Shawn Mendes once claimed that “all” of his songs are about Camila Cabello, which you would know if you watched his essential 2020 documentary, Shawn Mendes: In Wonder. This came as a shock to… no one. But Camila pretending to be surprised was everything. The “Treat You Better” singer just released his new album, Shawn, and while I think he did branch out with some Sabrina Carpenter songs and a bunch of existential crisis songs, there are still plenty of (what I believe to be) Camila moments. I frankly can’t imagine a Shawn album without any; that’s kind of the brand. So, which songs on Shawn Mendes’ new album, Shawn, are about Camila Cabello? Let’s dive into some analysis.

Shawn Mendes Shawn Songs About Camila Cabello

Which Songs On Shawn Mendes’ Album, Shawn, Are About Camila Cabello?

That’s The Dream

Welp, the opening line, “It’s been this way since 17,” is the immediate dead giveaway here. Fans are well aware that the Shawmila lore goes back to when they were teenagers in the mid 2010s. Shawn continues, “The highs and lows and in-betweens, my love / We said forever ever since / We give a lot, but do we give enough?” Obviously, he’s referencing the whole ~breaking up, getting back together, and then breaking again~. In the chorus, he sings, “I know we made our promises / But promises are hard to keep / I don’t know if it’s meant to be / But, ooh, ooh, ooh, that’s the dream.” I thought these two were “meant to be” since the era of their 2015 smash hit, “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and I still think they could end up together one day.

Nobody Knows

This one’s pretty straightforward. Shawn’s singing about a great love (he’s only had one as far as we know). “When you’re so in love / And your souls touch / But it’s still not enough / Where does it go?” he wonders in the soulful track. He concludes, “Nobody knows / Where the love goes.” Except I do know — it goes into every song in his discography and many of the songs in Camila’s too.

That’ll Be The Day

I know that basically all of Shawn’s songs are about Camila, but damn, this seems to be the most intense Camila-inspired song he’s ever written. In the lyrics, Shawn says she could “move away” and “build a home with somebody I don’t know,” but there will always be undeniable love between them. “It’s not ever gonna change, you can fight the truth / ‘Til your face turns blue, this love is here to stay,” he sings. I don’t know how no one’s written a rom-com about these people yet. Shawn claims when he’s “six feet underground,” that’ll be the day he finally “loses” her. I find him annoying these days, but I have to admit, this is very romantic. 

Honestly, this song reminds me of Camila’s song “B.O.A.T.” She sings (presumably to Shawn), “Just when I think I could fall in love without you / I forget why I try / You were the best of all time.” Sigh. Back in 2015, I could not have predicted we’d still be talking about this in 2024.