"Why Why Why" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter

Shawn Mendes Shawn Peter Raul Mendes ( , ; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013 when he posted song covers on the video-sharing platform Vine (software), Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manage ...

from his fifth studio album, ''

Shawn Shawn may refer to: *Shawn (given name) *Shawn (surname) See also * Sean * Shaun Shaun is an Anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean, and Shawne. Along with spelling variants Shawn and Shaun, ...

'' (2024). He wrote and produced the song with Eddie Benjamin,

Mike Sabath Mike Sabath is an American record producer, songwriter, and musician. He has worked with Shawn Mendes, Lizzo, Meghan Trainor, Raye, Liam Payne, Little Mix, the Jonas Bros., and Selena Gomez, among other artists. Early life and education Sabath ...

, and Scott Harris.

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

released it on August 8, 2024, as the album's

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

, alongside the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

"Isn't That Enough". "Why Why Why" is a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

-infused

folk-pop Folk-pop is a broad Music genre#Subtypes, musical fusion genre that includes contemporary folk songs with pop music, pop arrangements, and pop songs with intimate, acoustic music, acoustic-based folk music, folk arrangements. Folk-pop has been ...

song with introspective lyrics about a former relationship and Mendes' struggles with anxiety, which led him to cancel a concert tour in 2022. Anthony Wilson and Connor Brashier directed the music video for "Why Why Why", which premiered on the same date as the single's release. It showcases Mendes singing in a barn and a river, while interspersing scenes of him performing in an empty venue. The singer included "Why Why Why" in the set list for a series of intimate concerts in the United States. Upon its release, it was met with positive reviews from music critics. Commercially, the song reached the top 30 in Mendes' native Canada, the Flanders region of Belgium, Netherlands, and Poland, as well as the top 60 in Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and on the ''Billboard'' Global 200.

Background and release

In order to protect his own mental health,

announced the cancellation of his fifth concert tour, Wonder: The World Tour, in 2022. With a total of eight shows completed, it supported his fourth studio album '' Wonder'', released in 2020. He took a break from music for two years, although he released a

charity single A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...

titled " What the Hell Are We Dying For?" the following year. In an interview, he stated that he was "looking forward" to returning to the recording studio. "Why Why Why" was written on February 11, 2024, at

Bear Creek Studio Bear Creek Studio is a residential recording studio located in a barn on a 10 acre farm in Woodinville, Washington. A number of notable artists have recorded at the studio since its establishment in 1977, including: Brandi Carlile, Train (band), ...

Woodinville, Washington Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is east of Bothell. Woodinville has waterfront parks on the Sammamish River, a win ...

, United States. In 2024, Mendes started to tease his next musical era on social media. On July 31, he announced the release of his fifth album, ''

'', along with its cover artwork and release date. In a statement, he thanked his family and closest friends for helping him throughout its conception. He subsequently revealed that he would be releasing two singles from the record, "Why Why Why" and "Isn't That Enough", on August 8, 2024. The

Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...

revealed that "Why Why Why" would be serving as the

from ''Shawn''.

sent it to Italian

radio airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

on that date, and released it to US

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

on the following day in company with

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

. Mendes performed "Why Why Why" and the entirety of ''Shawn'' at an intimate concert tour in the United States in 2024, marketed as "for friends and family only". It was included on '' Shawn Mendes: For Friends and Family Only (A Live Concert Film)'', which premiered on November 14, 2024.

Composition

"Why Why Why" is a

track with touches of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

. In its vulnerable lyrics, Mendes expresses himself about his own mental health issues and struggles with anxiety that led him to cancel his tour, as well as a previous relationship. A verse of the song about Mendes imaginating a potential future as a father and a "pregnancy scare" received media coverage. In an interview with

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...

, Mendes opened up about the process of recording "Why Why Why". He cited that the anxiety he experienced estimulated his creativity. The singer said: "If I started to experience some pretty heavy anxiety in the studio, everyone was sure that a great song was going to be coming after it because there was some sort of healing crisis, some sort of breakthrough that was supposed to happen".

Critical reception

In a positive review, Isadora Wandermurem of '' Clash'' described the song as a "refreshing shift from the singer's previous productions, highlighting his willingness to explore new sounds". The critic found "Why Why Why" and "Isn't That Enough" as "not just additions to his music catalog but a testament to his growth as an artist and as a person". She gave both songs a rating of eight out of 10. While adding "Why Why Why" to its list of the "must-hear" releases of the week, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Jason Lipshutz said that it is "highly compelling", and finds Mendes "vulnerable to the point of sounding haunted".

Commercial performance

'' Billboard Canada'' reported that "Why Why Why" was the most played new radio single in the country for two consecutive weeks. In the country, it debuted at number 30 on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

, marking Mendes' seventeenth top 40 single. The song also peaked within the top 40 in Poland at number 2, the Flanders region of Belgium at number 13, the Netherlands at number 27, and Croatia at number 35. It debuted at number 58 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200. Additionally, "Why Why Why" reached number 51 in Switzerland, 59 in the United Kingdom, 60 in Sweden, 62 in Slovakia, 65 in Ireland, 76 in Germany, 84 in the United States, and 111 in Portugal.

Music video

The music video for "Why Why Why" was released along with the song. It was filmed in

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley or Hudson River Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The region stretches from the Capital District (New York), Capital District includi ...

, New York, where some songs from ''Shawn'' were written and recorded. Directed by Anthony Wilson and Connor Brashier, the video features Mendes singing along and performing in a barn and a river; it also intersperses scenes of him performing in an empty venue. It sees the singer enjoying freedom, a contrast to the emotions present in the track's lyrics.

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Shawn Mendes 2024 singles 2024 songs Island Records singles Shawn Mendes songs Songs written by Shawn Mendes