We’re approaching four years since Wonder, Shawn Mendes’ latest album. Selfishly, it feels unacceptable for him to withhold his voice for that long, but it is understandable that he needed to take time away from the pop pressure cooker. In July 2022, Mendes postponed three weeks of his Wonder: The World Tour due to the rigorous demands of touring that he’d endured since he was 15. Ultimately, he canceled the remainder of the tour. “I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal,” he explained, in part.
It would appear that Mendes’ hiatus is nearing its end. So far in March, Mendes made a rare public appearance at Paris Fashion Week and surprised fans at Niall Horan’s tour stop in London to perform “Treat You Better” together. Days later, Mendes announced he will headline Rock In Rio in September and has “been working on a new album.” He mentioned he “can’t wait to play these new songs live for you,” and he might have given a sneak peek on Tuesday, March 26.
“Nobody knows,” Mendes captioned a two-slide Instagram carousel. The first is a photo of a Polaroid capturing Mendes; the second is the same Polaroid, except it’s a video, and it sure seems like Mendes teased an unreleased song snippet. The video captures a beautiful guitar solo and no vocals, but it’s something.
And not for nothing, the Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer Eddie Benjamin posted an Instagram Story with Mendes on Wednesday, March 27. In it, Benjamin and Mendes are seated on a couch receiving IV treatments. “Album,” Benjamin wrote. Benjamin co-wrote and played bass and guitar on Mendes’ 2023 single, “What The Hell Are We Dying For?”
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