Shawn Mendes Finds Closure And Grace In Moving-On Anthem 'It'll Be Okay'

Shawn Mendes is single — or at least, he is no longer dating Camila Cabello, with whom he had been romantically involved since July 2019. The pair reported their split on Instagram last month and mentioned in a joint statement that they began our relationship as best companions and will continue to be best friends."


Mendes also has a new single out this week called "It'll Be Okay," and while his relationship status shouldn't necessarily be a factor in discussing it, in this case, it sort of is. It's hard to hear "It'll Be Okay" as anything yet a calming balm soon after a break-up, the sort of sonic pep talk that both ruminates on what was lost and tries hard to find the positives about moving on. The initial lyrics to the song propose as much: "Are we gonna make it?" Mendes sings over atmospheric noise. "Is this gonna hurt?"


Musically, it's a mid-tempo, piano-led exploration of loss, and Mendes avoids using his dramatic raspy belting in favor of an even-tempered, more subdued delivery, though he still manages to sell the largest moments. "If you tell me you're leaving / I'll make it easy / It'll be okay," he sings on the chorus in a register several notches above a whisper before gliding into falsetto.


On social media ahead of its release, Mendes expressed a hope to get back to building bonds with his fans once again. As he captured an image of a beautiful cresting beach sunset, "It feels like I [haven't] truly involving you guys in a while. I miss you🤍 I hope you love this song."


That sort of optimism pervades "It'll Be Okay," especially because the action settles down and Mendes sings the final words of the song and leaves us with a parting thought about his state of mind: "If the future we dreamed of is fading to black / I will love you either way."


The openness Mendes expresses here echoes the grace of his and Cabello's break-up announcement: "We've determined to end our romantic relationship yet our love for one another is stronger than ever." Check out the lyric video for "It'll Be Okay" above.