Shawn Mendes

Shawn performing in Sydney during his 2019 world tour.

**Shawn Peter Raul Mendes** (/ˈmɛndɛz/; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He gained a following in 2013, posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine. The following year, he joined the group MAGCON which gained further attention. Eventually, he was discovered performing in a coffee bar in Toronto by executives at WILD Records. He was swept off to New York where he secured his record deal at the age 17. He has since released three studio albums, one EP, headlined two (soon to be three) concert tours, and become one of the most popular artists in the industry today.

Mendes released his debut album *The Resistance* (2018) which produced two top ten hits and established the young upstart as an artist to watch. He followed up the next year with his breakthrough album *Human* (2019) which produced four top ten hits (including Mendes' signature song as of now "Secret") and became his first #1 album almost two months after it's initial release. In 2020, Shawn released two projects: the EP *The Miami Experiment* and his third studio album *Shawn Mendes*, the later of which produced his first #1 single "A Question of Time" and went on to have the second largest sales debut for a male artist in history.

Outside of his music, Mendes has been noted as one of the most socially conscious artists of his generation. Drawing widespread praise for his willingness to discuss difficult subject matters such as suicide, mental health, abuse, and sexuality, Mendes has been credited with helping to crack the conservative bubble of the general public.

## **Early Life & Discovery**

Shawn was born in the city of Pickering, Ontario, to Karen (née Rayment), a real estate agent, and Manuel Mendes, a businessman, who sells bar and restaurant supplies in Toronto. His father is Portuguese (from the Algarve), while his mother is from England. He has a younger sister named Aaliyah. He was raised in a religious family however he later moved away from organized religion.

Shawn was raised in Pickering where he attended Pine Ridge Secondary School. At school, he played ice hockey and soccer, joined his high school glee club, and practised his stage presence in acting lessons (leading as Prince Charming at one point). He also auditioned for Disney Channel in Toronto but was unsuccessful. Mendes graduated from high school in June 2016.

From a young age, Shawn displayed an affinity for music. At the age of twelve he began to teach himself to play guitar by watching YouTube videos and listening to music attempting to replicate what he heard. He successfully taught himself piano in this same way. At the age of 15, he began to post covers to the social media app Vine and later to YouTube. He began to gain traction in the online sphere and was eventually invited to be a part of the group MAGCON (Meet and Greet Convention), a traveling fan meet up event in which Mendes delivered his first in person performances.

Shawn was notably unhappy with his time in the group, not feeling that he fit in with the wild and rambunctious other members. He left the group after less than a year and returned back home to Toronto where he focused on finishing his education and continuing to pursue his music. He played at a variety of small venues in Toronto on the weekends in hopes of establishing a name for himself but made very little headway.

In the summer of 2017, Shawn performed at a coffee bar in Toronto. Feeling ignored, he cut his set short, however unknown to him he had been watched by a talent representative of WILD Records who was visiting the city to meet with another young artist who ultimately was not signed. Impressed by Mendes' voice and stage presence, he stopped the then 16 year old and his mother at the door and invited the boy to New York to meet with label executives. Within a week, Shawn and his family were on a plane and Shawn was WILD's offices. He managed to impress the executives with his ambition and kindness. After a week of negotiations, he signed his first contract becoming WILD's second signee and the then newest artist under Sony Music Group.

## **Career**

### **2017-2018: *The Resistance***

Shawn decided to relocate from Toronto to New York in order to focus on his album. Despite being just 16 at the time, Shawn came to the city alone and lived in a one room apartment in a bad Manhattan neighborhood. He walked to and from the studio every day and these walks in the rougher side of the city heavily inspired the subject matter of the album. Shawn noted that he often would people watch and find himself listening in on what people were saying, incorporating all of his observations into his writing.

Shawn was initially concerned that being so young meant he wouldn't have much to say. Shortly into his time in the city though he found himself interest in social topics and decided to focus his attention on writing about things happening in the world around him. Initially, Shawn planned to write a narrative concept album, however it became clear early on that he wasn't yet well enough equipped to tackle a project like that. However, his producers insisted that he keep going down a complex path, something Shawn credits as one of the causes of the ultimate disappointment of the project.

Shawn put together a band shortly into the sessions comprised of people from his hometown, all in their late teens and early twenties. Shawn preferred the sound and vibe of performing in the studio with a live band. This dictated the eventual decision to write from a more rock oriented perspective and mindset. Shawn spent the entirety of the fall writing and recording, finding himself often overwhelmed by the process. He said later "I didn't know what I was doing but was so afraid I'd be let go that I pretended I had it all figured out."

Shawn released his debut single "It All Comes Back to This" on November 24, 2017. The song spoke about the state of the world through the lens of someone who'd been battered by the circumstances. The song received mixed to positive reviews from critics with most of the praise being handed down to the song's message, though it's production and lyrics were received less enthusiastically. The song was initially unsuccessful, threatening to fall off the charts from week to week. However, Shawn began to reestablish a consistent promotional schedule and the song began the slow climb up the charts, eventually peaking at #7 on the charts and #1 on US iTunes.

