Camila Cabello's first single without her band mates with her, and her vocals are stunning. The song was written by Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Ido Zmishlany, Noel Zancanella and Bill Withers. It has yet to chart in the UK, and it doesn't look promising. Both artists sing the song perfectly and I really wish more people would hear this, as it definitely deserves a high charting position.

Directed by Ryan Pallotta, simple but effective. I love the idea of the backing storm that builds and builds and the two singers walking towards each other but never breaking the distance between them. It really adds to the background of the song, and interprets the song well.

If a guy knew what a girl did last summer, where she probably cheated on him, he would be furious right? Hence the storm, it would be a stormy argument.

The real question is whether they are officially together or not, rumours of them dating and various social media photos has got both their fans queued in ready for their announcement.

Overall a perfect video for a perfect song, and they definitely look very sexy and steamy in this video, surprising what a little bit of rain can do. This is officially stuck in my head now, but was totally worth reviewing to see this perfect performance based video.
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Shawn Mendes - Stitches



Saw this for the first time today on the music channels, I hadn't even heard this song before today and yet I just had to review this video. Just an invisible ex beating him up, a ghosty ex, or him beating himself up where the relationship went wrong? Either way Shawn Mendes shines through wishing I was the one healing Shawn Mendes.

Shawn Mendes first came to light on Vine, singing covers of songs. He soon became popular and got a record deal. He released an EP, and an album that has done well, and this song is his biggest hit. Most recently he has released a collaboration with Camila Cabello, one fifth of Fifth Harmony, called "I Know What You Did Last Summer". This guy, with this voice, will definitely be in the music charts for some time. Personally he looks a little like Nick Robinson, definitely a dead ringer for him.

Music video was directed by Jay Martin, it's simple. That is the only word to describe it.

Shawn Mendes sings the song in an abandoned car park, and gets beaten up by some unseen person. Figuratively speaking he could be beating himself up after a relationship gone bad, or a ghost has come to get their revenge. Either way it works easily, and definitely stands out; shockingly so.

I do have a slight problem, there is no wall behind him when he gets hit and flies through the air. At first I thought he fell through the car park floor, but I was definitely mistaken by that. So, other than invisible ex's, we also get walls appearing from thin air. The bathroom scene is a little dodgy, where did the bathroom come from? Yet he could've walked to the bathroom, who knows what the car park is attached to, some offices or corporation maybe? They would definitely have bathrooms.

Overall, great music video that definitely stands out on the music channels. An amazing song to go with it too. Dropped one star because of bad continuity edits, there was no wall behind him, just saying.
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