108 Fun Facts About Shawn Mendes

In which year was Shawn Mendes born?

He was born on August 8, 1998, in Toronto, which made him one of the youngest artists ever to top the Billboard 200 when his debut album went to number one in 2015.

Mendes was born in Toronto but grew up in which Ontario town?

He played youth soccer with Pickering FC and graduated from the town's Pine Ridge Secondary School in June 2016.

Mendes's father Manuel, who sells bar and restaurant supplies in Toronto, comes from which country?

Portugal is his father's homeland: Manuel Mendes emigrated to Canada and sells bar and restaurant supplies in Toronto, while Shawn's mother Karen is from England.

What is the name of Shawn Mendes's younger sister?

Aaliyah Mendes is his only sibling and has built a sizeable social media following of her own.

At what age did Mendes teach himself guitar by watching YouTube tutorials?

He was 13, in 2012, when he learned guitar from YouTube tutorials; within a year he was posting cover videos of his own, which drew his first online following.

On which app did Mendes first build a following in 2013?

Vine's six-second loops carried his early covers; by August 2014 he was the third most-followed musician on Vine, which Twitter shut down in January 2017.

A cover of whose 'As Long as You Love Me' won Mendes 10,000 likes and followers overnight?

Justin Bieber's 'As Long as You Love Me' was the cover that went viral for Mendes in 2013; the two Canadians later recorded 'Monster' together in 2020.

Which artist manager discovered Mendes online in November 2013 and brought him to Island Records?

Andrew Gertler, an artist manager, found Mendes's videos in November 2013 and took him to Island Records, where A&R Ziggy Chareton backed the deal; Mendes signed with the label in May 2014.

With which song did Mendes win Ryan Seacrest's "Best Cover Song" contest in April 2014?

"Say Something", the A Great Big World ballad, was the winning cover; he signed officially with Island Records the following month, in May 2014.

What was the title of Shawn Mendes's first single, released in June 2014?

"Life of the Party" was released on June 26, 2014; it made him the youngest artist to debut in the Hot 100's top 25 with a first single, and its lyrics inspired a positive-messages campaign with DoSomething.org.

What Hot 100 position did Mendes's debut single reach, making him the youngest to debut in the top 25?

It debuted at number 24 on the Hot 100 dated July 12, 2014, making Mendes, then 15, the youngest artist to enter the top 25 with a debut single.

Before he was signed, Mendes toured alongside other social media stars as part of which tour?

Magcon (Meet and Greet Convention) also launched Cameron Dallas and Nash Grier; Mendes was its breakout musician.

Mendes was an opening act on which singer's nationwide tour in 2014?

Austin Mahone, the Texan pop singer, took Mendes out as an opening act on his 2014 tour, the same year Mendes released his debut EP.

Mendes's debut EP peaked at what position on the Billboard 200 in 2014?

The Shawn Mendes EP debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 with 48,000 copies sold in its first week, a big number for a 15-year-old known mostly for six-second covers.

"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)", featuring Mendes, was a 2014 single by which British band?

The Vamps released it in October 2014 as the fifth single from their debut album Meet the Vamps; it reached the UK top ten.

What was the title of Shawn Mendes's debut studio album, released in April 2015?

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 119,000 equivalent album units and was certified platinum.

Which 2017 single, added to his second album's reissue, gave Mendes a US top-ten hit?

"There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" was released in April 2017 alongside the deluxe edition of his second album and peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Stitches" peaked at number four in the US, but it reached number one in which country?

The United Kingdom gave 'Stitches' its number one: it topped the UK Singles Chart in January 2016, months after its US peak, and it also led two US adult radio airplay charts.

In 2015 Mendes opened North American dates on which artist's 1989 World Tour?

Taylor Swift took him out as an opening act across the 1989 World Tour's North American leg in 2015, alongside Vance Joy; Mendes has named her among his main musical influences.

Mendes recorded the song "Believe" for the soundtrack of which Disney Channel Original Movie?

