Unreleased 2016 Demos Expand Shawn Mendes’ ‘Illuminate’ Anniversary
The new versions feature unreleased 2016 demos alongside three live recordings from Mendes’ 2025 tour.
Shawn Mendes has released two new versions of Illuminate (10th Anniversary Edition), expanding the anniversary campaign for his 2016 second album. The new editions are available across streaming and vinyl formats, with each adding a different previously unreleased demo recorded in 2016.
The digital edition includes the demo “Cold in California,” while the direct-to-consumer version sold through Mendes’ store features “What If I Told You A Story.” A previously announced limited-edition Blood Records pressing, which has sold out, includes the 2016 demo “She’ll Be The One.” All three versions also feature new live recordings of “Treat You Better,” “Ruin,” and “Mercy,” captured in New York, Boston, and Montreal during Mendes’ sold-out 2025 On The Road Again tour. An official lyric video for “Cold in California” has also been released.
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The anniversary edition arrives as several Illuminate tracks continue to post new chart and certification milestones. The album itself was recently certified 3x-Platinum by the RIAA, while “Treat You Better” and “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” have each reached 9x-Platinum status and “Mercy” has been certified 6x-Platinum. “Treat You Better,” which has generated 25 million creates on TikTok, returned to Billboard’s Global 200 a decade after its original release and reached No. 62. “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” reached No. 111 on the Global 200 and No. 88 on Global Excl. U.S.
Mendes first announced the anniversary edition on September 16, 10 years after the original Illuminate tracklist was revealed. The rollout included lyrics from “Cold in California” appearing on billboards before the song was officially revealed on September 23, the album’s 10th anniversary. Mendes also marked the release in Milan with Gucci, performing songs from Illuminate for 100 fans at the brand’s Monte Napoleone flagship. The event followed his appointment as a Gucci brand ambassador earlier this year.
Listen to Shawn Mendes’ Illuminate (10th Anniversary Edition) here.
