‘It’s Beautiful and Terrifying’; Shawn Mendes Makes a Soulful Return at the VMAs

Shawn Mendes has been taking some time for himself. Since releasing his 2020 album Wonder, the Canadian singer-songwriter has largely retreated from the spotlight—allowing himself some time to simply enjoy life. But that’s all changing now. Fresh off releasing three new singles—“Nobody Knows,” ”Why Why Why,” and “Isn’t That Enough”—his new album, Shawn, will come out in October, marking his glorious return in a big way. “This album had a major function of healing my wounds surrounding making music, to be honest,” Mendes tells Vogue. “It was really about stripping everything back and getting to the core of myself and what my life has been for the last few years. I’m really proud.”

Of course, at last night’s 2024 MTV VMAs, Mendes also gave his first live performance in his new era. The singer hit the stage for a soulful rendition of “Nobody Knows,” singing with his friends Mike Sabath and Eddie Benjamin. “This year I played with my two brothers, who I made my album with,” says Mendes. “I’m just so happy to be on stage with them playing a song that came from the soul.”

The star admits that he had some nerves returning to such a star-studded event. (Pop stars get nervous too!) “It’s so beautiful and absolutely terrifying,” Mendes says. “I put my heart into this music, so it’s always scary to see what people think. But ultimately, I’m just happy to be back out here seeing faces and singing songs.”

Photo: Thomas Falcone

For his big appearance, Mendes and longtime stylist Tiffany Briseno landed on a sleek all-black suit from Dolce Gabbana for the red carpet, complete with crochet-style trim (a nice touch). “I was really feeling Johnny Cash this year, for some reason,” says Mendes. “I just felt like I wanted to show up in all black, and stand with a strong back and soft heart.”

Once it came time to take the stage, Mendes slipped off the jacket, allowing his silky shirt (unbuttoned, of course) and layered necklaces to shine. “The performance look was simple—a man who just walked a red carpet takes his jacket off, rolls up his sleeves, and plays some music,” says Mendes. The new, pared-back vibe suited his raw and acoustic sound. Mendes says his favorite part of playing the VMAs stage once again was bringing “a little bit of rock and roll—three humans, three instruments, and three voices. Completely live and raw. It felt gooood.”

Below, see more exclusive photos from inside Mendes’s VMAs night.