Shawn Mendes Shares Why He Wants To Be a “Big Brother” Kind of Role Model To His Fans

“[I want to be] someone you look up to and admire and ask for advice and pay attention to.”

When it comes to supporting your favorite artists, do you tend to idolize musicians like traditionally giant rockstars, or do you feel like you get to know personally them as friends? In a new interview, Shawn Mendes explained that especially through social media, he has been able to connect with fans and form meaningful and unique relationships.

“For me I see [my relationship with my fans] as like this older brother thing, where he’s your older brother who’s the captain of the football team but he’s someone you look up to and admire and ask for advice and pay attention to. But he’s also your brother at the same time and I think that’s the best of both worlds,” Shawn told Paper. “I know that they all look up to what I say, and I try to be a great role model. They truly appreciate what I say and what I do, but at the same time they all remember that I’m human and I’m just a dude and that’s really nice.”

While having millions of fans looking up to him and watching his every move may sound a bit stressful, Shawn adds that he never thinks of his platform as an overwhelming responsiblity. 

“I ran head first into the industry when I was 15 and so it feels very natural for me to be honest to be this way,” he shared. “I like being able to be a role model for people, especially younger kids.”

It’s so great that Shawn not only wants to share his genuine experiences with his supporters, but that he realizes his proud moments make us ALL proud.