Descendants, the 2015 film about the children of Disney villains, had a soundtrack that topped the Billboard 200, and 'Believe' was its end-credits song.

What was the title of Mendes's first collaboration with Camila Cabello, released in late 2015?

"I Know What You Did Last Summer" was released in November 2015 and appeared on a reissue of his debut album; it reached the US top 20, and the pair would not record together again until 2019.

When she first recorded with Mendes in 2015, Camila Cabello was still a member of which group?

Fifth Harmony, formed on The X Factor USA in 2012, remained Cabello's group until she left in December 2016; the band later went on hiatus.

Mendes made his acting debut in January 2016 in the season three premiere of which CW series?

The 100's season-three opener, 'Wanheda: Part One', gave him a one-off role as Macallan, a piano-playing character in the post-apocalyptic drama.

"Treat You Better" and "Mercy" were singles from which Shawn Mendes album?

Released in September 2016, it debuted at number one in the US with 145,000 equivalent album units.

Mendes's December 2016 live album was recorded at which famous venue?

Madison Square Garden hosted him on September 10, 2016, a month after his 18th birthday, and Live at Madison Square Garden followed in December, the month he was musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

In 2017 Mendes became the first artist under 20 with three number ones on which Billboard chart?

Adult Pop Songs, Billboard's Adult Top 40 airplay chart, gave him number ones with 'Stitches' and 'Treat You Better' before a third in 2017; he went on to match the feat on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Which lead single from his 2018 self-titled album openly addressed Mendes's struggles with anxiety?

"In My Blood" came out that March with lyrics about anxiety ('help me, it's like the walls are caving in'); it peaked at number 11 on the Hot 100 and earned a Song of the Year Grammy nomination.

Which singer featured on the 2018 Mendes track "Youth"?

Mendes and Khalid performed the song together at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards with the Stoneman Douglas High School choir.

Which DJ's remix of "Lost in Japan" did Mendes perform at the 2018 American Music Awards?

Zedd, the Russian-German producer, joined him onstage at the October ceremony; their remix of 'Lost in Japan' had been released on September 27 of that year.

Which YouTube star directed the 2018 documentary Shawn Mendes – Artist Spotlight Stories?

Casey Neistat, the New York vlogger and filmmaker, directed the short for YouTube's Artist Spotlight Stories series, following Mendes on the road; it premiered to selected fans before its online release later that year.

On CMT Crossroads in 2018, Mendes was paired with which country act?

Zac Brown Band, the Georgia country group behind 'Chicken Fried', was paired with Mendes for the episode; the show pairs a country act with an artist from another genre.

"If I Can't Have You" (2019) debuted at what position on the US Hot 100, then his highest ever?

It debuted at number 2 on the Hot 100 in May 2019, behind Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road', beating the number-four peak of 'Stitches' as his best showing to that point.

Which 2019 duet gave Mendes his first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100?

"Señorita" was released on June 21, 2019, and climbed to number one on the Hot 100 dated August 31, 2019, in its ninth week; it won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration that month.

How many Mendes studio albums had topped the Billboard 200 once Wonder debuted at number one?

Wonder, released on December 4, 2020, was the 4th of his studio albums, and all 4 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200; it topped the Canadian chart too.

Netflix's Shawn Mendes: Live in Concert (2020) captured his first show at which Toronto stadium?

Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays' home, hosted his first stadium headline show on September 6, 2019; the concert film reached Netflix in November 2020.

"Monster", his 2020 duet with a fellow Canadian pop star, peaked at what position on the US Hot 100?

It debuted and peaked at number 8 on the Hot 100 in December 2020; the pair first performed it live at the 2020 American Music Awards.

Wonder: The World Tour was due to open in March 2022 at which city's Royal Arena?

Copenhagen's Royal Arena was the planned opening venue, but the European leg was postponed before the tour began in Portland, Oregon, in June 2022; after seven shows Mendes cancelled the remaining dates to focus on his mental health.

Mendes voiced the singing title character of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022), based on books by which author?

