Shawn Mendes’ second album a big hit

It was once so easy to dismiss Shawn Mendes. Just somebody for the kids to enjoy until another idol comes along. Just another kid from Toronto, Canada like Justin Bieber. Looks cute. Can sing. And has this huge Internet following. He also had a big hit album, Handwritten, that had this song, Stitches, that everybody was singing along with this past year.

Nothing remarkable or innovative musically. Shawn’s single comes off as a combination of something that Ed Sheeran could have done along with one by that other Justin, Timberlake. But oh, it must be one of the most infectious tunes ever created. I am sure that all of you at one time or another have blurted out Stitches…

And then came the time of reckoning, the release of that crucial sophomore album this year. Much was expected of Mendes, given the fact of how huge a debut Handwritten was. Besides, after opening for Taylor Swift’s North American Tour, he had added hordes of followers to his social media account who are now eagerly waiting for what he will do next.

The questions everybody was asking was can he duplicate? Or better, outsell his first? Tough assignment for a kid who only turned 18 last August this year. Well, I thought, if he tanks, he can just hide behind the fact that he is very young and can still get away with being cute. So he should have no problem pulling off his second album.

But what do you know! Mendes not only pulled it off. His second release, Illuminate, is now the No. 1 selling album in the US, Canada and several other countries. He dethroned Drake! And it is very good! No, no more Bieber here. Not even Sheeran. Mendes is on his own now or if you want comparison, then I’d say John Mayer including the floating guitar work. He is a very young, but just as sexy, as expressive and confident guitar-toting idol who is very much like Mayer.

The first inkling that something different was in the offing came when the first single Treat You Better was released some weeks ago. Wait! He is singing about an abusive relationship. Looks like Mendes will be going for depth on his second time at bat. And he was. Illuminate is exquisitely crafted with radio-friendly tunes that have something to say. And some of them like Light On and Patience deal with love making. Well, boys, including pop idols must also grow up and Mendes just did it in Illuminate.

Illuminate by Mendes also includes Ruin, Three Empty Words, Don’t Be A Fool, Like This, No Promises, Honest, Bad Reputation, Understand, Hold On and Roses. Best cut, for me, is Mercy, where his pleading tones builds into a heartbreaking climax.

Here is an interesting aside. A special edition version of Illuminate has been made available from some selected outlets. Priced at around $30, this comes with the CD, an autograph, exclusive cover photos, picture cards, key chain, guitar pick and even access to a web code, which I suppose has content that would really delight Mendes fans. This I believe is a great way to thrash competition from downloading and streaming sites because you have to buy the physical CD in order to get your hands on those goodies.

Here now are the Top 20 titles in Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart: Illuminate by Mendes; Views by Drake; Suicide Squad: The Album, the movie soundtrack featuring Various Artists; Farm Tour: Here’s To The Farmer by Luke Bryan; Chapter And Verse by Bruce Springsteen; Birds In The Trap Sing McKNight by Travis Scott; Blurryface by twenty one pilots; They Don’t Know by Jason Aldean;

ANTI by Rihanna; Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande; Dig Your Roots by the Florida Georgia Line; American Prodigal by Crowder; Hamilton: An American Musical by the Original Broadway Cast; The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance; 25 by Adele; Lemonade by Beyoncé; Blonde by Frank Ocean; The Life Of Pablo by Kanye West; blackSUMMERS’night by Maxwell; and Hard II Love by Usher.

The Top 20 singles in the Top 100 list are Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey; Heathens by twenty one pilots; Starboy by The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk; Cold Water by Major Lazer feat. Bieber & Mo; Let Me Love You by DJ Snake feat. Bieber; Treat You Better by Mendes; Cheap Thrills by Sia feat. Sean Paul; Broccoli by D.R.A.M. feat. Lil Yachty; Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers feat. Daya; This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna;

We Don’t Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth feat. Selena Gomez; Ride by twenty one pilots; I Hate U I Love U by gnash feat. Olivia O’Brien; One Dance by Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla; Gold by Kiiara; Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele; Needed Me by Rihanna; Too Good by Drake feat. Rihanna; Side To Side by Ariana Grande feat. Nicki Minaj; and Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake.