IT’LL BE OKAY: A POST BREAKUP BALLAD OR PITY TUNE?

Authored by Imaan Fatima, Edited by Reham Aslam

Following the shocking news of Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes calling it quits after about two years of dating, fans were met with even more shock and surprise after the latter unexpectedly released a song about the big breakup! YES, only days after the news of the breakup was shared with their fans, the 23 year old songwriter released a song titled “it’ll be okay”, revolving around the couple’s crippling breakup. Not only does this ballad truthfully and accurately depict the couple’s fading real life romance, it also does a fairly good job in exploring the feelings of pain and heartbreak that typically follow a crushing breakup.

According to some sources, Camila Cabello has been in full support of Shawn’s new song after listening to it herself prior to its release. “This song was from his heart and was absolutely written about him and Camila. Camila was able to hear the song before it was released and she told him that it was beautiful,” said the source.The former Fifth Harmony girl group member also posted the song announcement on her instagram story, confirming her support and approval towards Shawn’s new release. 

But here’s the thing, when we heard this song, the element that stood out to us the most was its lyrical composition. With lyrics like 'I start to imagine a world where we don't collide. And it's making me sick but we’ll heal and the sun will rise,' the theme of the song is made simple. It is a pure and unfiltered portrayal of trying and yet still losing a relationship. 

Moreover, the 'Treat you better' singer makes a very clear distinction between his work and that of other mainstream artists who explore similar themes of love and heartbreak: by putting forward a plain message on mutual respect and healing. This means that It’ll be Okay is essentially a song about the mutual realisation that two people are now bound to part ways. It circles around the crippling emotions of helplessness, giving up, letting go and the eventual acceptance of a failing love. On the other hand, popular breakup albums/songs like Sour by Olivia Rodrigo, Happier than ever by Billie Eilish and Red by Taylor Swift discuss the same themes of pain and heartbreak only under an incredibly different umbrella. Such music more specifically revolves around toxic love or hostile relationships and not around mutually proposed, amicable breakups. THIS is inherently how Shawn’s new song distinguishes itself  from other more commonly listened to and loved breakup music!

But while the song has received a generally positive response from its listeners, some have deemed it repetitive in its themes. While the song may have distinguished itself from other recent break up songs, much of the audience was looking forward to being surprised by more diverse music from mainstream artists like Shawn Mendes himself. Some even went on to say that the song alone is not worthy of the appreciation and applause that it surprisingly has received. In fact it would not have been able to garner the publicity and attention that it did if it weren’t for the sudden news of the actual breakup itself. Furthermore, both Shawn and Camila’s careers have mostly been dominated by and looked at in context or reference to one another. Thus the song made many fans question the couple and their consistent, undying need to bring their relationship into the spotlight in one way or another. Suffice to say that fans indeed had conflicting views and opinions to share, regarding the song!

All matters aside, to finally conclude, we believe it is fair to say that with great effort and craft, Shawn Mendes has brought to fruition, an ode to love and heartbreak in all its glory!