Shawn Mendes - Ruin

July 30, 2016 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Here comes a prolific ballad sure to melt our hearts, not quite the pop ballad we expect to hear from Shawn Mendes, and one that is totally a different direction. It manages to show versatility, becoming a possible stand-out track on his new album (something we won't be able to be sure of until it drops in it's entirety later on in the year). Flooding it with emotion in both the song and the performance-based music video, Shawn Mendes releases frustration in Ruin.

Shawn Mendes, the Canadian superstar we just keep hearing about again and again, and for all the right reasons. He previously climbed the UK chart with "Stitches" finally grabbing number one, weeks after it was released. Now he just launches right into the chart and yet still climbs later on, just like he has done with "Treat You Better". This album is set to be one I won't be able to stop listening to, and as each new track is dropped I fall in love with his vocals more and more. This song was written by Shawn Mendes, Ido Zmishlany, Scott Harris and Geoffrey Warburton.

The music video was directed by Ryan Pallotta and was set in Madison Square Garden.

There is very little going on in the video, since it is a pure performance piece in this empty arena, although I bet it would be packed if Shawn Mendes' fans could've got tickets to see the filming of this music video.

Filmed purely in black and white, which fails to add any texture to the music video apart from heightening the emotion of the song, it feels like an insight in to Shawn Mendes' life.

This is the sort of arena he would play at, it's like it's being filmed before a big show and something has got under Shawn Mendes' skin, something that makes him want to release his frustrations by singing this song. Something that will calm him down before the show, and it's obvious that that is what this song does for him.

Although basic, this music video is inclusive and feels more like a gift to his fans, something to keep them going. This song is clearly personal to him, and he portrays that perfectly in his performance of the song. Yet there is so much they could have done with this video, only there's no point since it is just a promotional instant grat single, just like Fifth Harmony's "Write On Me" was. So mainly we can be thankful that this actually has a music video, because his other promotional singles might not get one.

Buy on iTunes