A new Front and Center episode is out, featuring Canada's Shawn Mendes at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City.
Mendes performed his hit "Mercy," as well as "Treat You Better." In the accompanying interview, the singer gives an interesting perspective on the concept behind "Mercy."
“‘Mercy,’ I love conceptually, because I feel like you can either think about it as if it were a girl -- which it sounds like it could be about a girl -- but I like to picture it as pleading for mercy for my career, type of thing,” he said.
He goes on to explain that working as a musician is not as easy as it is made out to be. The grueling touring life can take a lot of energy. But he continues to further define his hit song as a clear expression of his passion for music, and what one can do for something loved so much.
Mendes' Illuminate World Tour, in support of his second album, kicks off April 27 in Scotland (after a warm-up gig on March 18 in Manila). It hits Vancouver on July 8 and stops in Montreal on Aug. 14.