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Shawn Mendes, the Canadian singer who rose to fame at only fifteen years old by posting videos of him singing, trying to become the next Justin Bieber, is now focusing on himself. Recently he has announced his new album , Shawn, which is set to come out on Nov. 15, marking his first album in four years. Most people know Mendes for songs like “Treat You Better” or his collaboration with Camila Cabello for their duet “Señorita”, having almost three billion streams on Spotify. Now, Mendes wants to have a new name for himself, and is so grateful to share it.
When Mendes was fifteen he started song covers on his small Vine account, which eventually got him noticed by his current record company, Island Records. From then on, he was creating his first album, Handwritten, and skyrocketed to fame with his first and still most popular single, “Stitches”. Mendes became a worldwide sensation, with millions of followers on Instagram and a countless and devoted fanbase. Fans would stand in long lines to see him, with many of his concerts being sold out. In 2020, he released a documentary to Netflix, Shawn Mendes: Live in Concert, of his sold out show in his hometown of Toronto, Canada, for viewers all over the world to enjoy. He wanted people to feel some sort of reality, when life as we knew it was turned upside down due to Covid-19.
“Mercy and Treat You Better are my personal favorites from his album Illuminate, with his tracks being timeless. I really enjoyed his music and really enjoy his most recent album,” said freshman Rowan Danow.
He released three more studio albums, Illuminate, Shawn Mendes, and his most recent being Wonder. In 2021, Mendes announced his Wonder tour, but in the beginning of 2022, Mendes would end up canceling the tour, shocking fans. He later revealed that he was struggling with his mental health and needed to take some time to get help. Mendes wanted to prioritize getting better so he can put on a good show for not only his fans, but for himself. He went to therapy, spent time with family and friends, and took some time off to focus on himself.
About a year later in 2023, Mendes was asked to do an interview with ABC, to talk about how he was doing, and whether he was planning to go on tour again, or even release new music. Mendes agreed to the interview, and was able to open up about his struggles and his newfound love for his profession. He talked about how music has always been such a big part of his life even from a young age, and how he knows how important his music is not only to him but also to his devoted fans.
“I didn’t have other aspects of life that I felt connected to, that I could have leaned into, to have a little bit of a break from touring and come back and just find that balance,” said Shawn Mendes in an interview with ABC.
Today, Shawn Mendes is in a better place with a positive mindset, and could not be more thankful with his new album set to come out soon. Mendes wanted this album to be different, and so he changed his typical genre of pop to folk music. He has already released three of his songs from the new album, with “Why Why Why” already landing on the Billboard Hot 100. Mendes’ new music represents a new him, and he is very excited to share it with his listeners.
“I haven’t listened to his music in a while but overall I think he is a very good lyricist, and his compositions are very good. I am very excited to listen to his new album,” said junior Aurora Mata.
Ever since his interview, Shawn Mendes has been a voice for advocating mental health awareness. It was a very trying time for him to overcome, and now Mendes wants to give back to others by sharing his story and spreading the message that it is okay not to be okay, and to get help when needed. He is a figure to so many people who are struggling, and he is helping to spread the message of being supportive and being kind, one person at a time.