Bernard Waber introduced Lyle in The House on East 88th Street (1962) and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (1965); in the film the crocodile sings but never talks, with songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Mendes signed on as executive producer of a TV adaptation of which video game?

Life Is Strange, Dontnod's 2015 episodic game about a time-rewinding teenager, got a Legendary Television adaptation, with Mendes joining as executive producer in 2021 through his banner Permanent Content.

His fifth studio album, Shawn (2024), explored which genre?

Folk, acoustic and stripped back, was the sound of Shawn, released on November 15, 2024, after his tour cancellation; he previewed it on the small-theatre For Friends and Family Only tour that October.

After cancelling the Wonder tour, Mendes returned by headlining which festival in September 2024?

Rock in Rio in Rio de Janeiro gave him his first full headline set since the cancellation, on the Palco Mundo main stage in September 2024; a small-theatre tour followed in October.

For which Italian fashion house did Mendes walk the runway in Milan in June 2017?

Emporio Armani put him on the runway of its Milan menswear show for the following spring/summer season, wearing the brand's Connected smartwatch; he later fronted campaigns for its watch collections.

In August 2019 Mendes appeared on the cups of which Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain?

Tim Hortons, the Canadian chain founded by the hockey player of that name in 1964, put Mendes's face on its hot-drink cups in August 2019 during his Canadian tour dates.

How much did Mendes donate to the Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund he set up in September 2017?

He gave $100,000 to start the fund, set up with the American Red Cross after he was in Mexico City for a show when the 19 September 2017 earthquake struck, and urged fans to add to it.

With Pencils of Promise, Mendes raised $25,000 to build a school in which country?

Ghana is where the school was built; Mendes ran the campaign with Pencils of Promise, a New York non-profit that builds schools with local communities, and fans supplied the $25,000.

Which Queen song did Mendes cover in 2018 to raise money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust?

"Under Pressure", the 1981 Queen and David Bowie single, was recorded by Mendes with a frequent collaborator for a series of covers marking the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody; proceeds went to the trust's HIV/AIDS work.

Which restaurant chain launched a "Shawn Mendes Bowl" in 2021 to fund his foundation's Wonder Grants?

Chipotle added the Shawn Mendes Bowl to its menu in April 2021, donating $1 from each one sold to the Wonder Grants, which back young people's environmental projects.

In which year did Time magazine name Mendes one of the 100 most influential people in the world?

The 2018 Time 100 list included him at 19, weeks before his self-titled third album came out in May; he had already made Time's Most Influential Teens lists as a younger star.

Mendes's self-titled third album earned a Grammy nomination in which category?

Best Pop Vocal Album was the category: at the 61st Grammy Awards in February 2019, Shawn Mendes competed alongside Ariana Grande's winning Sweetener, Kelly Clarkson's Meaning of Life and Pink's Beautiful Trauma.

Which guitarist-songwriter did Mendes say was the main influence on his second album?

John Mayer's guitar-led, bluesy pop was the model Mendes named for his second album (2016), which he recorded largely in a studio in upstate New York.

What was his 2014 DoSomething.org campaign asking fans to leave positive messages in unexpected places called?

Notes from Shawn had fans write uplifting notes and leave them in public places such as lockers and mirrors, raising awareness of low self-esteem and self-harm; it was repeated the following year.

His 2021 single "Summer of Love" was a collaboration with which producer?

Tainy, the Puerto Rican reggaeton producer behind hits for Bad Bunny and J Balvin, is credited alongside Mendes on the track, released in August 2021 with a Latin-tinged pop sound.

'Witness Me' (2023), featuring Mendes, Stormzy and Kirk Franklin, was a single from whose album Djesse Vol. 4?

Jacob Collier, the London multi-instrumentalist, released 'Witness Me' in November 2023 ahead of the album, which arrived in February 2024 and completed his four-volume Djesse project.

Which fashion brand named Mendes the face of its #MyCalvins campaign in February 2019?

