Shawn Mendes talks ahead of Birmingham show

Supporting the release of his self-titled third album, the multi-platinum and chart-topping singer/songwriter will be taking to the Arena Birmingham stage and fans can hear new tracks like In My Blood and Lost In Japan.

The Canadian singer and model has enjoyed a rapid rise to the top, sweeping all before him since 2013, when he started posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine.

That helped him catch the attention of artist manager Andrew Gertler and Island Records A&R Ziggy Chareton, which signed him up.

His self-titled debut EP followed in 2014 and his debut studio album Handwritten came a year after, featuring the number one hit single Stitches.

He then released his second studio album Illuminate (2016), whose singles Treat You Better and There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back reached the top 10 in several countries. His self-titled third studio album (2018) was supported by the lead single In My Blood.

Mendes has become one of the biggest stars on the planet and all three albums debuted atop the US Billboard 200, with the first one making Mendes one of five artists ever to debut at number one before the age of 18, and the third one making him the third-youngest artist to achieve three number one albums.

Mendes has headlined four concert tours: ShawnsFirstHeadlines, Shawn Mendes World Tour, Illuminate World Tour, and Shawn Mendes: The Tour. And in 2018, Time named Mendes one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual list.

But given his success, Mendes is under tremendous pressure – and not only to sound good, he also has to turn on the style for fans.

“Yeah, I definitely feel under pressure to look good – a lot more than I did when I was younger obviously. I do, but I actually feel that every time I feel that pressure to look good or cool or whatever, I just try to be very authentic with what I’m wearing, because that’s when you look your best I think. My daily outfit is probably just Chelsea boots, jeans, a T-shirt and whatever jacket I can find.”

He told GQ magazine that he’d worked with Armani and worked hard to stay ahead. “My number one style rule would be to try everything. I remember when I went to put a necklace and rings on for the first time and everyone was like ‘I don’t know man’, but if you genuinely feel like it’s cool then you should wear it because then it will be cool.”

Mendes has had well-publicised difficulties with anxiety – which is perhaps not surprising given the scale of his success. The track, In My Blood, chronicles his difficulties and marked a change in direction for the young star.

“It was absolutely terrifying. I was thinking, what if people say, ‘Why is he making sad songs? We like his songs about love.’ I was terrified, then I realised it’s not about that. The day after it came out, I started getting messages from fans, friends and family about how important it was to them. You know, I couldn’t be happier.”

And now he’s back on the road doing what he loves best – performing for his fans.