Shawn Mendes and John Mayer

Today I have music for you by an artist that is one of the newer pop sensations to come about. Shawn Mendes has been one of those heartthrob artists, with the sweet words and fun beats to get everyone listening. But this song is so uncharacteristic for him, and I absolutely love it. The first thing I thought when I heard this song, was how John Mayer-esque this song is. This is a song that is based musically in the percussion and smooth electric guitar work. There is a simplicity to this song that makes it work so beautifully with the fact that Shawn Mendes is really bringing in the blues. The title of the song is enough to let us know that this is going to be something that is going to be more on the melancholy side of things, but the way he paired it with blues guitar work is excellent. Normally pop artists like to go with a more synth pop kind of sound when it comes to their more emotional songs. But Shawn Mendes takes it somewhere completely different. He takes it over to the world of contemporary music. acoustic guitars, and a whole lot of soul. This is very different from what we hear from Shawn Mendes because it is more vulnerable and grittier than normal. This song seems like one where Shawn Mendes really bares himself to the world. There is something very raw about his voice, something that makes us feel how much it actually hurts. I really like this side of Shawn Mendes because it feels so real. A lot of times we only get the surface level of a pop artist, the happier and more fun side of things. But in these rare moments where we get something deeper, where we get something that really speaks to us. It's almost as if he is exhibiting the cracks and breaks in his voice, which only goes to make the song even blusier and real. The authenticity in this song is pretty undeniable, despite the fact that there are clear inspirations from John Mayer. Even so, Shawn Mendes still manages to make this song his own, throwing a little bit of his natural pop sound in there. One thing I really love about the way Shawn Mendes sings this, is that the lower notes seem to be the ones that are more broken, and then he soars into perfectly smooth high notes with a beautiful tone. There is a very comforting maturity to the young singer's work on this song. Even the content of the lyrics show a level of maturity that would normally not be found in an artist his age. There is a slight edginiess to the feeling of confusion and frustration that comes from the lyrics, but that depth and complexity gives the song so much more substance. This is hands down my favorite song by Shawn Mendes, and I really hope he takes a shine to this direction of music because it really does suit him. Today's instrumental song had to be by the artist who has been a huge influence on the first song. John Mayer is the modern king of blues. He also happens to be one of the guitar gods, which I find pretty easy to believe, given his flawless and polished work with both the electric and acoustic guitar. John Mayer is an artist who has gone through quite the evolution, but one thing that remains is his blusey heart. And I hope that is something that never gets taken away because it is what makes his music so fantastically enchanting. There is a charisma and charm to the way John Mayer brings out the blues, something that is hard to find now. This happens to be an instrumental cover of the song, but is hands down the best I have ever heard. This sounds like an exact replica of the original song, save for the saxophone which has replaced John Mayer. I mean this is brilliant! Every note, every pause, every tempo change is perfect. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!