Mayer’s frustrations with the things he cannot control — love, war, aging — are all over 2006’s 'Continuum.' While waiting for the world to change, Mayer used 'Continuum' to transform the things he did have control over: his sound, his image and his role in the music industry. Before the album, was a pop heartthrob ruling radio with love songs, catchy choruses and a voice that felt like a boyfriend pillow. There’s a reason why, later in his career, Mayer has chosen to take Shawn Mendes under his wing: it’s because he used to be him. With 'Continuum,' Mayer peeled off a layer of pop hunkery to prove he could cry the blues as well as his idols Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton.