Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey
On St. Patrick’s Day in 2022, Shawn Mendes got a text that made no sense. It read: “Happy thanksgiving!!!!” Moments later, another message followed: “Wrong Shawn. Sorry.” The sender was Mariah Carey.
The mix-up went viral after Carey shared it online, and fans loved the playful back-and-forth. It wasn’t the first or last time the two pop stars crossed paths. Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey come from different generations of pop music, but they share big voices, huge fan bases, and a lighthearted connection fans enjoy following.
This article covers their best-known moments together, their individual backgrounds, career highlights, and how their music careers compare.
Quick Facts
| Shawn Mendes | Mariah Carey | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shawn Peter Raul Mendes | Mariah Carey |
| Born | August 8, 1998 | March 27 (birth year commonly listed as 1969) |
| Birthplace | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Huntington, New York, USA |
| Rose to fame | Vine videos, 2013 | Debut album, 1990 |
| Breakout hit | “Stitches” | “Vision of Love” |
| Signature song | “Treat You Better” | “All I Want for Christmas Is You” |
| Nickname | None widely used | “Songbird Supreme” |
Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey: Moments Together
The Accidental Text (2022)
The most famous moment between Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey happened on March 18, 2022. Carey explained that she and her “cousin Shawn M” have a running joke of wishing each other happy Thanksgiving on St. Patrick’s Day. She meant to send the message to a different Shawn, but it landed on Mendes’s phone instead. Mendes took it in stride, replying that he figured it was an inside joke.
Carey posted the exchange, and fans couldn’t get enough. The moment showed both stars’ sense of humor.
Online Friendship
Over the years, the two have exchanged friendly messages and comments on social media. Fans have often shared these moments as signs of a fun, low-key friendship between the two singers.
Gucci Cruise 2027 Show (2026)
On May 16, 2026, both stars attended Gucci’s Cruise 2027 fashion show in Times Square, New York City. Photos and a short clip showed them posing together and sharing a quick hug, and fans said Mendes looked “mesmerized” by Carey’s look.
Shawn Mendes: Early Life and Education
Shawn Mendes was born on August 8, 1998, in Toronto, Canada, and grew up in Pickering, Ontario. His father is Portuguese and his mother is English. He taught himself guitar by watching YouTube videos and started posting short cover songs on Vine in 2013. Within months, he had millions of followers. He attended Pine Ridge Secondary School in Pickering.
Shawn Mendes: Career Timeline
- 2013: Gained a huge following on Vine with six-second covers.
- 2014: Released “Life of the Party,” becoming one of the youngest artists to debut in the Billboard Hot 100 top 25.
- 2015: Released his debut album Handwritten, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Stitches” became a global hit.
- 2016: Released Illuminate, featuring “Treat You Better” and “Mercy.”
- 2018: Released his self-titled album, featuring “In My Blood.” It also reached No. 1.
- 2019: “Señorita” with Camila Cabello hit No. 1 on the Hot 100.
- 2020: Released Wonder, his fourth No. 1 album.
- 2022: Canceled his world tour to focus on his well-being.
- 2024: Released his fifth studio album, Shawn, a more personal, folk-influenced record.
Mariah Carey: Early Life and Education
Mariah Carey was born on March 27 in Huntington, New York. Her birth year is commonly listed as 1969, though Carey famously jokes that she doesn’t count years. Her mother, Patricia, was an opera singer and vocal coach, and she began training Mariah’s voice at a young age. Carey graduated from Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York, then moved to Manhattan to pursue music.
Mariah Carey: Career Timeline
- 1988: Handed a demo tape to Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, who signed her.
- 1990: Released her debut album, Mariah Carey. “Vision of Love” became her first No. 1.
- 1991: Won Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
- 1994: Released Merry Christmas, featuring “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
- 1995: “One Sweet Day” with Boyz II Men spent 16 weeks at No. 1, a record for years.
- 2005: Made a major comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi and the hit “We Belong Together.”
- 2019: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” finally hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, 25 years after its release.
- 2022: Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Carey holds the record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 by a solo artist, with 19. She has two children, twins Moroccan and Monroe, born in 2011.
How Their Careers Compare
| Category | Shawn Mendes | Mariah Carey |
|---|---|---|
| Career start | 2013 | 1990 |
| Billboard 200 No. 1 albums | Several, starting with Handwritten | Many, starting in the early 1990s |
| Hot 100 No. 1 singles | “Señorita” | 19 |
| Signature style | Acoustic pop, soft rock, folk | R&B, pop, soaring vocals |
| Vocal trademark | Warm tenor and falsetto | Five-octave range and whistle register |
| Holiday classic | None | “All I Want for Christmas Is You” |
A Shared Love of Holiday Music
Mariah Carey is often called the Queen of Christmas. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” returns to the charts every December, and she has toured with holiday shows for years, along with a 2020 Apple TV+ special, Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.
Shawn Mendes has dipped into holiday music too. In 2020, he released a cover of “The Christmas Song” with Camila Cabello. Fans of both singers often joke about the two teaming up for a holiday track, especially given their Thanksgiving text mix-up.
Their Fan Communities
Both stars have devoted fan bases with their own names. Mariah Carey’s fans call themselves the “Lambs,” and she calls herself “Mother Lamb.” Shawn Mendes’s fans are known as the “Mendes Army.” When Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey share a moment, both groups tend to light up social media, which helps explain why their small interactions often go viral.
What They Have in Common
Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey come from different eras, but they share a few things:
- Songwriting: Both write or co-write much of their music.
- Early starts: Mendes became famous as a teen, and Carey signed her record deal at 18.
- Vocal focus: Both are known for their voices first, not dancing or spectacle.
- Global fan bases: Both have millions of devoted fans worldwide.
- A sense of humor: The accidental text proved both can laugh at themselves.
Awards and Honors
Mariah Carey has won five Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with more than 200 million records sold worldwide. Shawn Mendes has earned multiple Grammy nominations, several Juno Awards in Canada, and a long list of fan-voted honors like MTV and iHeartRadio awards. Their trophy shelves reflect their different eras: Carey’s built over more than three decades, and Mendes’s in just over ten years.
Why Fans Love This Pairing
Fans enjoy seeing big stars from different generations connect, especially when it feels genuine. The playful text, social media exchanges, and the 2026 Gucci show moment give fans a fun storyline. Many have joked about a holiday duet, though no collaboration has been announced.
Final Thoughts
Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey may not share a hit single yet, but their friendly moments have made them a fan-favorite pairing. From the viral “Wrong Shawn” text to a warm hug at a Gucci show in Times Square, they’ve shown that pop stars can be funny and kind to each other. Mendes brings modern acoustic pop, and Carey brings decades of record-breaking hits. Together, they represent two generations of pop at its best.
Key Takeaways
- Shawn Mendes was born August 8, 1998, in Toronto. Mariah Carey was born March 27 in Huntington, New York, with her birth year commonly listed as 1969.
- In March 2022, Carey accidentally texted Mendes “Happy thanksgiving!!!!” followed by “Wrong Shawn. Sorry,” which went viral.
- On May 16, 2026, Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey posed together and shared a hug at Gucci’s Cruise 2027 show in Times Square.
- Mendes rose to fame on Vine in 2013, and his debut album Handwritten hit No. 1 in 2015. His “Señorita” with Camila Cabello also hit No. 1.
- Carey debuted in 1990, holds the solo record for 19 Hot 100 No. 1 hits, and saw “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reach No. 1 in 2019.
- Both are songwriters with voice-first careers and global fan bases.
- No official collaboration between Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey has been announced.