Calvin Klein's spring 2019 #MyCalvins underwear campaign put him alongside Noah Centineo, A$AP Rocky and Kendall Jenner; his shirtless shots went viral within hours.

Which singer-songwriter co-wrote Mendes's hits 'Stitches' and 'Treat You Better'?

Teddy Geiger co-wrote 'Stitches' with Danny Parker and Daniel Kyriakides and 'Treat You Better' with Mendes and Scott Harris, becoming one of his most frequent songwriting partners.

What was the title of the Netflix documentary about Mendes released in November 2020?

Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, directed by Grant Singer, premiered on Netflix on November 23, 2020, following him on his 2019 tour and in the studio, a week before the album Wonder was released.

Which singer joined Mendes for his performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards?

Miley Cyrus joined him on the Staples Center stage on February 10, 2019, for a duet of his Song of the Year nominee, in his first performance at the Grammys.

Mendes performed at a televised April 2018 concert marking whose 92nd birthday?

Queen Elizabeth II's 92nd birthday was marked by The Queen's Birthday Party at the Royal Albert Hall on 21 April that year, where Mendes performed alongside Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones and Sting.

Shawn Mendes hosted a 2021 NASA video call with the International Space Station's crew to mark which annual day?

Earth Day, April 22, had Expedition 65 crew members taking questions from students about climate change, Earth observations and physics during the televised event.

Shawn Mendes closed his fifth studio album with a cover of which much-recorded song from 1984?

Hallelujah, the Leonard Cohen song, was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City; Mendes had posted covers of it online when he was 15 or 16.

Shawn Mendes plays Bill Murray's role in a music video that reenacts scenes from which film?

Lost in Translation was the natural pick for a single with Japan in its title; actress Alisha Boe plays opposite him, and the song's remixer makes a cameo.

In the 'Stitches' video, set in an empty parking lot, Shawn Mendes is battered by what?

An invisible force knocks him over again and again, slams his head into his car window and throws him through a wall before he washes off the bruises.

The Shawn Mendes EP hit number one on which digital store 37 minutes after its midnight release?

iTunes later lost the EP altogether: it was removed from the store, and three of its songs were reissued as separate promotional singles.

Shawn Mendes said his duet 'Youth' was inspired by a 2017 attack in which city?

Manchester Arena was attacked in May 2017, and Mendes texted his duet partner that when they got together they had to make a statement about how young people were feeling.

The train scenes opening Shawn Mendes's 'Wonder' video were compared to which fictional locomotive?

Hogwarts Express comparisons greeted the shots of Mendes alone at a carriage window, before he climbs onto the roof and ends up singing on a rain-soaked clifftop.

Shawn Mendes's 'Treat You Better' video ends by showing the phone number of which kind of helpline?

Domestic violence drives the plot: Mendes watches a girl being abused by her boyfriend, and the video closes on the National Domestic Violence Hotline number.

Shawn Mendes was among the musical performers at which brand's fashion show, recorded in New York?

Victoria's Secret also booked Rita Ora, Halsey, Bebe Rexha and The Chainsmokers for the show, which was taped in November and broadcast the following month.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello joined racial justice protests in which Florida city in May 2020?

Miami saw the pair march after the murder of George Floyd, and Mendes also lent his Instagram account to raise the voices of Black activists.

In the 'Mercy' music video, Shawn Mendes is seen drowning in the ocean while trapped inside what?

A locked car filling with seawater alternates with shots of Mendes hammering through the song with his instruments in a warehouse.

Which actor plays the showman Hector P. Valenti opposite Shawn Mendes's crocodile in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile?

Javier Bardem's Hector finds Lyle as a baby in an exotic pet store, then loses his brownstone house when the crocodile gets stage fright at their premiere.

Which late-night host gave Shawn Mendes a week of nightly performances to promote his self-titled album?

James Corden's Late Late Show ran the week under the hashtag LateLateShawn, and Mendes also recorded a Carpool Karaoke with him.

Which English singer-songwriter co-wrote 'Fallin' All in You' for Shawn Mendes's self-titled album?

