Shawn Mendes' New Chapter Is Off To A Slow Start

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: Shawn Mendes attends the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted ... [+] by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. Shawn Mendes released two songs, “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough,” on Friday (August 9), but so far, neither has become a top 40 seller. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Shawn Mendes had been suspiciously quiet for months, so fans began expecting something. They were right to do so, as the pop singer-songwriter was working hard on his next project. Now, the superstar has dropped a pair of tunes, but so far, they’re off to a fairly slow start.

On Friday (August 9), Mendes released a new single, along with a B-side, which is an old-school method of delivering music. “Why Why Why” serves as the lead single from his forthcoming album, titled, simply, Shawn. The tune arrives with a second cut, “Isn’t That Enough,” and both received a fair amount of press coverage before they dropped.

While interest in Mendes and his new music seemed to be very high, the tracks don’t appear to be performing terribly well. They’ve only been out for a few hours, but at the moment, neither is on its way to becoming a sales smash, and a number of fellow recent drops are far outpacing Mendes’ latest.

At the time of writing, “Why Why Why” sits at No. 68 on the U.S. iTunes chart. It’s the highest-ranking of the two tunes, as it’s the focus.

Much further down on the list of the bestselling songs in America on the important platform comes “Isn’t That Enough.” That track lands at No. 181 on the tally, barely making space on the 200-spot list.

More than a dozen artists and plenty more songs debut above Mendes. Katy Perry claims the highest-rising new entry on the U.S. iTunes ranking, as her latest single “Lifetimes” is now up to No. 4. Several other less-well-known artists–and those who many would assume are less famous than Mendes–are also performing better than his latest offerings.

The Killers, Kelsea Ballerini, and Skillet all push their new singles into the top 40 on the iTunes ranking. Several songs from Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s newly-expanded deluxe edition of their album Vultures 2 are also rising.

“Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” mark Mendes' first new single releases of 2024. He dropped one tune, "What the Hell Are We Dying For?," in mid-June 2023, though it failed to make much of a commercial impact. Hopefully, the Grammy nominee’s new tracks are just getting started, and they pick up soon, as their success can help determine how this latest chapter goes from here on out.