Shawn Mendes: Ontario internet celebrity poised for worldwide fame
Mendes has over 3 million followers on Vine, record deal with Universal
Hundreds of screaming teenage girls gathered Wednesday outside Universal Music Canada’s head office in Toronto to get up close and personal with Canada’s very own vinelebrity, Shawn Mendes.
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The 16-year-old from Pickering, Ont., is being called the next Justin Bieber for his looks and talent. Mendes caught the attention of his now 3 million Vine followers after posting a six and a half second clip of Bieber’s As Long as You Love Me.
"I woke up the next morning and my following was just blowing up, and I mean, every day I posted a Vine and it was kind of spiralling to where it is now," Mendes said during an interview with CBC’s Deana Sumanac earlier today.
It’s been an exciting year for the young star. A few days ago Mendes took home a Teen Choice Award. He is currently touring with fellow internet sensation Austin Malone along with The Vamps and Fifth Harmony. Mendes also has a major record deal with Island records and his single Life of the Party made him the youngest artist to debut on the top 25 of Billboard’s top 100 charts.
Universal Music Canada’s President Randy Lennox expects there’s much more in store for the teen heartthrob. “It's sort of like minute three here in Andy Warhol's 15 minutes."
Watch the report above to learn more about Mendes’s rise to fame.