6 essential songs from Shawn Mendes' 'Illuminate'

At the ripe old age of 18, Shawn Mendes is a throwback as only someone in his generation can be. While the singer’s slightly-older pop peers take their musical cues from more vintage eras (Nick Jonas’ R&B flirtations, One Direction’s classic-rock nostalgia) or define their sound in current trends (Justin Bieber’s EDM collaborations), Mendes’ sophomore album Illuminate (out Friday) looks to the late-aughts singer-songwriters who ruled pop and adult contemporary radio when the young singer was growing up.

Mendes has cited names like John Mayer and Jason Mraz as inspirations, and Illuminate proves he’s a faithful student, recalling Mraz’ guitar-strumming storytelling in its livelier moments and Mayer’s late-night soul in Mendes’ softer ballads. Elevating Illuminate from just run-of-the-mill ‘00s nostalgia is Mendes’ dexterous voice, colored by an affect that reads less like Justin Timberlake and more like Gavin DeGraw.

Want to start listening? Here are the six Illuminate tracks to listen to first.

Ruin

Illuminate’s opening track is Mendes’ take on D’Angelo’s Untitled (How Does It Feel) by way of John Mayer’s Gravity, as he croons over wavering guitars and a thumping drum heartbeat. Following Ruin’s promising start, Illuminate’s other attempts at slow-burning soul can’t quite surpass its high bar.

Mercy

The echoey choir backing the chorus’ pleas for mercy read a little too literally, but the song still emerges as one of Illuminate’s radio-bound highlights.

Treat You Better

The album’s early pop hit, Treat You Better features the same light-footed stomp that made Mendes’ Stitches his breakthrough single late last year, with a similar earworm chorus that’s less sticky-sweet.

No Promises

Lest you think Illuminate is pure ‘00s-kid nostalgia, Patience nods more towards contemporary trends with its Kygo-meets-Mumford and Sons production that’d be at home on a handful of other pop releases this year.

Honest

The quick-footed guitar ballad nods towards Mendes’ most obvious radio soundalike, Ed Sheeran. But unlike his British peer, Mendes seems less interested in soaring poetics — which, considering that Illuminate’s lyrics are rarely confessional enough to be cringeworthy, may be for the best.

Patience 

Mendes’ stab at a Jason Mraz-style narrative pays off as one of Illuminate’s most engaging moments, pairing classic singer-songwriter acoustic guitars with his more modern tale of a complicated fling.