A complete guide to Shawn Mendes' 14 tattoos and their meanings
- Shawn Mendes has 14 known tattoos on his arms, hands, and chest.
- Some designs are inspired by the singer's family members, while others are tributes to his music.
Mendes got his first tattoo, a guitar on his right arm, in 2016.
The "Treat You Better" singer got the tattoo in June 2016.
During an appearance on the "Today" show in July 2016, Mendes explained that the guitar-shaped ink is comprised of trees reflected on water, the CN Tower in Toronto (in honor of his hometown), and a sound wave of his parents and younger sister saying "I love you."
Mendes later told Ellen DeGeneres that he had the idea for the tattoo for over a year prior to getting it. Mendes told the talk-show host that it's symbolic of his connection among "home, work, and family."
He also told Teen Vogue that he thought carefully before getting the ink because "I really wanted to make sure my first tattoo was something I'd be happy with forever."
He got a light bulb on the back of his right arm commemorating his second studio album, "Illuminate."
The light bulb includes roots and the bottom as well as a blue orchid, which is his mom's favorite flower. Mendes told British GQ that it's a reminder for him to "stay grounded" as his success grows.
"I got it when I was in Oslo on tour," he told Teen Vogue. "I really wanted something to remember this time of my life."
The singer and his mom, Karen Mendes, got matching elephant tattoos on their fingers.
Mendes revealed the ink by posting a Boomerang on his Instagram story in September 2017.
"I was trying to convince her to get a tattoo for a while, and this is kind of the only thing she would do because she's obsessed with elephants. And they're pretty cool animals, actually, if you read about them," he told GQ that month.
Mendes got a swallow on his right hand in December 2017.
The design was done by Toronto-based tattoo artist Livia Tsang.
Mendes told British GQ that the bird is "a reminder of the fact that home isn't a building, but it's the people you love and the people you know as family and friends."
The musician also said that swallows are a symbol for travelers because sailors used to get the tattoo before and after a voyage.
He has an "8" on the middle finger of his right hand.
The ink is a nod to his lucky number and his birthday: August 8, 1998.
The singer told British GQ that the tattoo was "a very fast decision, influences involved."
In an interview with W Magazine published in May 2018, Mendes said that he got the tattoo with Hailey Baldwin, who accompanied him to the Met Gala that year.
He referred to her as his friend at the time, though Us Weekly reported that they dated. In a Rolling Stone cover story released a few months later, Mendes said that he was hesitant to "put a title" on his relationship with Baldwin.
"I think it was more of a zone of limbo," he said.
Mendes has a design of a meditating person on his right wrist.
It's unclear when he got the tattoo, but it was visible in photos of him performing as far back as September 2018. It was also seen in Mendes' music video for "Lost In Japan," released in October of that year.
Mendes' longtime friend Brian Craigen has the same tattoo on his right arm.
Mendes has been outspoken about his own mental health and previously told Vogue that the meditation app Calm helped him cope with his anxiety.
"I had definitely sat down a couple of times and done a meditation on YouTube, but it really wasn't until about two and a half years ago, when I was going through a really tough time and had a lot of anxiety, that I started using it regularly."
In July 2019, Mendes got a butterfly tattoo on his left arm after being impressed by a fan-made edit.
A fan posted an edited photo of Mendes with a butterfly tattoo and in response, the "Mercy" singer tweeted back: "Wait this is awesome, can u DM the drawing ??"
Days later, Mendes got the butterfly, which was designed by @macdreaper, tattooed on his arm by Tsang.
The back of his left arm has a tattoo that reads "good luck."
Mendes got the tattoo while in Singapore in October 2019 as part of his concert tour.
In November 2019, He got an "A" behind his right ear for his sister, Aaliyah Mendes.
The ink was done by Kane Navasard.
He has another tattoo for his sibling on his left shoulder, near his collarbone.
His sister's name, Aaliyah Maria, is written in script and was also done by Navasard in July 2020.
Mendes quietly got a "Wonder" tattoo on his right arm months prior to the release of his fourth studio album of the same name
Fans noticed the ink in photos of Mendes taken as far back as August 2020.
The album was largely inspired by Mendes' own evolution as a person as well as his relationship with Camila Cabello. He told SiriusXM that Cabello was encouraging throughout the process of him creating the album.
Mendes got the phrase "little sunflower" tattooed in script on his rib cage in October 2020.
In May 2021, he got the phrase "good boy" tattooed on his left arm.
The ink was done by Navasard and is located below Mendes' butterfly tattoo. It's unclear what the meaning behind the tattoo is, but fans have speculated that it was inspired by Mendes' dog named Tarzan.
"Fe" is written on the "Summer of Love" singer's right shoulder.
The word is Portuguese for "faith."
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