After months of fervent anticipation, Shawn Mendes fans have finally been granted a fiery new single about winning the battle against anxiety. Mendes has made a triumphant return to the music scene with a powerful ballad. Released on March 22, “In My Blood” details Mendes’ struggles with anxiety.

The song portrays a more mature side to Mendes that fans have yet to see, and it is one important to him.

He tweeted out a day before the release, “…I know I’ve been pretty quiet during this album process and I just wanted to thank you with all of my heart for being there and supporting me the entire time. This song is the closest song to my heart that I’ve ever written and I hope you guys love it and all the new music coming your way.”

In the verses, Mendes sticks to his acoustic roots with stripped down, soul-baring lyrics. He pleads for someone to “help me, it’s like the walls are caving in / Sometimes I feel giving up,” and continues detailing how he feels “overwhelmed and insecure.” People give him different kinds of advice to deal with his anxiety, like “Just have a drink and you’ll feel better / Just take her home and you’ll feel better,” but Mendes doubts if these trivial techniques will actually make him feel better. He sings, “Keep telling me that it gets better / Does it ever?”

However, the chorus quickly turns Mendes from victim to victor in his battle against anxiety—he says that “sometimes I feel like giving up / but I just can’t / It isn’t in my blood.” He repeats this titular statement throughout the chorus, in between throbbing electric guitars and shuddering drums.

In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Mendes said that he wrote the songs for his third album, specifically “In My Blood,” with the intention of inserting more honesty and maturity through his lyrics and making the music’s vibe more rock-like.

The emotionally charged song debuted at number one on the iTunes Top Songs chart, paving the way for the release of Mendes’ third studio album.

I’ve been an avid follower of Mendes since his days on Vine circa 2014. From the release of his first ever single, “Life of the Party,” to his Illuminate Tour this past summer, I’ve supported him all the way. Seeing the progression of his music has been rewarding as a listener because not only has his sound matured over the years, but so has his approach to music.

Gone are the days of the typical pop heartthrob; we must welcome this new era of a mature Mendes over his nineteen (almost twenty) years of life, and I’ll gladly be the first to do so.

Record: “In My Blood”
Artist: Shawn Mendes
Release: March 22
Rating: 5/5