Over the past couple of years Shawn Mendes has impressed with a maturity beyond his years and an interesting musical evolution. He’s gone from releasing manufactured guitar and piano pop to a blues influenced alternative pop sound. For his upcoming third studio album he is evolving once again with a bigger rock-pop sound. “In My Blood” hears him holding onto his raw roots while injecting an arena ready Kings Of Leon sound. This is a song that is truly going to come to life in his live shows and provides a bit more of an upbeat dynamic. While it does have a very bold production it also hears him being the most intimate and honest he’s been yet. He confronts his personal battle with anxiety and explains how having anxiety isn’t just a negative thing. The honest track is very relatable and introduces a darker melodic feel which was very overdue. “Help me, it’s like the walls are caving in. Sometimes I feel like giving up but I just can’t. It isn’t in my blood”. I also love the fact that the lead single isn’t a cliche love song because that would be too predictable. Instead you have an anthem for anyone that feels lost and that’s more important in this current state of the world. His vocals are still strong and really shine through the acoustic verses before the rock choruses highlight a rougher edge. He also released the synth injected “Lost In Japan” as a instant-grat track which offers some sexy Justin Timberlake vibes. Very different to the lead single but it’s a very cool contrast. So yeah, apparently there is nothing Shawn Mendes can’t do.