In a sold-out American Airlines Center swimming with shrieking fans, Shawn Mendes sang the lyrics to "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" breathlessly. He grinned from ear to ear as he bounced behind the mic. With a swinging acoustic hanging from his back, Mendes wasn't holding anything back himself during his Monday night set.
It's incredible to see what the 20-year-old has built in just five years. In 2014, his video performances of various cover songs went viral online, catalyzing what became his full-time career. "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" topped the charts in 2017. Today, Mendes is a polished singer-songwriter who plays venues as big as the Grammys.
Mendes was effervescent and overjoyed from start to finish on Monday, delivering on the boyish charm he's always radiated. Without any apparent strain, he nailed the silky riffs and soft falsettos he's known for in "Stiches," a song that showcases his vocal brawn. But sticking to the script wasn't enough for Mendes; at times, he threw his head back and let out soul-baring yells that electrified even the most highly charged songs -- "Bad Reputation" being one of them -- and matched the piercing energy of the room.
When he wasn't strumming a guitar, Mendes was posted up at the piano on one of the two stages that flanked the pit. Fans across the arena wore light-up bracelets that were synchronized to the music. Their effect was like that of fireflies. They added a romantic charm to the softer numbers and, throughout the show, gave the dark venue a colorful glow.
Sitting at the piano next to a larger-than-life flower that resembled something out of Alice in Wonderland, Mendes brought the high-energy evening to its knees with the slower-burning single that started it all, "Life Of The Party." Over a swirling, tiptoeing melody, he sang "We don't care what them people say. We don't have to be ordinary. Make your best mistakes 'cause we don't have the time to be sorry."
The lyrics embody everything Mendes stands for. He writes about uplifting others and breaking the mold, two important themes in today's critical and self-deprecating culture. With warm sentiments like these, and the exhilarating vocal prowess to bring them to life, it's easy to see why Mendes has himself an army of followers.
In between anthemic pop stunners like "Treat You Better" and "Mercy," Mendes diversified the set with acoustic ballads and songs like "Ruin," a bluesy number complete with flickering electric riffs. Toward the end of his set, he covered Coldplay's "Fix You," mimicking the trickling piano intro and whispering lyrics that allow the song to say so much with so little. That eased him into the closer, "In My Blood." He ended things by letting out a rafter-reaching roar.
With such an adoring crowd at his feet, Mendes could have just gone through the motions and gotten away with it. Instead, he outperformed his studio recordings and gave the crowd a show with emotional depth and the kind of artistic work ethic you simply can't teach.
