In a rare recognition and subsequent stamp of approval by Shawn Mendes, things are definitely more than okay for Zack Tabudlo.
The year, by most accounts and standards, has been well, not quite okay. Barely dusting off the week that was, pressing our threads down, and brushing out our hair, which has been pulled up, twisted, and knotted in anxiety and frustration, there is already a lot to take in. With our own challenges and paces, as well as of the seemingly never-ending crisis, the words “Are we gonna make it? Is this gonna hurt?” hit differently. Essayed by Shawn Mendes, the heartfelt rumination is for all intents and purposes as a tender, aching ballad, perhaps an allusion to a recent breakup, but as music tends to be, it can hold a multiverse of meanings, all of which evens out and eventually settles to a resolute “it’ll be okay.”
@shawnmendes love u guys. Glad you feel connected to this song? .. this took me 6 hours to record lol
♬ It’ll Be Okay – Shawn Mendes
With a milestone year tucked away in his memories, Zack Tabudlo still has a lot to celebrate, following record-breaking streams, finding some sort of permanence in the pop culture conversation, and the release of his album, Episodes, he has just kept on going. In between his era-defining new look in boyband blonde at the BYE 2021 digital music festival, a cinematic collection of music videos, and a thematically deceptive collaboration with James Reid in the surprisingly searing and stirring, HATDOG, Zack Tabudlo snuck in some time to fiddle around with his guitar to the tune of, you guessed it, It’ll Be Okay by Shawn Mendes.
Of Musical Heroes
The one-shot, raw recording sees Zack Tabudlo with his eyes closed, channeling some grown up emotions, and really getting into the words of the single. “I start to imagine a world where we don’t collide / It’s making me sick, but we’ll heal and the sun will rise,” he sings, his voice growing in confidence at a steady progression. “We don’t have to fix it, we don’t have to stay / I will love you either way / It’ll be okay.”
@zack.tabudlo it’ll be okay @shawnmendes ♬ original sound – Zack Tabudlo
Posted four days ago, the TikTok video of Zack Tabudlo is now currently stacked at an impressive 27.3k likes, but in the sea of comments wallowing in hurt and heartache, one stood out from none other than Shawn Mendes himself. While it may seem to be just another black heart emoji for some, but for Zack, it was a recognition and stamp of approval from one of his musical idols. In an adorable fan boy moment, all he could muster to reply back was, “HI SHAWN U R MY HERO.” (Hard same, Zack.)
With more time to compose himself, the euphoria still at its extreme, he took to Instagram to expand his excitement. “MY HEART LITERALLY STOPPED. HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS. SHAWN FREAKIN MENDES FRKIN COMMENTED AND LIKED MY TIKTOK COVER OF HIS SONG WTF IM SHAKING WHAT DO I DO. MY HEART. MY SOUL,” wrote Zack Tabudlo. “I CANNOT STOP SHAKING WHAT IS HAPPENING. HOW. WHAT. IS THIS REAL. LIFE.”
Zack Tabudlo And Shawn Mendes Collab, When?
Still in disbelief, he even posted a follow-up video on TikTok, a more visual representation of his reaction, set to the audio that samples Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody. Sure, he was playing it all cool, but the freak out was real, and if we were to go by energy reveal, best believe there was some shaking and tearing up going on. With their vibrant vocals well within each other’s musical vocabularies, we know they both can sing the hell out of a gutting song, or even tempo it up when needed. So, how about Zack Tabudlo and Shawn Mendes work on something? Oh, imagine the possibilities. It’ll be okay is an understatement. Here’s to hoping, a future freak out included.
@zack.tabudlo WHAT A DREAM. @shawnmendes ♬ yeah hot people use this sound – cxaluv
CONTINUE READING: INSPIRED BY COMIC BOOKS, ZACK TABUDLO TAKES YOU INTO HIS OWN CINEMATIC UNIVERSE WITH EPISODE
