Songfacts®:

• After taking a much-needed mental health break that saw him step back from his Wonder: The World Tour, Shawn Mendes reemerged in the summer of 2024 with a new chapter in his career. He announced his fifth studio album, simply titled Shawn, and revealed he'd be dropping two singles from the album on August 8, 2024, titled "Why Why Why" and "Isn't That Enough." Both tracks delve deep into the personal challenges Mendes has navigated since the release of his 2020 album, Wonder.
• "Why Why Why" is an intense folk-pop number where Mendes bares his soul, reflecting on his year-and-a-half-long romance with Camila Cabello, his struggles with anxiety, the cancellation of his tour and his return to music. The Canadian singer channels the essence of that emotional whirlwind into a song that's both a release and a reflection on the cyclic nature of life, offering listeners a glimpse into the healing process that comes with turning pain into art.
  
  "There's something anthemic about those words, 'why, why, why,'" Mendes reflected to Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "It almost felt like a cry, a plea, and yet, there's a certain power and beauty in that rawness."
• Mendes co-wrote and co-produced the song with his go-to writing partner Scott Harris, along with the Australian singer-songwriter Eddie Benjamin and Los Angeles pop songwriter and producer Mike Sabath. The same four penned Mendes' singles "It'll Be Okay" and "What The Hell Are We Dying For?"
  
  "I didn't feel any pressure to address anything, but sometimes, the music just pulls it out of you," Mendes told Zane Lowe. "There was this running joke while we were working on the album - whenever I'd start feeling that crushing anxiety in the studio, everyone would brace themselves because they knew a great song was about to be born. It was like the storm before the calm, this moment where the floodgates open and something beautiful emerges."
• The "Why Why Why" music video was directed by Anthony Wilson and Connor Brashier and filmed in the Hudson Valley, New York, where Mendes recorded part of his album. The visual showcases the singer-songwriter immersed in the serene landscape. These tranquil shots are interwoven with intimate performance scenes in an empty venue.
• Thought I was about to be a father
  Shook me to the core, I'm still a kid
  
  One of the most vulnerable moments on the Shawn album came when Mendes wrestled with including a lyric about "almost being a father." He initially resisted writing it, but ultimately decided that being honest was more meaningful than avoiding uncomfortable truths.
• Mendes described the repeated phrase "Why Why Why" to Apple Music's Zane Lowe as primal and ancestral, likening it to a universal cry for understanding. He wanted the song to feel raw and unfiltered, capturing the complexities of human emotions.
• While working on Shawn, Mendes found creative liberation in the simplest of setups: a single microphone, a guitar, and live takes with his collaborators. He described the process to Apple Music as breaking down emotional walls, which allowed him to reconnect with music in its purest form.