They say when one dashingly sweet-faced solo pop-sensation falls, another rises to claim his fan-base. In the wake of Justin Bieber’s dwindling star, Shawn Mendes has risen. The proudly Canadian sweetheart with an enchanting tenor voice has captured the music world’s attention with his easy demeanor and effortless talent, to say nothing of his bone structure. And his eyes. And his luscious, chocolate-y locks that could give Cadbury a run for their money. So what, exactly, is known about this hunky heart-throb? What’s going on behind the breathy laugh and the crooked, “devil-may-care” smile that’s still somehow so angelic? Here are 42 talented facts about Shawn Mendes.
1. Middle Names, and Plenty of Them
Although his branding only uses his first and last names, Mendes actually has something of an elaborate moniker. You ready? His real name is Shawn Peter Raul Mendes. Doesn’t that just sound regal? It’s probably the “Raul” that does it.
2. Vine Your Way to the Top
Like any good Millennial, Mendes launched his career using the Power of the Internet. His song covers gained a following on Vine in 2013, and he was scouted by A&R of Island Records, Ziggy Chareton, and artist manager Andrew Gertler. This later led to him signing with the record label.
3. Kiss the Hand That Feeds You
It would seem that sweet Mendes has a genuine appreciation for his fans! Mendes has been quoted speaking of his fans with gratitude and respect; “I think maybe the media and people portray fans as this kind of hysterical group of people who chase people around, when the truth is, if you walked outside with me right now and there were a few fans, they would just be like, ‘Hey Shawn, how’s it going?’”
4. Aw, He’s Blushing!
When reading “Thirst Tweets” on Buzzfeed, Mendes bashfully grinned and stammered his way through them, even modestly declining to read certain submissions! A wholesome lad through and through.
5. Love Letters to the World
Approaching the release of his first album, Mendes took to Instagram posting a hand-written note of thanks addressed to all of the fans who had pre-ordered it. “It comes out tomorrow at midnight, I really hope you love it. Love you guys.” And, to layer on to his trademark wholesomeness, he signed it with a squiggly little heart.
6. So Tatted It’s Titillating
Mendes is no stranger to tattoos. He’s collected several bits of body-art over the years, the first of which is on his left arm. The tattoo is a silhouette of a guitar made of three different elements; looming woods, the Toronto skyline (complete with the CN Tower), and visual sound-waves of his parents saying, “I love you.”
7. Ink Him Up, Fans!
Allegedly, all of Mendes’s tattoos have a story, and the one behind the butterfly on his upper arm may be the sweetest. After a fan named Kayla who created the original design photoshopped the butterfly onto a picture of Mendes, he uploaded a video of himself getting the tattoo.
8. Tonsil Hockey
Maybe it’s envy, but fans had very particular criticisms of the way Mendes and his girlfriend and collaborator, Camila Cabello, lock lips. In response, the pair posted a video to Instagram that seemed like it would lead to a romantic Disney-ending smooch but instead ended with the two more or less flopping around on each others’ faces.
9. Gracias, Querida
Speaking of Cabello, the pair recently released a new single entitled “Señorita” that not only debuted at number one on iTunes worldwide but also broke Spotify’s record for the biggest debut of a male/female duet.
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10. Off the Market
Despite the obvious prank-nature of their kissing video, Mendes and Cabello are very much a real couple. Fans have alleged their relationship to be a publicity stunt, a rumor which Mendes has flatly debunked, but you can hardly blame them; people get crazy when their idol walks off with someone else.
11. Learning from the Greats
Mendes’s musical idols are many and varied. He has named Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Kings of Leon, and Kanye West as some of his inspirations. Apparently, his parents raised him on a melodic diet of reggae, Led Zeppelin, and country icons like Garth Brooks.
12. Who Said Bromance is Dead
Shawn Mendes is a big Ed Sheeran fan, and even Tweeted about how meeting the English singer-songwriter “would be the absolute best” in 2013, just before the launch of Mendes’ career. Imagine how surreal it must have been for Mendes when Sheeran flew him out to Las Angeles to have dinner!
13. Proud Parents
It’s no surprise Mendes was raised with diverse musical tastes; diversity was something of a given in the Mendes household. Mendes’ father is from the Algarve region of Portugal, while his mother is from England. The couple raised their children (Shawn and his sister, Aaliyah) in Pickering, Ontario.
14. Multilingual
Likely a by-product of his father’s heritage, Mendes does speak some Spanish and Portuguese.
15. All by Yourself??
Comparatively speaking, Shawn Mendes hasn’t been playing guitar for very long. That being said, it seems he was a naturally deft hand at it. Mendes learned to play guitar at the age of 14 by watching YouTube tutorials, less than a year before he started posting musical covers.
16. Jack of All Trades
In high school, Mendes did it all; sports, music, and drama. Not only did he sing as a member of the Pine Ridge Secondary School glee club, he also performed with the acting program, predictably playing Prince Charming at one point—the drama teacher knew what they were doing. He also played both ice hockey and soccer.
17. (Almost) in the Heights
Speaking of high school stardom, Mendes was cast as the lead in his high school’s production of In the Heights, but had to give up the role in favor of his record deal. Sigh.
18. Mickey Said No
Prior to being discovered, Mendes auditioned for the Disney Channel in Toronto. Is anyone else confused as to why that didn’t pan out?
