Shawn Mendes released his fourth album “Wonder” on Dec. 4. I have been a fan of Mendes for a few years now, and I’ve witnessed his musical style develop over his four albums. With each release, I am always sure his music cannot get any better than it is, but Mendes always proves me wrong. Mendes shared clips of him writing some of the songs on this album in his new Netflix documentary “In Wonder.”

This 14-song album includes “Wonder,” which was released as a single on Oct. 2, and “Monster,” featuring Justin Beiber, released Nov. 20. Compared to Mendes’ previous singles, “Monster” and “Wonder” are more alternative, but they still provide listeners with a catchy chorus. “Wonder” captures Mendes’ love life and expresses the confidence he’s gained.

In his Netflix documentary, Mendes is working in the studio as he brainstorms lyrics for “Teach Me How To Love.” The song is fun, upbeat and makes me wish that I had more friends to sing karaoke with. The indie guitar in this song differentiates this album from Mendes’ previous three. 

“Always Been You” written about Mendes’ girlfriend, Camila Cabello, makes me feel incredibly lonely and underappreciated. The inspiration behind this song came from a conversation Mendes and Cabello had, where Mendes shared about how all of his songs were written about Cabello, even though they weren’t always together. Although this song forces me to recognize the fact that no one is interested in me, it allows me to lie to myself and pretend that every random guy who makes eye contact with me is in love with me.

“Piece Of You” has to be my favorite song on this album; I’ve added it to almost all of my playlists. Track 12 is definitely a bit of an outlier;, however, it has me singing along to every word. “Piece Of You” starts off with a piano intro as Mendes begins singing, then you’re hit with a loud bass and drum beat. In this song, Mendes shares his feelings about wanting a girl who everyone else also wants “a piece of.”

“Wonder” was a new sound for Mendes; instead of the vulnerable tone he shared in his self-titled album, this album was more upbeat and portrayed his happiness with Cabello. This record was everything I dreamed of and more. I hope Mendes will continue to experiment with this new sound.