Ed Sheeran shared the credit with Johnny McDaid among others, and later brought Mendes on stage as a surprise guest to sing 'Lego House' together.

Shawn Mendes taped his second live album at a Los Angeles theatre in 2017 for which long-running music series?

MTV Unplugged brought him to The Theatre at Ace Hotel that September, and the recording was released worldwide as an album two months later.

Shawn Mendes wrote and released a 2023 charity single in two days; its cover shows smoke from what?

Canadian wildfires had shrouded the New York City skyline pictured on the artwork, and Mendes paired the release with a donation to the Canadian Red Cross.

Which band backed Shawn Mendes and Jimmy Fallon on a 'classroom instruments' version of 'Treat You Better'?

The Roots, Fallon's house band on The Tonight Show, joined in two years after Mendes had first sung the single on the same programme.

Which Marvel star joined Shawn Mendes in jeweller David Yurman's 2023 'Nature's Artistry' campaign?

Scarlett Johansson fronted the nature-inspired campaign with him, and Mendes later helped design a woven hemp bracelet for the brand to benefit his foundation.

Besides Kings of Leon and Kanye West, which singer did Shawn Mendes say inspired his self-titled album?

Justin Timberlake's Justified was on heavy rotation while he wrote 'Lost in Japan', a song he said also came to him in a dream about being lost abroad.

Shawn Mendes revealed his self-titled album cover with a nine-hour livestream of a crew building what?

A floral arrangement recreating the artwork took shape on YouTube, with the stream ending at midnight as the title and release date were announced.

Which singer duets with Shawn Mendes on 'Like to Be You' and also co-wrote his single 'Nervous'?

Julia Michaels joined him to perform the duet on late-night television, one of the songs he showcased across a week of nightly sets.

Which R&B singer and friend of Shawn Mendes opened his 2019 tour dates across Europe and North America?

Alessia Cara ended up opening every North American concert, while country duo Dan + Shay took most of the Oceania dates.

Shawn Mendes's mother Karen, who works as a real estate agent, comes from which country?

England is Karen's home country; she and her husband raised Shawn and his younger sister in a religious household just outside Toronto.

Shawn Mendes joined Janet Jackson and The Weeknd as a headliner of which annual concert in Central Park?

Global Citizen Festival saw him sing 'Youth' with John Legend; ahead of it, he publicly thanked Canada's prime minister for championing girls' education.

In January 2020 Shawn Mendes donated to the Red Cross and rural fire services of which country?

Australia's New South Wales Rural Fire Service and South Australian Country Fire Service were both named as recipients during the country's devastating fire season.

Which tech giant partnered with the Shawn Mendes Foundation to award its first Wonder Grants?

Google backed the first round of grants, which support young creatives launching projects in fields from music and film to science and the environment.

Which lead single from his album Shawn has Shawn Mendes singing about the anxiety that ended a tour?

Why Why Why was written at Bear Creek Studio in Washington state, and one verse about a pregnancy scare drew media coverage.

Which song, written for a late childhood friend, did Shawn Mendes dedicate to Liam Payne in concert?

Heart of Gold was dedicated to Payne at Brooklyn's Paramount Theater two days after his death; Mendes wrote it for a friend lost to a drug overdose.

Shawn Mendes became the youngest advisor in the US history of The Voice when he joined which coach's team?

Alicia Keys recruited him for the Battle Rounds of season fourteen, when Mendes was nineteen.

During his touring break, Shawn Mendes guested with Noah Kahan and which One Direction alumnus?

Niall Horan's guest spot was one of a handful of cameos Mendes made before announcing, in March 2024, his first solo show since scrapping his tour.

Which ceremony gave Shawn Mendes its Webstar in Music prize in 2014, before he had released a studio album?

Teen Choice Awards voters honoured him as a web star first, and a year later 'Stitches' was up for Choice Music Single: Male Artist.

Shawn Mendes began his 'For Friends and Family Only' shows on his birthday in which upstate New York town?

