“And rain will make the flowers grow.”
– Les Misérables
Over forty million adults in America alone suffer from an anxiety disorder.
In the past, the disease was barely talked about. People were continually told that they were either being dramatic or that they needed to lighten up. Because of this, they stayed silent.
Now, things are different. While a stigma still exists around mental illness, the world has definitely come a long way. Many people have come out about their struggles, which brought things like clinical anxiety to light. This includes a lot of mainstream artists and celebrities, such as Jared Padalecki, Amanda Seyfried, Chris Evans, and Shawn Mendes.
Shawn Mendes first opened up about his battle with anxiety disorder through “In My Blood,” the leading single from his upcoming third album. Since the song’s release in March, it has been hitting home for a lot of listeners. It is all about continuing to fight, despite it feeling like the whole world is crashing down.
The singer decided to emphasize the song’s meaning through a music video.
During the production, Shawn is up against concrete. As the song progresses, the weather and environment change around him. The variations symbolize the different types of pain and struggles people deal with. He goes through crumbling walls, a snowstorm, and rain. Near the end, flowers blossom around Shawn’s body, showing that the troubles he had gone through had nourished him.
Through simplicity, the music video for “In My Blood” beautifully and honestly pushes the song’s message: pain only make you stronger, so keep going. It does not utilize a ton of FX, but it does not need to. Shawn offers a raw performance that is not only encouraging, but real enough that nearly anyone who watches can relate somehow.
If you have not seen it already, you can check out the music video down below.
What are your thoughts on Shawn Mendes’ newest music video? Are you excited about his upcoming album? Tell us by tweeting us at @CelebMix.