There is something very nostalgic and groovy about "Next To Me" by Shawn Mathews that I can't quite put my finger on.
The bassline is a total earworm, the lyrics are sharp and witty, and this just feels like a feel good flirty track. There is room in this track that allows the vocals to breathe and take up space in a way that feels very live music in a coffee shop esc. Very fun funky and new. Next to me is a a romantic song about longing to have that special someone physically right next to you. The song has the bedroom/indie pop/rock type of feel similar to Clairo, Dominic Fike, Omar Apollo, and The Wallows. The components include just vocals, electric guitars, a bass guitar, and a live drum kit. Highlights include a catchy chorus, solid hook and an old record store vibe.
Shawn Mathews is a multi-talented musician who is able to blend elements from various genres into his distinctive mix of Pop and R&B. Using guitar, drums, and sometimes popular synth melodies, Shawn adds a smooth vocal/lyrical performance to his songs which resemble the R&B styling of his influences Bazzi, Khalid, Dominic Fike, and Drake. This young Pennsylvania based artist has an extremely relevant feel to his songs and makes music that listeners can identify with.
Being a dancer and actor, Shawn fuses his love for dance and American Pop music to create his own unique brand of music with a unique style that is his own and aims to create music without genre constraints.
His love for performing and music equates to his electric stage presence when performing live. When he is not making music, Shawn is acting in regional musical theater productions or teaching his students hip-hop moves to the latest hits. Shawn also loves rapping to the tracks from Lin-Manuel's Miranda's superhit musicals "Hamilton" and "In The Heights" and can do a smooth moonwalk in addition to hard hitting hip hop moves. Check out his performances on his YouTube Channel @
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOCLbRqfY_KIq0EzSOcik9A
Website: https://www.shawnrmathews.com/
Or catch him making tiktoks to his own songs @: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnmathews
