Shawn Mendes presented his new single “Nobody Knows” from his upcoming album of the same name at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
The song seems to comment on his breakup with Camila Cabello, who is also scheduled to perform tonight, asking: “When you’re so in love and your souls touch but it’s still not enough, where do you go? Nobody knows.” In contrast to the other performances of the evening, Mendes’s was more stripped down, with the artist playing acoustic guitar accompanied by drums and electric guitar.
Shawnthe singer’s eagerly awaited follow-up to his 2020 LP, Wonderwas written and co-produced by the artist, recorded with Scott Harris, Mike Sabath, Nate Mercereau and Eddie Benjamin. Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen (who, in addition to her solo work, co-wrote Sabrina Carpenter’s recent hits) and Ethan Gruska (who has produced records for indie heavyweights such as Phoebe Bridgers and Bon Iver and is also a successful recording artist) also serve as co-songwriters. The album is out October 18th.
Announcing the album on Instagram, Mendes reflected on the emotional process of creating the album. “Music can truly be medicine,” he wrote. “Two years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t walk into a studio without completely panicking. To be here now and have 12 beautiful songs finished feels like a real gift.”
Mendes continued, “I honestly thank God for my friends and family. Life can be brutal, but having a small group of people you trust deeply and who will support you through it makes it so much better. I have no idea how I would have gotten through the last few years without you, let alone made an album.”
Fans have speculated that the album was written about the dissolution of his on-off relationship with Cabello. In previous single “Why Why Why,” he sings about a pregnancy scare with the lyrics, “Thought I was about to be a father/Shook me to the core, I’m still a kid.”
