Handwritten
by Shawn Mendes
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Apr 14, 2015
User Score
6.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 246 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 159 out of 246
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 246
  3. Negative: 69 out of 246
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  1. diegonelli
    Sep 13, 2015
    5
    Well at first I liked this album but now that I hear it again it's terribly boring! I mean, Shawn tried to be a Ed Sheeran but failed. I still like 2 or 3 songs from there.
  2. quotes
    Apr 21, 2015
    4
    I can just say one thing about Handwritten: boring. Shawn shows his style on this album, what is good and mature for a teen singer and compare him to Bieber is stupid because they are very different. But the songs don't make me listen to this more than once. In spite of this, any song makes me listen to it more than once, the album could be better, for sure. Shawn is still 16 years old, soI can just say one thing about Handwritten: boring. Shawn shows his style on this album, what is good and mature for a teen singer and compare him to Bieber is stupid because they are very different. But the songs don't make me listen to this more than once. In spite of this, any song makes me listen to it more than once, the album could be better, for sure. Shawn is still 16 years old, so he has a long journey to grow up and become a great artist, but now he is just a teenager with a little attention and his debut is disappointing.… Expand
  3. bandtrash
    Feb 16, 2017
    5
    This is a normal, average album by a young pop singer. Mendes has got a real potential but this is not "it" yet. I think he'll get so much better and he'll actually surprise me but now I am really skeptic. This album was really slow and that is not so much enjoyable. Plus I think Mendes really needs to work on his voice.
  4. ItsIsaiahz
    Sep 18, 2022
    6
    Ok so going into this album i kind of had an idea of what to expect. I knew of Shawn Mendes’ hits so my expectations were set on a pop album with a lot of acoustics, some synths, maybe a piano ballad or two? If it was anything different from what I mentioned I would be shockingly surprised.

    The album opener, “Life Of The Party”, was really a strong anthem and an exceptional opener for the    Ok so going into this album i kind of had an idea of what to expect. I knew of Shawn Mendes’ hits so my expectations were set on a pop album with a lot of acoustics, some synths, maybe a piano ballad or two? If it was anything different from what I mentioned I would be shockingly surprised.

    The album opener, “Life Of The Party”, was really a strong anthem and an exceptional opener for the record. I’m used to openers being soft balladry, but this definitely still hit the mark for me as it immediately grabbed my attention. It then flowed into his hit song “Stitches” which was a hit song for a reason. the drum kicks, the synths, the ear worm chorus? it’s no wonder he blew up with this single

    Now the next few tracks after were basically cohesively the same, which isn’t a bad thing. It just became way too predictable of where he would take the song. They all were lead with guitar chords with a slow place then (some of them) would open up into this grand choirs type vibe.

    “Something Big” was the track that pulled me back into the record again. The production was hella strong on that one. And the bridge???? 100000/10! The next couple of tracks didn’t quite stand out on its own although they weren’t awful by any means. “This Is What It Takes” and the closing anthem/hit “I Know What You Did Last Summer” were another set of incredible songs that really shined bright on the record.

    Overall this album lived up quite nicely to my expectations of what I expected from Shawn Mendez. He definitely played it safe in the pop world with this debut which means there’s always room for improvement. This makes me really curious and excited to see what his sophomore album will sound like when i listen to it. Will he continue with this kind of generic acoustic sound? Or will he expand his horizons? With that in mind I give “Handwritten (Deluxe)” by Shawn Mendes a 65 score out of 100.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. AllMusic
    Apr 20, 2015
    50
    Cute he may be, but he has charisma that lasts no longer than a GIF, as Handwritten makes painfully clear.
    Read full review
  2. The Guardian
    Apr 14, 2015
    60
    At 16, Mendes isn’t the artist he’ll be at 25, but he’s made a persuasive start--the adult-pop big league could yet be his.
    Read full review
  3. New York Daily News (Jim Faber)
    Apr 14, 2015
    60
    The studio sound erased many of those aural pimples, acting like dermabrasion for the ears. The appeal of the songs also helps smooth things over. Adults may notice that this “singer-songwriter” rarely writes without armies of collaborators. But the material he’s been handed has hooks.
    Read full review
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