SHAWN MENDES MAKES GOOD MEANINGFUL MUSIC I LOVE
This society is complex with so many stuff inside that combine happiness and difficulties at the same time. But that's how life is supposed to be because nothing feels good and right if everything comes easy. In fact, that combination is the one that makes life beautiful because this gives us precious lessons to learn as our beloved treasure. Even more, this gives us realization about us working on something instead of staying at the same place.
I guess that is what Shawn Mendes is about to demonstrate through his beautiful and meaningful music. From the single Show You (2014) that I first ever listened to with a message to "just do it what you like without minding what people pointing about you" until the new two songs, In My Blood (2018) and Youth (2018) featuring Khalid that attract me so much. I really love the whole concept but above all, I like the meaning behind the lyrics and everything Shawn tries to convey.
Seriously, this society really needs musicians who do and produce music not only to get the highest rank in music charts nationally or internationally but seriously contribute to this society. Like Shawn Mendes, and should I mention the other musicians I really want to recommend? Teaser: BTS. Hahaha. Okay. Later. It's time for Shawn tho!
First of all, I would like to start by sharing the first moment when I listened to his third full album with self-titled Shawn Mendes (2018) on Spotify. Seriously. I am not lying. I immediately get attracted to and hooked-up with one of the songs titled In My Blood. Like how you may feel, the lyrics are so pretty good that I describe it with "realistic and encouraging" but I want to tell you that I even love the music video because the whole concept is so connected with the message inside the lyrics.
He starts the video with laying on the floor that represents his saying at the beginning about "laying on the bathroom floor feeling nothing." In fact, there are so many things happening from time to time while he is in that situation. For sure, the start feeling begins with some hardships that are represented by some kinds of cement stones falling randomly near to where he lays on followed by snowing and then raining.
During those scenes, he keeps singing the lyric lines that basically are about how hard the difficulties are that keep coming unstoppable. Just like, "Feeling anxious," "I need somebody now." and continuously asking if there is somebody to help him while in fact there is none physically (because for me, there is God who helps). But the point is, in spite of those bad feelings and experiences, he yet stays laying on there that I believe it doesn't represent staying at the same place instead bravely facing every difficulty he is faced for.
It is shown from how he combines the feeling expressions about confronting hardship with one determined commitment not to give up by singing "Sometimes I feel like giving up but I just can't. It isn't in my blood." To be honest, this whole saying in a complete sentence or line is very realistic that makes the song super meaningful because it speaks the truth of everyone's journey in the process of achieving something.
In that process, we must agree that it never comes as easy and fast as turning our palms in just that's it. Like riding a bike, car or anything, we will definitely experience so many things including the hardship that sometimes feels like just giving up. Like "It's so exhausting," "I am sick of it" and stuff like that. Yes. In that situation, as the song tells, I tell you, it is totally okay to feel the challenges and accept that we are not okay with them because like what people say, "It's okay not to be okay."
But what is not okay is if we give such wrong responses to get ourselves really out from the journey like simply stop or go back to where we were previously, meaning giving up. Because just like what the music video shows, after all challenges, hardship, difficulties and every bad thing that is possible to distract our good mood during the process (and it's okay to feel and accept them for sometimes), there will be a certain result we been expecting that makes everything worth-it and mean in good connotation. It is represented by grass growing slowly and resultantly creating a beautiful garden with flowers.
And you know what, I really love how the scenes come in order according to the lyrics. I mean, if you pay attention, the cement stones fall when he sings, "It's like the walls are caving in", snow and rainfall show when he continues the lyrics with "Afraid to be alone", and then the garden is finally completely growing near to him while he ends the song with "It isn't in my blood." They seriously represent everything inside the lyrics, don't you think?
I think that is who Shawn Mendes is. The musician who pays attention to every detail when it comes to conveying important messages in his good music. Interestingly, it is so simple but meaningful in every word and the whole concept that represent people and society.
And once again, it is shown in another good song of his featuring Khalid titled Youth (2018). I noticed the song on YouTube where I found a thumbnail option of the song lyric video released by Shawn Mendes. I, to be honest, made such guessing at the beginning whether the song is about youth lifestyle centering romance and the fun side just like Troye Sivan's Youth (2016) or not. But in fact, it has a different direction and similar yet deeper meaning specifically focusing on how people should concern about simply being good persons. Like seriously.
First, since there hasn't been no music video yet that you and I must be expecting for, I simply want to discuss the lyric lines I love the most in the song. In general, it basically still talks about youth life as the chorus emphasizes this saying "You can't take my youth away." I mean, even from the title itself, it's already obvious about what the storyline is gonna direct us to, right? But here, Shawn and Khalid seem to center the other crucial part of youth life that often be stereotyped with fun and once again fun.