Woodstock's Bearsville Theater hosted the first night on August 8, 2024, and the concert film shot there premiered the day before the album's release.

Besides Malibu, Shawn Mendes held recording sessions for his self-titled album in which Caribbean country?

Jamaica gave fans an early clue: the title 'Lost in Japan' was first spotted in the background of Instagram posts he shared from the sessions there.

Shawn Mendes joined a July 2021 remix of 'KESI', a single by which Colombian singer?

Camilo put the original on Mis Manos, an album whose title means 'my hands' because he says he wrote, produced, recorded and played it himself.

Which actress and singer recorded an acoustic duet version of 'Stitches' with Shawn Mendes in July 2015?

Hailee Steinfeld's duet video followed the song's official video by a month, and three years later both singers served as advisors on The Voice.

Which NFL star did Shawn Mendes take on in a rap battle on the TV series Drop the Mic?

Odell Beckham Jr. shared the episode with a second bout, in which Pretty in Pink co-stars Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer traded bars.

Which fashion brand pledged one million dollars to offset the impact of Shawn Mendes's Wonder tour?

Tommy Hilfiger made the pledge as part of a sustainability collaboration with Mendes, whose tour was presented by Disney+.

Shawn Mendes and his charity gave $175,000 in COVID-19 relief to which Canadian children's cause?

SickKids Foundation raises money for Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children; the March 2020 gift came jointly from Mendes and his own foundation.

Which singer-songwriter opened the North American leg of Shawn Mendes's first all-arena tour in 2017?

Charlie Puth came aboard for the 29 North American shows, after the tour had opened with a 21-date European run starting in Glasgow.

Shawn Mendes opened his 2016 world tour that March at which famous New York theatre?

Radio City Music Hall began a run of 38 shows across North America and Europe that sold out within minutes.

Which La La Land star hosted Saturday Night Live when Shawn Mendes first appeared as its musical guest?

Emma Stone fronted the December 2016 episode, on which he sang 'Mercy' and 'Treat You Better'; he returned in 2019 on a show hosted by Adam Sandler.

Shawn Mendes topped which annual Billboard ranking of young music stars two years in a row?

21 Under 21 ranked him first two years running, and Forbes had already put him on its own 30 Under 30 music list.

Which dental company unveiled a campaign with Shawn Mendes in an advert during the 61st Grammy Awards?

SmileDirectClub pledged some of the proceeds to organisations that work to improve children's health and their mental and emotional well-being.

Which modelling agency signed Shawn Mendes in 2016, the year before he walked a Milan runway?

Wilhelmina Models took him on before he strode out for an Italian fashion house wearing its new smartwatch.

Which organisation's Allan Slaight Honour, a prize for young Canadian musicians, went to Shawn Mendes?

Canada's Walk of Fame gives the honour's winner $10,000 but does not count them as inductees; Drake and the Weeknd were earlier recipients.

Shawn Mendes's debut album broke a second-week sales-drop record held by which Madonna album?

MDNA had held the mark for the steepest second-week fall by a chart-topping debut since 2012; Mendes's pure sales dropped 89 percent as he slid to seventeenth.

Which soul singer joined Shawn Mendes on the remix of 'Why' from his EP The Album (Remixes)?

Leon Bridges shared the three-song set with Kaytranada, who reworked 'Where Were You in the Morning?', and Jessie Reyez, who joined 'Youth'.

Which producer co-wrote the single 'Wonder' with Shawn Mendes, Scott Harris and Nate Mercereau?

Kid Harpoon also helped produce the parent album alongside Frank Dukes, a record one critic called Mendes's most musically adventurous.

Which song did Shawn Mendes debut at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, playing amid candles and fog?

"Nobody Knows" was written and recorded in one take on what Mendes called a tough night, and he performed it at the ceremony alongside its co-writers.

Shawn Mendes wrote 'The Mountain', a song on his album Shawn, during a January 2024 stay in which country?

Costa Rica's Nosara was where the song took shape; the album was written and recorded over two years in places including Washington state and Nashville.