Mendes is on a roll, with his first three studio albums all hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, an achievement he managed by the age of 20. Now he’s a seasoned industry professional at just 22, and he’ll hope to continue that chart streak with his fourth studio album, Wonder, due out Dec. 4.
On Wednesday, the singer dished up two new works from it, “Intro,” which he performed at the piano, and the title track, “Wonder,” an epic number with touches of gospel which he performed with a full band.
“I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you,” he sang, bouncing around the stage with boundless energy. The kid hasn’t lost a step during the enforced downtime.
The pop artist also sat for a chat with host Jimmy Fallon on life, love and his new album. He’s been quarantining with his girlfriend Camila Cabello in Miami, he’s looking relaxed and his hair is — we’re told — the longest it has ever been. The housebound routine kept him nicely chilled. “I’ve basically been living in a hotel room since I was 15. It’s been really nice.”
Most clouds have a silver lining. With the quarantine, “I had a real moment to find some stillness and just be quiet with myself and also find some confidence with my work that I was doing,” he explained. “There was a real place inside of me that was scared of saying something wrong or doing something wrong or saying the wrong thing. After chilling out and reflecting a bit, I found this place where, when we’re talking about matters of the heart, you don’t have to be an expert.”
The new album, came from “a place of freedom,” he said.
Mendes also opened up on the companion documentary, which will drop next month on Netflix and promises to show the artist at his most vulnerable. “It’s raw, it’s definitely raw,” he admits.
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder will premiere Nov. 23 on the streaming platform. The feature-length film was a special event selection at Mendes’ hometown Toronto International Film Festival.
Watch below.