Famous singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes takes us along with him, on his concert tour around the globe, revealing that he is “just a normal guy who really loves music”.
The documentary was released this Monday (23 November) on Netflix and it ultimately portrays Shawn as a down-to-earth, funny, normal young man rather than a glamorous pop idol or “superman” – like he described it himself.
The film provides a great overview of the busy and stressful tour lifestyle, Shawn’s relationship with Camila Cabello and also his family, the love he has for his hometown and the process of creating new music in the studio.
The viewers have a chance to see the superstar at his most vulnerable moments. Perhaps the most heart-breaking one is when Shawn is at the end of his tour and has to cancel a show, because his voice starts cutting out. He is devastated and crying, because he feels like he has let down the 40,000 fans who came to see him.
He says: “If I tell the world I’m just a normal human, are they going to stop coming to the shows and listening to my music? Maybe I shouldn’t tell them and should pretend that I’m Superman for a little bit longer.”
It’s an extremely difficult decision to make – are you going to push it through and risk damaging your voice severely or are you going to disappoint your fans? Even though Shawn was forced to go with the second option, he later discovered that his fans, – who gathered in front of his hotel to sing and cheer together – will love him no matter what.
Another person, who made Shawn feel better during his bad times was his mum, – who was seen comforting her son through facetime. Although Shawn’s career requires him to be away from home most of the time, the love and support he gets from his family is what keeps him going. Money and fame have not ruined his strong relationship with family and he is still very close with his childhood friends, who keep him sane.
Shawn confessed that he is often homesick and although he appreciates the life he has, he misses just being at home and watching films with the whole family and laying at a field and having fun with his friends – joking that he still has this small-town mindset.
Shawn was accompanied by his girlfriend Camila Cabello on tour, someone he has known for more than six years. The pair started dating last summer after releasing “Señorita” together, but it turns out that Shawn has been attracted to Camila for much longer – admitting that all of his songs are about her.
Shawn said: “I don’t think I’ll be able to write songs that really do it justice, that can really capture the things and the feelings with her.” If anyone doubted their relationship before – thinking it was just for attention – then this documentary will leave you in awe of how sweet and wholesome they are together. I loved the scene, especially where they were singing their favourite songs in the bathroom before a show.
The viewers are also given a peek into the recording studio, where Shawn and his team work on creating new songs. Shawn mentions that he struggles with the pressure of creating music that is better than what he’s done before, but he tries to embrace imperfection, because that’s what will turn into magic in the next moment.
I think that documentary brought us so much closer to who Shawn Mendes really is and it definitely made me appreciate him even more. It is rare to see celebrities, who are so humble, work so hard and don’t lose their soul to the fame and fortune. Luckily, we will get some new music from him really soon.
Mendes new music gives us something new and fresh to listen to before holidays, other than the repetitive Christmas classics.
Shawn Mendes fourth studio album “Wonder” is set to be released on 4 December, 2020.
By Kirke Viira
Feature image: Groundreport.in