"When You're Gone" is a song by Canadian singer Shawn Mendes. It was released as a single through Island Records on March 31, 2022. The song was produced by Mendes himself and Jonah Shy and co-produced by Scott Harris, and the three wrote it together.
Background and promotion Mendes debuted the song on March 19, 2022, performing it live for the first time at his South by Southwest (SXSW) performance in Austin, Texas. He teased the song by posting snippets of the song to the video-sharing app TikTok the week before its announcement and announced the song and its complete details two days later.
Composition and lyrics "When You're Gone" is a pop-rock song that lyrically sees Mendes singing about the end of a relationship, similar to his previous single from late 2021, "It'll Be Okay". Transitioning from the first verse to the chorus, he sings: "It's hard for me to let go of you / So I'm trying to hold on, hold on / I don't wanna know what it's like when you're gone". Further, into the chorus, he croons: "I didn't know that loving you was the happiest I've ever been / So I'm just trying to hold on". The song has also been described as "a dreamy love song with a punchy chorus".
Critical reception Before the release of "When You're Gone", Billboard Jason Lipshutz described the song as "a rollicking pop-rock track that sounds ready for radio play" and added that it "possess[es] a weight and polish that could make them staples of Mendes' set for years to come, and hint at promising new paths for his songwriting". Khushboo Malhotra of CelebMix likewise stated that "[t]he song heralds a new musical era that appears promising and elevated while widening his aural and stylistic horizons", calling it a "heartbreakingly beautiful single".
Music video The official music video for "When You're Gone" premiered alongside the release of the song on March 31, 2022. It starts with a black-and-white resolution and sees Mendes recording the song in a studio and meeting up with fans. As the song shifts from him emotionally singing, it turns into full color when it turns into a sing-along. Three days before its release, Mendes teased the video on the video-sharing app TikTok, which saw him dancing shirtless, with the caption: "this is unusual behavior".
Credits and personnel
Shawn Mendes – vocals, songwriting, production, guitar Jonah Shy – production, songwriting, vocal production, keyboards, percussion, programming Scott Harris – additional production, songwriting, guitar Jared Scharff – guitar, bass Adam Halferty – drums Andrew Maury – mixing Joe LaPorta – mastering Ashley Jacobson – recording Robert Johnson – recording Jeremy Dilli – recording
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for "When You're Gone" Chart (2022) Peakposition Croatia International (HRT) 6 Greece International (IFPI) 41 Iceland (Tónlistinn) 28 Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20) 13 Lithuania (AGATA) 32 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 2 Romania Airplay (TopHit) 81 Singapore (RIAS) 12 Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100) 100
Year-end charts + 2022 year-end chart performance for "When You're Gone" Chart (2022) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 68 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 60 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) 108 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 30 Germany (Official German Charts) 83 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 75 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 68 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 30 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 22 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 36 US Radio Songs (Billboard) 68
+ 2023 year-end chart performance for "When You're Gone" Chart (2023) PositionHungary (Rádiós Top 40) 56
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for "When You're Gone" Region Date Format Label Various March 31, 2022 Island United States April 4, 2022 Hot adult contemporary April 5, 2022 Contemporary hit radio
References