In fact, there is a combination of them with hardships that specifically points out people's egoism in this current society. I mean, we must agree that living in this society right now is not only about meeting good people who we love and love us back while giving the appropriate respect one to another but also those persons who just truly love giving such burdens to us emotionally or maybe physically. It could be their actions or even bad words that are so mean.
The point is they are ones of the representations in this youth society that keeps being the integral challenges of people trying to live independently and I can say, just simply happily and peacefully. It is seen from how we must be familiar with such social issues that we feel sorry about like bullying, jealousy, judging and mocking one to another and so many similar stuff like seriously, how could people choose to live like that when we are just given this precious life once, right?
So, the question about the current situation interestingly (in a good way) seems being brought up and answered by Shawn and Khalid in the Youth song with the concept in the lyrics of how we should give the appropriate response toward the issues that I think it has the same message with the line "let them be them, let us be us" in the song of Love Maze (2018) by my other favorite musicians from South Korea BTS or Bangtan Sonyeondan.
(Back to Shawn) It is all started with honest expressions of feeling that "My heart is broken" as Khalid and Shawn Mendes sing in their own lyric lines separately. First, Khalid highlights the moment when he meditates his bad experiences dealing with bad people in his note or (I guess) some kinds of journals or diary. Meanwhile, Shawn shares his moment feeling devastated with reading headlines showing bad news about what keeps happening in this society.
It is so realistic because in the end, facing those kinds of things especially people underestimating one to another with their actions and bad words must be quite challenging and hard to face. It is written in the lines, "You hit me with words I never heard come out your mouth, to be honest, I don't want it." Definitely, when we are exposed to them, it will be hard for us because there is no erasing button to simply make it completely disappear in our brain admittedly.
However, another line comes with this saying "But I keep going" and there is also one simple line sung by Shawn "I need focus" that show the first response that we must do in confronting those bad experiences. It is simply going back to concentrate on our own precious journey of achieving something or you can name it with dreams. Because in the end, our identity and life are what is more worth it in this society in order to really make positive changes for real.
However, another line comes with this saying "But I keep going" and there is also one simple line sung by Shawn "I need focus" that show the first response that we must do in confronting those bad experiences. It is simply going back to concentrate on our own precious journey of achieving something or you can name it with dreams. Because in the end, our identity and life are what is more worth it in this society in order to really make positive changes for real.
The matter is emphasized in the repeated lyrics line like bridges and chorus. "Pain, but I won't let it turns into hate. No, I won't let it change me. Never losing sight of the one I keep inside." It totally speaks meaningfully about our label and identity that we must seriously protect as our beloved treasure. I mean let me illustrate it with this: we know that all of the wrongdoing people do are wrong so the question is how could we decide to give the same wrong responses, right?
It's better to choose the different path in order to stay being who we are and be who we are about to develop ourselves. Because if not, we will end up giving up ourselves and journey to be who they are and everything will be totally useless. I know, sometimes it is difficult but it feels great in the end when we hold our egoism side and consider making steps out of the bad cycle as winning. This is the best responses to give as Shawn together with Khalid, sings the chorus line over and over, "You can't take my youth away, the soul of mine will never break. As long as I wake up today, you can't take my youth away."
And to be honest, listening to the song for the first time, I remember how it really shaped my paradigm and made me praise myself for once having the similar experiences yet chose to give the good responses in favor of simply protecting who I am and who I want to be that I love very much. This is the only correct way to not only keep ourselves but our youth lives that must be beyond beautiful if we are wise enough to choose rightly.
So people, this why I really want to share my thoughts about the two songs mentioned above. They are all good and so "realistic and encouraging" as I said above. For me personally, it is good to listen to songs from musicians that really concern about social issues people must experience. Just like In My Blood and Youth, the messages are impactful for our society to encourage people to just be good and strong persons and focus on your journey. In other sayings, "let them be them and let us be us" (go check my review about the song produced by BTS in their newest album Love Yourself: Tear (2018) here). So stay tune!
Photo: telegraph.co.uk
Photo: telegraph.co.uk
3 comments
I think I started loving his music now that he is a bit older. When he released his first singles, I was thinking "okay, something for the teens!" but actually now that I go back and listen to his big hits, I do love the lyrics. My favourite song has to be also In My Blood, it is just so sincere and honest - I can't wait to hear the rest of the album. Shawn is such a talent!
ReplyDeleteNaya
www.partyparrotblog.com
Yas! You should try listening to whole album first it's pretty good. :)
DeleteShawn Mendes is a great artist, love listening to his music!
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