19. Acting, Out
Mendes’s primary aspiration wasn’t to be a musician but, rather, an actor! He has stated, “I wanted to be an actor, like, so so bad.” Mendes has also said memorizing lines was sadly difficult for him.
20. Thank You for the Music
While Mendes loves music, he has said it’s something that “fell upon” him. Evidently, his love of music eventually overtook his acting dreams. Getting a record deal as a teenager will do that.
21. American Idol
Back in his days of primarily doing covers, Mendes won one of Ryan Seacrest’s “Best Cover Song” contests. The tune that claimed the prize? “Say Something,” by A Great Big World.
22. Proud Potterhead
Nerd alert: Mendes is a Harry Potter fan. When talking about the films with James Corden, Mendes said, “[I love] the magic, and the wands, and the little weird candies that make you turn into like a lion and stuff.” Frankly, that last bit makes one wonder whether Mendes has ever seen Harry Potter, but whatever.
23. Fruit? Vegetable? Irrelevant, They’re Gross
Our boy hates tomatoes. Passionately. His reasons for hating them are they’re bitter, they have a slimy, fish-like texture, and they “ruin your sandwich.” Like the Potter situation, this description makes one question whether Mendes has ever encountered a tomato.
24. Twiddling His Thumbs
Shawn Mendes is a fan of the online multiplayer strategy game, Boom Beach. Apparently, he plays it every night before he goes to bed.
25. Accident Prone
Maybe it’s clumsiness, maybe it’s wealth-induced neglect for material possessions, but Mendes has lost his wallet over ten times and cracked his phone screen more than five. With Mendes scraping barely more than two decades of life, this is impressive.
26. How’s It Going Up There?
Shawn Mendes stands at 6’2” tall, which means a vast majority of his infatuated fans could climb him like a tree.
27. When One Supreme Falls…
Shawn Mendes is the youngest artist since Justin Bieber to have a number one album, solidifying his identity as the new hunky heartthrob of solo male music. Sorry, Biebs.
28. A Mother’s Love
One would expect someone of Mendes’ wealth and success to have assistance with quotidian chores, and he does; his mother. Although he owns a condo in Toronto, Mendes’ mother still came over to do his laundry and clean, at least as of 2018.
29. Everyone Loves a Country Gal
Evidently the details are fuzzy to him, but Mendes says the first album he ever bought was either a Hannah Montana album or a Shania Twain album.
30. Transit Snoozes
The lap of luxury doesn’t do it for Mendes, at least where the sleeping department is concerned. Apparently, he sleeps better when on a tour bus than in a hotel. He even has a pair of special slippers reserved for the bus.
31. Go When You Can, Not When You Have To
Nerves manifest differently for everyone. Before a performance, Mendes always has to use the bathroom. Which, frankly, is just good sense. Well done, Shawn.
32. Hey There, Sports Fan
As was mentioned earlier, Mendes is a soccer fan. He even created Portugal’s official World Cup song in 2018, remixing his song “In My Blood” with lyrics in Portuguese.
33. Honest Anxiety
Mendes suffers from an anxiety disorder, and is open about his struggle. He said the following when he appeared on The Dan Wootton Interview podcast: "All pain is temporary, and the thing is with anxiety, and why it’s such a hard thing for people who don’t have it to understand, is that it is very random and it hits you at moments you don’t expect it. Sometimes it lasts two hours, sometimes it lasts a day and sometimes it lasts five minutes. The point of the song is that no matter how long that lasts, you can come out the other end stronger and you come out of the other end always."
34. In Good Hands
Fortunately, Mendes has found coping mechanisms to help overcome his anxiety. In addition to therapy, he has cited exercise, socializing, and listening to music as being helpful in his struggle.
35. In His Calvins
Mendes’ underwear shoot with Calvin Klein nearly broke the Internet—and the young musician’s nerves. Mendes has said he found the idea of being in front of the camera in his skivvies nerve-wracking. Life’s hard with washboard abs.
36. Pay It Forward
For three consecutive years, Mendes partnered with DoSomething.org in a campaign called “Notes From Shawn.” The campaign addressed issues of low self-esteem and depression, while also spreading awareness about self-harm. As part of the effort, fans were encouraged to leave notes bearing positive messages in surprise locations.
37. Diverse Philanthropy
Mendes has had a heavy hand in other philanthropic endeavors, including Pencils of Promise and the Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund.
38. Be The Change
Most recently, in August 2019, he launched a foundation bearing his name, aiming to "inspire and empower his fans and today’s youth to bring about positive change in the world and advocate for issues they care most about." The Shawn Mendes Foundations first two campaigns were for the Toronto-based SickKids Foundation, and for REVERB, an environmental non-profit
39. “Fan”-Tastic
Ever loyal to his fans, they will have a voice in determining the causes supported by the Shawn Mendes Foundation. The Foundation will also continue to work with and promote other organizations with whom Mendes has shared a relationship in the past.
40. Record-Setting
Mendes made Time magazine’s list of “25 Most Influential Teens of 2014”, following his debut in the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100, making him the youngest artist ever to do so.
41. Morning Cup o’ Mendes
Every Canadian loves their Timmy’s. In a partnership with the Tim Hortons chain, Mendes’ cherubic face was emblazoned across the franchise’s to-go cups.
42. Active Living
Shawn Mendes loves to work out, and apparently gets some form of exercise every day. Looking the way he does, it would be unfair if he didn’t.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