On December 1, Shawn put his debut album up for pre-order. On December 19, the album's release date was announced as February 2, although this would not ultimately come to pass. In January of 2018, the single finally broke into the top 10, becoming Shawn's first top ten entry. On February 16, Shawn released a promotional single from the album titled "Sweetest Sin". The song, like it's predecessor, received mixed reviews from critics with criticism once more being directed at it's lyrics and production. Shawn continued to push the lead although it was clear that it's time was dwindling.

Shawn finally released his debut album *The Resistance* on May 25, 2018. The album was a moderate commercial success, debuting and peaking at #5. However, the album received mixed to negative reviews from critics who criticized the album's confusing structure, hazy concept, dated production, and unpolished lyrics. This didn't stop the album from producing a second top ten single in "Crisis" both in it's original format and a remixed version with Halsey. This was the first time that Shawn spoke about the LGBT community in his music, though at this point he was passive and wrote from the perspective of an outside ally.

After an extensive promotional campaign, Shawn began his debut concert tour The Beautiful Scars Tour on September 2, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. The tour went on to become a commercial success, completely selling out all 49,202 tickets and earning $2,876,950 from 12 stops.

### **2018-2019: *Human***

Shawn wanted little time between the conclusion of the tour and getting his next era underway. Shawn had spent most of the tour recording demos in a mobile studio that he travelled with. He completed three songs though at the time didn't know whether or not they'd become a part of an album. Shawn released "Mysterious Skin" on November 9, 2018 just a week after it's announcement.

The song was immediately the most successful song of Shawn's career commercially and critically. The song received tepidly positive reviews, though it was notably much more positive than his previous work. The song established a new mindset for Shawn, almost completely shedding his previous image and denouncing his debut album, even going so far as to show his debut album cover burning in a raging fire in the song's video. The song was Shawn's first exploration of his troubled mindset, something he discussed at length on the promotional campaign for the song. The song eventually peaked at #10 on the Hot 100, becoming Shawn's third entry into the top ten.

In December, Shawn was nominated for two Grammy awards: Best Alternative Album and Best New Artist. He ended up losing both awards but the nominations themselves predicted Shawn's impending break through. In celebration of the nominations, Shawn announced his sophomore album *Human* was available for pre-order. At the time, the album was nowhere near complete and Shawn later said he regretted announcing it so prematurely.

On January 4, Shawn released the second single from the album "Glass Castles". Continuing the trend of his success growing with each new release, the song out-debuted the lead single and out-peaked it as well, hitting #8 on the charts. The song however was not as critically well received with it's production and excessive length being roundly criticized. The song was however praised for it's open discussion of mental health. Shawn himself drew particular attention to his ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression though he did note that despite the success of the song and the praise it received, this was one of the darkest periods of his life.

On May 2, Shawn announced a delay in the album's release and released a promotional single titled "Oasis" which received mixed to positive reviews. It was eventually upgraded to the official third single upon the album's release and ultimately became Shawn's then highest charting hit when it peaked at #3 on the Hot 100.

After a delay in order to finish production, Shawn finally released his sophomore album *Human* May 25. The album debuted at #2 on the album charts with over 700k in sales. The album's release week was dominated by conversation about Shawn's sexuality after he used the song "Secret" to officially come out as bisexual. Like it's predecessor, *Human* received mixed reviews from critics. It was noted as an improvement over the previous release but was still heavily criticized for it's production and inconsistent songwriting. Privately, this deeply affected Shawn who was still struggling to maintain his declining mental health.

Shawn released "Secret" as the fourth and final single from the album, a decision credited with being what finally propelled Shawn into the stratosphere. The song peaked at #2 and the success of it propelled the album all the way to #1, becoming Shawn's first album to achieve this. "Secret" received favorable reviews from critics and was widely praised by the media as a defining step forward in visibility for the bisexual community, with Time Magazine labeling Shawn a community trailblazer. Shawn delivered a universally praised speech at the Bisexual Resource Center in August which further pushed the single to succeed. All said "Secret" has sold over 6 million copies and earned Shawn his third Grammy nomination.

In June, Shawn became the brand ambassador for Calvin Klein, launching the #NO FEAR campaign. The campaign was designed to represent people of all sorts of body types, ethnicities, and backgrounds with a message to not be afraid to love the skin you're in. The campaign was immensely successful and partly helped Shawn to become the top earner for Sony Music for the year.

In July, Shawn appeared as one of several artists at Lana Del Rey's Freedom Festival in Rio. Shortly after on August 1st, Shawn announced his first worldwide arena tour, HUMAN: THE WORLD TOUR. Taking Shawn to places he'd never visited before, the tour was slated to be an immense success. It ended up performing even above expectation, especially in Australia which has become Shawn's most prominent market. Additional dates were announced, all of which ultimately sold out.

Later that month, Shawn appeared on a track titled "DESCENDING" with Zendaya. The two of them acted as brand ambassadors for H&M in support of the song. The song received generally favorable reviews, though fans of both artists were hesitant to embrace the image and sound change that the song represented for both artists. The tour began in September and opened to an overwhelmingly positive response from audiences across the globe.

