Shawn Mendes
circumvented traditional routes to a recording contract by posting short clips of himself singing other people's songs on the video-sharing service Vine. These were no more than a few seconds -- Vine's restrictions set the limit at six seconds, which is hardly enough time to cover a chorus -- but it was enough to set some teenage hearts aflutter, which led to a contract with
Island
, which led to an EP in 2014, which led to the full-length debut
Handwritten
in 2015.
showcases
Mendes
' fusion of
Jason Mraz
's singsong loverman schtick and
Ryan Tedder
's adult contemporary.
has songwriting credits on two-thirds of
, but when the record clicks -- as it does on "Stitches" and "Kid in Love" -- it's a combination of his sweet, puppy-dog charm and pristine production. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine