“I was super-obsessed with cover videos. When I was, like, 10, I would come home from school and watch them from 4 o'clock until 8 o'clock every night. I was so intrigued that people took these super-popular songs and did them their own way.”

Canadian singer, songwriter and musician

Shawn Mendes is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician. He first gained attention by posting song covers on YouTube and Vine, before signing with Island Records and releasing his self-titled debut EP in 2014. His early rise came through social media, where he built an audience with cover versions of popular songs. The facts here point to a career rooted in pop performance and songwriting, with his public profile established through online sharing and his first EP release.