### **2019-present: *The Miami Experiment* and *Shawn Mendes***

In late 2019, Shawn began teasing that he had begun work on the follow up to *Human* although it remained unclear whether or not it would be an album or a side project. Shawn began tagging photos #themiamiexperiment which led fans to correctly assume this was the title of a forthcoming project. In December, Shawn was announced as a performer at the VMAs. He was also nominated for several awards, becoming his then personal record for award show nominations. Though he ultimately didn't win, his performance drew attention for it's message. On December 29, Shawn announced that he had partnered with Netflix for a then unannounced film.

In early January, Shawn released "Watch Me Bleed" as the lead single for the still then unannounced project. The song broke Shawn's trend of tepid critical reception, earning universal acclaim from critics with praise given to it's production and lyrics. The song was a commercial success as well peaking at #3 on the Hot 100. Shawn quickly followed the single with the pre-order for his EP, *The Miami Experiment*.

The EP was released on February 4th and became Shawn's first project to debut at #1 on the album charts. The EP received favorable reviews from critics with much praise being given to the growth Shawn exhibited on the project's six songs. In April, Shawn released the second and final single from the project, "Talk Me Down". The song, like it's predecessor, was acclaimed by critics and was also a commercial success, peaking at #4 on the Hot 100.

Shawn made clear that he didn't intend to spend much time with the EP and that he had recorded his third studio album in tandem with the EP. Shawn was quiet on the status of the album for several months, but in secret he had been overseeing the final mix with his co-producer Landon Allen. In April, Shawn appeared as a perfumer at the World United benefit concert, an organized event to raise money for the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 22, Shawn began teasing something big. #SM3SEASON ignited a social media conversation about what was coming down the pipeline. Shawn then released the single "A Question of Time" on May 29. Acting as the lead for Shawn's self-titled third studio album, the song debuted at #3 on the Hot 100 becoming his highest single debut of his career. With nearly 1 million sales, it is also his biggest single debut in terms of sales. The song received positive reviews from critics who praised the strength of the songwriting and Shawn's smooth transition into a more pop oriented sound.

On June 28, Shawn released the promotional single "As Good As It Gets" which became yet another top ten entry for Shawn. Receiving positive reviews from critics, the stage was set for Shawn's most warmly received project yet. Shawn finally released his third studio album *Shawn Mendes* on July 3rd. The album debuted at #1 and with nearly 2 million sales first week, it is the second highest debut for a male artist in history, second only to Frank Ocean's *Sometimes I Think About Dying But Then I Remember Life is Beautiful*.

With the release of the album, "A Question of Time" rose to the #1 position on the Hot 100, becoming Shawn's first #1 song. The album received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics who were quick to praise the clear vision for the album, tight production, and especially the depth of Shawn's songwriting. Shawn officially released "Bite" as the second single from the album on August 8. The song received universal acclaim from critics and has thus far peaked at #3 on the Hot 100. Shawn also announced his third concert tour, Shawn Mendes: The World Tour in August. The tour will include Shawn's first stadium show, taking place a few days after Christmas as Toronto's Rogers Centre.

## **Artistry and Musical Influences**

Shawn began his career as an alternative/indie rock artist before later transitioning into the pop and indie pop sphere. Shawn has cited Brendon Urie, Frank Ocean, The Beatles (more specifically John Lennon), Madonna, and Harry Styles as major influences on his career. He has specifically stated that Ocean and Styles helped him and artists like him make their way in the industry today.

Shawn has been noted for his unique songwriting. He's been widely praised for allowing audiences unfiltered access to his thoughts and his life. He's also known for his willingness to touch on sensitive subject matters with delicacy and maturity. From a musical standpoint, he's known for his complex arrangements and often his inclusion of classic elements in his production.

## **Philanthropy and Supported Causes**

Shawn has been widely praised as one of the most socially conscious artists in the business today. Early in his career, Shawn acted as a vocal supporter of political investment, encouraging his fans to take an active interest in the politics of their country. From the outset, he spoke in support of the LGBTQ+ community, mental health awareness, civil rights, and social freedom.

Shawn's LGBTQ+ advocacy has been the standout, though. With the release of "Crisis", Shawn spoke at length about the struggles faced by the community, especially young teens when they come out. Shawn worked closely with The Trevor Project to help raise awareness for homeless LGBT youth, a subject he'd return to later.

With his second album, Shawn got far more involved. He became a leading champion of the LGBTQ+ community and has been credited with being one of the primary faces in the recent breaking of the conservative bubble among the general public.

Shawn has participated in both Freedom Festivals. For the first installation of the event, Shawn donated $4 million to various charities and organizations affiliated with the event. With his participation in the World United Event, Shawn also donated an undisclosed amount in addition to donating a week's worth of single sales to charities related to the pandemic relief effort.

Shawn has also been an unwavering advocate for mental health awareness. From his first album onward, he has brought visibility to the suicide prevention hotline (even including the number on the single cover for his song "Talk Me Down").