Shawn Mendes’s new album, Wonder dropped at midnight Friday, Dec. 4, and within 24 hours of the release, millions of his fans are already in awe of his new lyrics and melodies.

For those who have seen his musical transformation over the last five years since his first hit album, Handwritten, it is clear that these new songs are very different from anything he’s done before. He has a new, more mature sound to his lyrical stories. In the past, some of Mendes’ lyrics have been unclear and confusing, but it seems as though he has really found his sound with this new album, and every song has a clear and very personal meaning to him that listeners can follow.

This album features big hits like “Monster” which features singer and songwriter Justin Bieber. On this track, Bieber and Mendes sing about their shared experience rising to fame at a very young age. They share honest lyrics about how the pressure to be perfect can be overwhelming because one mistake can make the world suddenly hate you.

On other songs like title track “Wonder”, “Always Been You”, and “Dreams”, Mendes drew inspiration from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”. He was in awe of the trumpets and upbeat chorus and decided to incorporate those sounds into his new music on this album.

Like other artists this year, Mendes produced this album after working on it during quarantine, and fans have no idea when he will be able to go on tour again. His last tour in 2018 and 2019 for his self-titled album Shawn Mendes was his most successful tour yet, but some are anticipating that Wonder will be even bigger.

With numerous problems in the world and unknown solutions for them, many individuals are dependent on music for little bits of happiness. Thankfully, Shawn Mendes was just one great artist this year to utilize his skills during a difficult time and bring that happiness to his fans around the world.