Shawn Mendes

One Liner: Former Canadian vine star turned pop star (sound familiar?)
Wikipedia Genre:  Pop folk, pop, pop rock
Home: Toronto

Poster Position: 2
Day: Sunday at 6:00
Weekend Two Only.

Thoughts:  I will tell you one thing about this guy, my middle kiddo has been generally satisfied with using Spotify or Pandora or whatever Alexa uses to get music for a while now.  But the other day, she explicitly asked if I would buy her this guy's album so that she could have it at camp.  That may not mean anything to you, but that twigged my antennae for her to (a) like something enough to want to pay for it; and (b) want a specific artist like that, instead of being just fine with some terrible "top pop" compilation station.  So, I am now the proud owner of a digital copy of Mendes' 2017 album Illuminate.  I am extremely hip.

Of further interest (to me, you are likely rolling your eyes by now), we listened to samples of the new album (2018's Shawn Mendes) before she chose which album she wanted to buy, and she decided on the older album.  I think I tend to agree.

Anyway, this dude is a Canadian pop star who made his initial foray into fame via the Vine app.  This is that thing that lets you record and share six-second-long video clips (which was since purchased by Twitter and then shuttered).  Here is a five minute long compilation of six-second long videos, if you want to see what it looked like to those who made him famous.

Personally, most of those make my skin crawl.  Something about the earnestness and vocal affectations gross me out.  I know this was the style in 2013, but still.

Homeboy parlayed that internet fame into a record deal with Island records in 2014.  His first album was 2015's Handwritten, and unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard the major hit from that album, because I try to avoid this type of music, and yet I've heard it approximately 7 billion times.  846.2 MILLION streams on Spotify.  "Stitches."

I mean, almost a billion freaking streams on one platform alone?  Oh, and the YouTube video has 1.023 billion views.  I mean, holy shit.  Its a catchy little love song and all, but that is pretty wild.  Interesting thing about that album though, you can tell that it came out in an age of love for single tracks, as there are several songs with over 100 million streams, and then several songs that don't even break the 5 million mark.  Only the olds (looking at myself here) are trying the whole album instead of just the individual hits.

Two years later, he released Illuminate and got even larger.  This one has three tracks with mega-hit streams - "There's Nothing Holding Me Back" (640.5 million), "Mercy" (534.3 million), and "Treat You Better" (815.3 million).  And no song on the album is under 30 million streams.  I know it isn't the top track, but I like "There's Nothing Holding Me Back" better, so here you go.

Lemme slip on these here dancin' shoes just real quick.  A few factoids from his Wikipedia page: "In 2018, Mendes was included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Mendes also [became] the first artist to land four number ones on the Adult Top 40 chart before age 20. Among his accolades, Mendes has won an American Music Award and three Juno Awards."  He's also been an actor on the CW show The 100, is the third youngest artist to have three number one albums, and has sold out mega arenas like Staples, Madison Square Garden, and the O2 in London.  

I find this all FASCINATING.  A few months ago when he was named to the top of this poster, I literally wasn't sure who he was.  I obviously recognize these songs, but I couldn't have named one just based on his generic ass name.  And now I find out that he's truly a top tier pop star these days.  Weird.

His sound is a little bit Timberlake (especially on this new album, and especially on the falsettos), a little bit Bieber, a little bit Mayer.  Its a good voice.  I can't quibble with the fact that he really does sound good.  "Nervous" and "Particular Taste" really sound like Timberlake.

Interestingly, his biggest hit on the new album is a driving tune about his personal insecurities and how he needs help to not implode.  Kind of bold move, that sort of openness from a major pop star.  Here is "In My Blood," which has 239 million streams.

"Just have a drink and you'll feel better, Just take her home and you'll feel better, Keep telling me that it gets better, Does it ever?"  Criminy.  The guy is at the top of the pop world, and that is his new single?  Wikipedia says that he has frequently been open with his struggles with an anxiety disorder, so maybe this is all on brand for him.  Just think that is an interesting thing to sing about, but hopefully it helps him out with the discomfort to have 3 million little girls screaming lyrics about his disorder directly into his face.

This music is definitely not my normal cup of tea.  I wouldn't ever buy tickets to see Mendes if he were just coming here on tour.  And yet, I might go check out the show, just to witness what all the hype is about.