Virgin EMI UK president Ted Cockle has toasted a “great year” for Canadian singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes, citing the star’s work ethic and prolific output as central to his 2016 performance.
Mendes, who made his name on the soon-to-close social media platform Vine, has built on the success of his 2015 debut Handwritten throughout the year. Clocking up sales of 119,844 to date, according to the OCC, his inaugural outing laid the groundwork for what has transpired to be another stellar year.
His sophomore effort Illuminate was released in September and has so far sold 66,931 copies. It has also spawned hit singles including Mercy, which has sold 262,393 copies and Treat You Better, which has achieved platinum status on sales of 766,273.
According to Cockle, Mendes’ success boils down to a combination of raw talent, commitment and simply being an easy artist to work with.
“He fits the category of the most decent artist you’ll have around,” Cockle told Music Week. “He just leaves a load of good DNA wherever he turns up. It’s a rarely discussed factor in the process, but one that in Shawn’s world has really looked after him.
“What he is achieving is very difficult to achieve. Lots of people can sell singles, lots can sell albums and lots can sell tickets, but there aren’t many that can do all three when they are that young.”
In addition to the quality of the songs and Mendes’ all-round attitude when it comes to the business of making music, Cockle also believes that the strategy to maintain the momentum of Handwritten with a swift follow-up has paid dividends.
“It was a short amount of time between the two albums and by the time Stitches came out we were virtually able to run one album into the next,” Cockle added. “We never let the afterglow from the embers of the first album die down, we were already moving into the second album while people were still discovering the first.”
Meanwhile, Mendes’ manager Andrew Gertler highlighted the artist’s steadfast belief in the album format at a time when the industry is moving increasingly towards a track-centric model.
“His singles have led a lot of people to his music, but we’ve always started with the intention of making great albums.” Gertler told Music Week.
“When he goes into the studio he’s not going in to write a radio hit, he’s going in to put a great body of work together and these great songs have come out of the process. At heart he really is a songwriter and an album artist.”
Gertler also pointed to a number of media appearances this year that have proved crucial in boosting both Mendes’ profile and sales.
“The X Factor in the UK was one of the biggest catalysts we’ve seen from a TV performance for the song Mercy,” he added. “We also did a few X Factors throughout Europe and Australia. And the one most recently that a lot of artists strive for in the States was his Saturday Night Live appearance.”
So what’s in store for next year? According to Gertler, the campaign behind Illuminate will motor on into 2017, with the possibility of new music also in the mix.
“He’s touring this album in Europe in March,” Gertler said. “And he’s constantly writing, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a new single or two released between this album and the next. A big part of the success is to constantly have content bubbling under and new material coming out.”
