Shawn Mendes is a Canadian Singer and songwriter who was born in Toronto, Ontario, on August 8, 1998. His mother is English and his father is Portuguese. He released his first album ‘Handwritten in 2015. In 2016, he released a single called ‘Treat You Better’ followed by his second album ‘Illuminate’. Both his albums debuted at number one in the US Billboard 200 and this made him one of only five people to achieve this before they reached the age of 18. His three world tours have traveled around arenas all over the world and each of these has sold out. Here are five things you might not know about Shawn Mendes.
1. He Was Famous Online First
Mendes followed an unusual route to success as he found fame by posting online. He joined the video-sharing app ‘Vine’ so he could post videos of just six seconds of him singing his own version of popular songs. Within just a few months of sharing his first video, there were millions of views of his videos and he had gained a following of millions of subscribers. He also has over 3 million followers on both his Twitter and Instagram pages.
2. He Has Varied Interests
Although it was for his singing voice for which he is most famous, Shawn Mendes has many other interests. His musical talents include the ability to play both the piano and the guitar. He is also gifted at many sports. While at high school, he enjoyed playing soccer and ice hockey. Another of his interests is longboarding.
3. He Was a Member of the MagCon Tour
Prior to signing a record deal with Island Records, Mendes was a member of the MagCam Tour. He performed alongside many other social media stars and musicians. Some of these included Cameron Dallas, Jack & Jack, and Nash Grier. He also performed in the opening of talented superstar Austin Mahone’s nationwide tour.
4. He Raises Money for Charity
Mendes has used his profile to raise awareness and funds for several charitable causes. He supported the work of the charity ‘Pencils of Promise’ to help them raise $25,000 to fund the building of a school in Ghana. In 2014, he worked with DoSomething.org in a campaign they called ‘Notes from Shawn’. It was inspired by the lyrics of ‘Life of the Party’, Mendes’ first single. Some of the issues covered in this song include awareness of self-harm, depression, and low self-esteem. The campaign was relaunched for a second and third time in 2015 and 2016.
5. He is an Award-Winner
Despite his age, Shaw Mendes has already been nominated for many awards, many of which he has won. His first award came in 2014 when he won the Teen Choice Award for Webstar in Music. At the SOCAN Awards in Toronto in 2015, he won the Breakout Award and the following year he won the Favorite Breakout Artist Award at the People’s Choice Awards. Other awards he has won include the Allan Slaight Honor from Canada’s Walk of Fame, two MTV Europe Music Awards, and four iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards.
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