And these aren't necessarily ballads, either. Sometimes on Illuminate the songs are a bit too diffuse to benefit from these qualities - whenever they lack a hook or pronounced melody, the tracks tend to drift - but a lot of the record provides a good showcase for his tenderness. On Handwritten, such quivering sensitivity seemed tentative, but on Illuminate, it has gelled into his pop persona he's charming because he embraces his ordinariness. He's not forceful, and whenever he slides into a loverman routine, there's never a sense that he's a player: his voice is so small and sweet, it feels as if he's whispering sweet nothings to his high school sweetheart.
As it turns out, this wide-eyed puppy dog routine is the key to Mendes' appeal. Instead, Illuminate uses light R&B rhythms as a way to give a bit of grace and warmth, the airiness of "Ruin" and "Three Empty Words" spinning heartbreak into seduction. This isn't to say that Mendes is a crooner, nor is he riding anything resembling a funky groove. Wisely, Mendes and his team decide to play off these soulful inclinations on Illuminate, the album released almost 18 months after his 2015 debut Handwritten.
Shawn Mendes translated his Vine superstardom into genuine pop stardom in 2015 thanks to "Stitches," a lively piece of pop with a slightly soulful undercurrent.
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