In a new interview with Billboard, Pickering cutie Shawn Mendes is talking about his two brand new singles, ‘In My Blood’, a song Shawn says he’s really proud of and ‘Lost In Japan’, which is a song that’s inspired by Justin Timberlake.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjksG8Atcj/?taken-by=shawnmendes

 

‘In My Blood’, which I absolutely love, shows a side of Shawn we can honestly say, haven’t seen before.  The song is about Shawn’s first experience dealing with anxiety, “I’m really proud of it.  I think, especially, comparing that to all of my other music – I love all of my other songs, but…it was all kind of more vague topics about a relationship, and this is my first time breaking into something that’s more serious and more about me.”

 

The concept behind ‘In My Blood’? Shawn explains, “The concept of this song is about how it feels [when] you’re about to give up, and then you don’t.  That’s the whole payoff in the chorus section…It’s about something that I think everybody goes through and it’s something that I think people don’t talk about often, especially in music.”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgo9cg0AoJi/?taken-by=shawnmendes

 

Shawn admits that there are a few inspirational factors behind ‘Lost In Japan’.  For one, the song is inspired by Justin Timberlake and secondly, a dream.  Shawn says, “I had this dream that I was lost in this country and I woke up the next day and we had this cool piano part and the song was birthed.”  He also explains that during the writing process, he was listening to a lot of JT, which played a major role in the writing of ‘Lost In Japan’.

 

In addition, Shawn says that Kings of Leon also played an inspirational role at the beginning of the album and eventually, as what Shawn says, he “discovered the wonderful world of Kanye West.”  Shawn also tells Billboard that some of the songs off of his new album were inspired by Ed Sheeran, John Mayer (two artists he was also listening to at the time) and Daniel Caesar.  “I think is a perfect explanation as to why the music is so all over the place,” he shares, “is cause that’s how I was listening to it at the time,” explains Shawn.

 

And in case you haven’t noticed, ‘In My Blood’ sounds more rock whereas ‘Lost In Japan’ takes on a more R&B sound (still love them both).  Shawn says, “I think people are gonna think on Thursday that it’s gonna be a rock album, and then on Friday, they’re gonna have no idea what’s going on and it’s awesome,” which to Shawn, is really excites him.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bghe8gBgcMQ/?taken-by=shawnmendes

 

Check out this sweet message Shawn posted on Instagram prior to the release of ‘In My Blood’,

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgmmuecgZEf/?taken-by=shawnmendes

 

No word yet on an album release date but based on what we’ve heard, we’re excited and can’t wait!!!

 

Filed under: shawn mendes