Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes

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Shawn Mendes Lands Third No. 1 Album With Latest Self-Titled LP

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The Canadian singer/songwriter becomes the third-youngest solo artist to top the Billboard 200 three times
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 4, 2018 - 7:11 am

There's nothing holding back Shawn Mendes. The 19-year-old singer/songwriter has gone from Vine sensation to pop star in a few short years on the strength of his silky voice, guitar prowess and irresistible crafty songs. Now, just one week after his self-titled third LP dropped, Mendes has landed his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.

Shawn Mendes On His Latest Self-Titled Album

With Shawn Mendes debuting in the chart's top spot, Mendes becomes the third-youngest solo artist to have three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, behind pop sensations Justin Bieber, who was 17 when he scored his third No. 1 in 2011, and Miley Cyrus, who was just 15 when she topped the charts a third time in 2008.

For all its commercial success, Shawn Mendes shows an impressive stylistic range from the young artist that demonstrates Mendes' creative evolution and teases the many musical possibilities his blossoming career holds.

"For me, it was just about exploring myself musically and not just sticking to one genre, and allowing myself to create the music that my heart really wanted to make and understanding that it's not about the genre but it's about the person and the cohesiveness within the stories I was telling and with my voice. That I'm really proud of," Mendes said in a recent exclusive interview with GRAMMY.com. "I'm proud of the fact that you can listen to the top of this album and hear a big rock anthem, and then halfway through you're in some kind of crazy slow R&B jam and then, at the very end, you're in the singer/songwriter world that everybody knows me [for]."

The chart success of Shawn Mendes may have been boosted by the Canadian singer/songwriter's prolific ramp-up to the album. Mendes released five of the album's songs prior to the its May 25 arrival date, including the catchy collab with Julia Michaels, "Nervous," and his uplifting anthem duet with Khalid, "Youth," as well "In My Blood," "Lost In Japan," "Where Were You In The Morning?" 

His latest LP follows 2016's Illuminate, which yielded three Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 hits: "Mercy," "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" and "Treat You Better." Mendes' debut album, 2015's Handwritten, scored him the No. 4 breakout hit "Stitches." Both previous albums made it to the top spot on the Billboard 200.

"Third No. 1 album, I just want to say that I love you guys to death," Mendes said to his fans in a video posted on Twitter. "Thank you for listening and buying the album and telling people to listen to it and supporting me… I love you guys, thank you."

Mendes performed at Governors Ball in New York this past Friday, June 1, and his world tour picks up June 12 in Portland Ore. with Charlie Puth along for the ride as tour mate in support of his own new project, Voicenotes. For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit Mendes' website.

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Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Shawn Mendes Drops Julia Michaels Collab "Nervous" Ahead Of New Album

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With his third full-length album due out May 25, Mendes drops a new soulful pop track he wrote with the "Issues" singer
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
May 23, 2018 - 7:48 am

Shawn Mendes can't seem to sit still leading up to the release of his highly anticipated third full-length LP, the self-titled Shawn Mendes, which is due out May 25. The Canadian singer/songwriter has dropped yet another new song ahead of the album's arrival, his first collaboration with GRAMMY nominee Julia Michaels, "Nervous."

The song's anxious guitar opening and shaky first few lyrical lines support its title and theme, and as Mendes adrenaline begins to kick in, so does the kick drum, then the tambourine. Once the chorus arrives, a crew of background singers join in to support his excitement. In all, the soulfully vulnerable and concise number shows off Mendes and Michaels' pop chops.

"'Nervous' was the first time I got to work with Julia Michaels," said Mendes in a behind-the-scenes video posted on Twitter. "She's this ball of emotion that's just kind of uncontrollable. She feels sadness and she feels happiness and she feels love and heartbreak all kind of at the same time. It was so awesome because I felt like I was just allowed to be free with the music… The actual concept of the song is super insecure, and 'I get nervous around you,' but the sound of the song is this 'I'm the man'-type thing, so I love the contrast between the two."

"Nervous" marks the fifth new song from Mendes ahead of the release of his album, following "In My Blood," "Lost In Japan," "Where Were You In The Morning," and his collaboration with GRAMMY nominee Khalid for the song "Youth," which the duo delivered live at the Billboard Music Awards alongside the Majority Stoneman Douglas Student Choir. Mendes also performed the aforementioned "In My Blood" solo on the show.

Mendes continues on his massive world tour, picking back up in Portland, Ore. June 12 and wrapping up Aug. 24 in Brooklyn, N.Y, making several festival appearances in the U.S., Europe and Japan along the way including a performance on June 1 at Governors Ball in New York City. Mendes' tourmate, GRAMMY nominee Charlie Puth, dropped an album of his own earlier this month, Voicenotes.

For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit Mendes' website.

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Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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Janet Jackson, BTS, Taylor Swift Light Up Las Vegas At 2018 BBMAs

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Khalid, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Maren Morris, and Ed Sheeran also win big
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
May 21, 2018 - 7:38 am

The stars were out last night in Sin City for the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. Hosted by Kelly Clarkson, the evening included memorable performances by BTS, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Salt-N-Pepa, and Janet Jackson, who received the Billboard Icon Award.

