2016 was the year Shawn Mendes officially went from your boy-next-door to pop superstar. Not only has he made tremendous growth on stage using only his soulful voice, multi-instrumental talents and insane amount of passion, the teen has created music that deeply exemplifies his transformation into an adult artist.
Mendes started the year off by making his television debut on the CW’s The 100. He performed an alluring cover of “Add It Up” by Violent Femmes, showcasing his talents on screen. That same month, the “Life of the Party” singer announced he would be headlining his second world tour to support his debut studio album, along with releasing a new album. Mendes was also featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list.
Right off the bat, 2016 was looking like a great year for Mendes. The pop artist won People’s Choice award for “Favorite Breakout Artist.” He performed his hit song, “I Know What You Did Last Summer” featuring Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello on the award show as well. It wasn’t long before Mendes’ infectious smile would lead to him signing with modeling agency, Wilhelmina Models. In March, the teen was voted “Best New Artist” at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards. He also kicked off his world tour in New York City at Radio City Music Hall.
In June, Mendes and Cabello took home the award for “Favorite Fan Video” and “Best Pop Video” at iHeartRadio’s Much Music Awards for “IKWYDLS.” That same month, Mendes released “Treat You Better,” the lead single off his upcoming album. A month later, he accompanied the track with a sentimental music video. “Treat You Better” became the singer-songwriter’s second top 10 hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
Throughout the course of the summer, Mendes pre-released four more tracks off of his upcoming album, Illuminate. “Ruin,” “Mercy,” “Three Empty Words” and “Don’t Be A Fool” all gave fans a taste of what to expect from a much more mature sounding Mendes. The teen continued his world tour through North America. He even found time to get some inaugural ink on his forearm. On August 8, Mendes turned the big 1-8. He received an adorable onstage surprise the night prior to celebrate his birthday. While performing in Nashville, Tennessee, his friends stormed the stage of The Fontanel with a cake and plenty of birthday hugs. The crowd even chimed in to sing “Happy Birthday!” On August 21, Mendes performed at the Air Canada Centre for a memorable hometown show with all of his loved ones in attendance.
In early September, Mendes announced the very first wave of dates for his all-arena 2017 Illuminate World Tour that is scheduled kick off in April. Leading up to the release of his second album, Mendes played a sold out Madison Square Garden. September 10 was an evening to remember for both the musician and his dedicated fans that have been there since his good old Vine days. The MSG show greatly highlighted Mendes’ growing success. A few weeks later, Mendes dropped his sophomore album, Illuminate. After the record was released online, it went straight to #1 in over 60 countries. Illuminate also debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.
Mendes made several television appearances to promote Illuminate, from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to The Late Late Show with James Corden. Following the popularity of what became his second number one album, Mendes released a music video for the album’s second single, “Mercy.” He performed his latest single on the X Factor UK and X Factor Australia. The Canadian crooner also sang the ballad at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, where he ended up taking home two awards for “Best Male” and “Best Worldwide Act.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=430SEckuS28
The “Stitches” mastermind performed and won big at the Radio 1 Teen Awards this past October, taking the title for “Best Single” and “Best International Solo Artist.” He was also named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Teens of 2016 and earned the top spot on Spotify’s “25 Under 25” list. In November, Mendes wrapped up his world tour and performed both “Treat You Better” and “Mercy” at the annual American Music Awards. Mendes had an AMA nomination for “Best New Artist.” That same month, the pop sensation hit 16 million followers on Instagram and 8 million on Twitter. In addition, he received a nomination for “Best Male Artist” for the 2017 People’s Choice Awards.
Rounding out what has been an incredible year, Mendes showed off his chiseled chest on the cover of Flaunt Magazine’s latest issue and was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Despite a busy schedule, he also performed in Radio 1’s Live Lounge, delivering a soothing rendition of Drake’s “Fake Love.” Although Mendes had to cancel his appearance at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball in San Jose due to illness in late November, he still joined the tour for its Philadelphia and Boston dates.
After what has been an impressive 12 months, we are eager to see what 2017 has in store for this talented heartthrob. What was your favorite Shawn moment of the year? Tweet us at @CelebMix and let us know!
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