Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes
Mendes in December 2014
Background information
Birth name	Shawn Peter Raul Mendes
Born	(1998-08-08) August 8, 1998 (age 18) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Pop acoustic folk pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano keyboards
Years active	2013–present
Labels	Island
Website	shawnmendesofficial.com

Shawn Peter Raul Mendes (/ˈmɛndɛz/, European Portuguese: [ˈmẽdɨʃ]; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He attracted a following in 2013, when he began posting song covers on the video sharing application Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist managers Andrew Gertler and Island Records A&R Ziggy Chareton, which led to him signing a deal with the record label. Mendes went on to release an EP and his debut studio album Handwritten, whose single "Stitches" reached the top 10 in the US and Canada, and number one in the UK. His sophomore album, Illuminate (2016), was preceded by the single "Treat You Better". Both albums debuted atop the US Billboard 200.

Mendes was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Karen, a real estate agent, and Manuel Mendes, a businessman, selling bar and restaurant supplies in Toronto. His father is Portuguese (from the Algarve), while his mother is English. He has a younger sister Aaliyah. Mendes was raised in Pickering, Ontario, where he attended Pine Ridge Secondary School.