The show began with a heartfelt message from host Kelly Clarkson calling for a "moment of action" in the wake the tragic school shooting on May 18 in Santa Fe, Texas. Ariana Grande delivered the first performance of the night with her latest single, "No Tears Left To Cry." The first award dished out, Top New Artist, went to a very excited Khalid, who encouraged his fellow youth to stay positive and shouted out his hometown of El Paso, Texas.

Other key awards included Top Hot 100 Song, which went to Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber for their mega-hit "Despacito," Top Billboard 200 Artist Drake, Top Male Artist Ed Sheeran, and Top Female Artist Taylor Swift, who gave an empowering acceptance speech, sending love to her fellow female artists.

"I want to thank all the female artists who have paved the way for us to get to do what we do the way we get to do it," said Swift. "All the new artists, the new female artists, who are killing it out there right now, we're so inspired by you. And a shout-out to the future female artists who just picked up a guitar or learned how play the piano, and to the fans who care about the music that we make. Thank you so much."

Top Social Artist went to Korean pop sensations BTS for the second straight year. The group also performed their new single "Fake Love" from their album Love Yourself: Tear, which dropped last Friday, May 18. In addition to their award, BTS continuously received the loudest reception of screams from fans at the MGM Grand, and a photo from their backstage meeting with Taylor Swift set social media ablaze.

But the evening's biggest honor belonged to R&B/pop legend Janet Jackson, who became the first African-American woman to receive the Billboard Icon Award. Jackson also performed for the first time on television in nearly a decade, singing her hits "Nasty," "If," and "Throb" before the star-studded audience.

Other notable performances included Maren Morris and Zedd's "The Middle," Camila Cabello with Pharrell Williams doing their new duet "Sangria Wine," and Shawn Mendez joining Khalid and Majority Stoneman Douglas Student Choir for the moving version of their new song, "Youth." The show closed with Salt-N-Pepa reuniting for a medley of hits, including "Shoop," "Let's Talk About Sex," and "Push It" before bringing out En Vouge for "Whatta Man."

View a full list of 2018 Billboard Music Awards winners.

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Kesha

Kesha

Photo: Joseph Okpako/Getty Images

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Kesha, Lil Uzi Vert, Janelle Monaé Added As Headliners For Summerfest

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Imagine Dragons, Marshmello, Logic, The Weeknd, Arcade Fire, Florida Georgia Line, and more will also play the annual summer bash in Milwaukee, Wis.
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 5, 2018 - 7:29 am

Last year, Milwaukee's Summerfest celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 2018 the festival continues to grow, rolling out an incredible lineup including huge names from pop, rock, country, dance, hip-hop, and R&B led by newly announced headlines GRAMMY nominees Kesha, Lil Uzi Vert, and Janelle Monaé.

With more than 100 headliners in all, Summerfest will also feature performances from Imagine Dragons, Marshmello, Bonnie Raitt, Logic, The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Arcade Fire, Florida Georgia Line, Anderson East, Blake Shelton, The Fray, and many more.

In recent years, Summerfest has grown into a massive musical and cultural gathering, taking over a 75-acre permanent festival grounds on the Lake Michigan shore in downtown Milwaukee for 11 days and featuring over 800 artists on 12 stages. The festival is produced by the non-profit organization Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.

“Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. exists to promote the performing arts, showcase the diversity of our community and promote Milwaukee as a destination,” said Don Smiley, president and CEO of the organization. “This mission has guided us for decades and it makes our festival distinctly different from other events."

Full lineup information, schedule and ticket information are available via the festival's website.

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Drake

Drake

Photo: Brian Steffy/Getty Images

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Listen: Drake's New Double Album 'Scorpion' Is Here

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After months of buildup and three singles, the GRAMMY-winning rapper's fifth album finally arrives
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 29, 2018 - 7:41 am

Anticipation has been mounting all year for Drake's fifth album, Scorpion. Today, the wait is finally over as the Canadian rapper's new double album arrived.

Scorpion includes three previously released singles. "God's Plan" came first as part of Drake's Scary Hours EP in January. The song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and held strong in that spot, making Drake the first male solo artist in history to keep more than one single in the chart's top spot for double-digit weeks. "God's Plan" appears as the fifth track on the first "disc" of Scorpion.

"Nice For What" dropped in April, featuring a sample of Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" and dethroning "God's Plan" at No. 1. In May, Drake released the third single from Scorpion, "I'm Upset," which he followed with a nostalgic video for the song focused around a cast reunion of "Degrassi: The Next Generation," the Canadian teen television drama he acted on a decade ago. "I'm Upset" follows "God's Plan" as track six on disc one, while "Nice For What" anchors disc two of Scorpion as track four.

With 25 tracks total, Scorpion defies the Kanye West-led trend of releasing relatively short albums – in West's case, all of his recent releases as a producer or artist from the "Wyoming Session" have either seven or eight tracks. West also recently revealed Drake was indeed a co-writer on "Yikes" from Ye.

Drake also used featured guests sparingly on Scorpion, but the album does feature Jay-Z on "Talk Up," Static Major and Ty Dolla $ign on "After Dark," and even a posthumous appearance from Michael Jackson on "Don't Matter To Me."

Drake is all set to head out on tour in support of Scorpion. The Aubrey And The Three Amigos North American tour with Migos kicks off July 26 in Salt Lake City and wraps in Atlanta on Nov. 17. For a full list of dates and ticket info, visit Drake's website.

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