A popular singer-songwriter who has been popping up across the Hudson Valley over the last few weeks has shared exciting news.

A new album is in the works for Shawn Mendes and he started his latest project in Dutchess County.

Popstar Takes Break During Worldwide Tour

For the last few years, Shawn Mendes has been out of the public eye. When pandemic bans started to lift and life slowly started getting back to normal, Mendes embarked on a worldwide tour in 2022.

However, the tour was cut short as Mendes told fans the stress of post-pandemic life caught up to him. He wrote on Instagram in July of 2022 "I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away."

He promised fans that he would be back as soon as he took the right amount of time to heal.

It looks like he's made it through the healing process and is ready to move forward with new music.

Shawn Mendes Records' Newest Album in Rhinebeck, New York

Shawn Mendes' new music journey kicked off along with the New Year. According to a social media post from Mendes, on January 30th, 2024, he hit the studio for the first time in 4 years.

The studio? Club House Studios in Rhinebeck, New York. Mendes'  last studio album, called Wonder, came out in December of 2020.

Watch Shawn and his team navigate the first few moments in the studio laying down tracks for what will be his 5th album:

Since this post, Mendes has gone on to share 3 more clips of possible songs that will be on the album he is said to be working on. With that being said, no album title or release date has been announced yet.

Shawn Mendes Hangs out with Ulster County SPCA Pups

This all makes sense now.

In early July 2024, Mendes shared a photo of himself with a cute pup named Bear. He shared with his fans and followers that Bear was an adoptable dog through the Ulster County SPCA.

Bear's sister Maya was also mentioned but was not seen in the photos. Maybe we'll see the pups in a music video or photoshoot in the future, we'll keep our eyes peeled.

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Top 20 Songs of 2024, Ranked (So Far)

New country artists rule this Top Country Songs of 2024 list, but that doesn't mean traditional country isn't represented early and often.

Zach Top and Ella Langley are two newcomers that purists may enjoy, while fans of more progressive country music will appreciate Jelly Roll, Post Malone and Shaboozey.

Airplay charts, sales data and streaming numbers helped make this list of country music's Top 20 Songs of 2024, but staff and Taste of Country reader opinion were most influential.

Songs included on previous Top Country Songs lists were not eligible. A song may have been released in 2023, but it had to have the majority of recorded airplay or impact this year to count.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

20 Country Songs Turning 20 in 2024

These 20 country songs are turning 20 years old in 2024. Can you believe how well they've aged?

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes