Canada's Shawn Mendes: from Vine to Time

"He's like Neo in 'The Matrix,' downloading skills in one sitting" - Mayer also wrote that the beauty of Mendes's craft is that you're there with him as he discovers new sounds. "His songs are often his interpretation of music he's fallen in love with, sometimes while he's still on his honeymoon with it," Mayer wrote.

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His influences have ranged and changed - From Ed Sheeran and Justin Timberlake, to Kanye West, Kings of Leon, and Daniel Caesar, Mendes's influences cross traditional genre borders in a very Gen-Z manner.

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So where did it all begin? - The Toronto-born musician had a similar start to Justin Bieber, but using a different social media platform.

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Instead of YouTube, it was (the now defunct) Vine - Mendes did use YouTube tutorials to learn how to play guitar, but his big break came with the rise of Vine, a short-form video-sharing service where people could post six-second-long looping clips.

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Instant star - After posting cover videos for a few months, Mendes had millions of followers and was one of the most-followed people on the app. He was just 14.

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He even covered Justin Bieber - Mendes's cover of Bieber's 'As Long As You Love Me' was wildly popular, and although Bieber publicly admitted he hadn't heard of Mendes at the time, he later posted a screenshot of Mendes's song 'Stitches' on Instagram and wrote, "Shawn I checked out the music and I'm so proud! So glad to see another boy from Canada crushin it. #canadiansdoitbetter"

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Canadians really do do it better - In 2014, Mendes's first single, 'Life of the Party,' made it onto the Billboard top 25. He's the youngest artist to land a top 25 with a debut single!

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He even broke a record Bieber set - In 2010, Bieber's album 'My World 2.0' debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Top 200. The next artist to achieve the same feat was Mendes, four years later and with the album 'Handwritten.'

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They're signed to the same label - Both young pop singers are signed to Island Records, and they're two of five artists to debut at number one before the age of eighteen.

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Awards on awards - Mendes has received numerous awards and nominations, including ones from MTV Europe Music Awards, the American Music Awards, the Juno Awards, the iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards, and more.

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He ended Bieber's streak at the Juno Awards - Bieber won the Juno Fan Choice Award for four consecutive years (2011 to 2014) and again in 2016. Mendes has been the winner for the past two years.

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He's made some really good friends along the way - Mendes toured with Taylor Swift, Austin Mahone, and several artists who performed with the Jingle Ball Tour.

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He also worked with Hailee Steinfeld - They've shared the stage, performed an acoustic version of 'Stitches,' and Steinfeld also told Teen Vogue that Mendes helped launch her career.

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He has a song with Camila Cabello - The former Fifth Harmony member collaborated with Mendes on his song 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.'

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Mendes has headlined three concert tours - They were called ShawnsFirstHeadlines, Shawn Mendes World Tour, and Illuminate World Tour. Reminder: he hasn't turned 20 yet!

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He stays grounded - At the 2015 Juno Awards, Mendes shared a moment with his fans by projecting their faces up on the screen instead of his own.

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He always takes time for his fans - After all, they supported him from when he was still getting the hang of playing guitar!

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He's easing into a multifaceted fame quite well - Most celebrities tend to delve into fashion at some point, and Mendes did too. Here he is walking the runway at the Emporio Armani fashion show during Milan Men's Fashion Week in 2017.

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He's in the big leagues - At the end of 2017, while most 19-year-olds were drinking too much, Mendes was performing at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

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But he still pays his dues - In a Grammy Salute honouring Elton John, Mendes and R&B singer SZA performed a cover of 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' at Madison Square Garden.

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Following slimy footsteps - This year, the singer won Favourite Male Artist at Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards, and he's had green goo shot at him more than once—joining the ranks of other slimed celebs like Justin Bieber, Will Smith, John Cena, Nick Jonas, and Katy Perry.

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He's also had his fair share of relationship rumours - Inevitably, the young heartthrob has people wondering about his romantic life. The most recent rumours involve model Hailey Baldwin.

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But he's focused on more important things - He told Clash Magazine, "I want to create anthems for people. I want to create anthems for big moments in their lives."

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There's more to the music - He continued, "I think it's not only about the music you release, it's about the things you do while you're making the music."

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That's why he's also into philanthropy - In 2014 and partnered with DoSomething.org, Mendes launched a campaign called 'Notes from Shawn' to combat depression and bullying with acts of kindness.

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He's really good at raising money - Working with Pencils of Promise, Mendes helped raise enough money to build a school in Ghana. In 2017, he donated $100,000 to the Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund.

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In 2015, he was given the Allan Slaight Honour - The honour recognizes Canadian artists who use their platform to inspire others, and previous winners include The Weeknd, Drake, and Carly Rae Jepsen.

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Look out for his upcoming album - Mendes has teased fans with the release of two singles this year, 'In My Blood' and 'Lost in Japan,' which can only mean an album is coming soon.

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