Piano man: Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes makes his Indonesian debut with the Asian leg of Shawn Mendes: The Tour.

Since gaining traction through singing cover songs on the now-defunct Vine app and making his mark in the international pop scene with the 2015 hit “Stitches”, Canada’s Shawn Mendes has toured scores of countries with his growing list of catchy pop tunes — with the exception of Indonesia. Fans waited for years with bated breath for Mendes to set his sights on the archipelago.

Their wishes finally came true on Tuesday.

Sponsored by Traveloka and Cornetto, Mendes finally made his way to Indonesia as part of his Shawn Mendes: The Tour to promote his self-titled third studio album. The world tour kicked off in Amsterdam earlier in March and is scheduled to end in Mexico City in December. 

Thousands filled the Sentul International Convention Center some 50 kilometers from Jakarta to see their idol in the flesh for the first time.

The stakes are high for Mendes in his first outing to Indonesia and he would surely want to deliver based on hype alone; the very hype that sent fans traveling three hours by car in congested roads — all in the pouring rain.

Fortunately, the audience got their money’s worth.

Even before Mendes himself set foot on stage, the throng of screaming fans — called the Shawn Mendes Army — seemed starved of anything that heralded their idol’s presence. They were even hyped for their own rendition of the national anthem.

Anyone not jittery for Mendes was very likely caught off guard when the man himself sauntered on stage; the deafening screams certainly made sure of that, along with the rhythm-coordinated light-up bracelets generously handed at the venue’s entrance.

The night opened with a rendition of Mendes’ 2018 song “Lost in Japan” to strike an upbeat tone before transitioning seamlessly to “Holding Me Back” and then “Nervous”. It was only after fourth song “Stitches” that he stopped for a breather to address the audience, certainly a display of stamina from the 21-year-old given the fast-paced tunes.

I’m here with you: Throughout his show, Shawn Mendes alternates between the main stage and a raised platform featuring a giant rose over it, allowing the middle-row crowd to see him better.

Mendes’ mastery of the guitar and piano, coupled with his romantically relatable lyrics, certainly made the case for being serenaded by a young singer on a workday. The repetitive chants of “I love you” from the audience were understandable given the situation, even with his relationship with fellow pop crooner Camilla Cabello.

Mendes, after all, didn’t have to sing as it seemed that most of the audience knew all the lyrics by heart, yet having him sing to the audience sold that fantasy.

Crowd control was another forte of his, at times waving to the outer reaches of the venue to make sure no one felt left behind if they hadn’t shelled out for front row seats, priced at around Rp 4 million (US$282.49).

To his credit, Mendes did alternate between the main stage and a raised platform featuring a giant rose over it, allowing the middle-row crowd to see him better.

Crowd favorites included radio-friendly hits like “Treat You Better”, “Particular Taste”, and whenever Mendes addressed the crowd by belting out the word “Jakarta” in that crisp voice of his. Though Sentul is much closer to Bogor of West Java than the capital, it might as well be Jakarta for the night given the number of B plates in the parking lot.

From the sing-along sessions, some songs were certainly geared to be enjoyed by nodding along and perhaps waving that flashlight bracelet, like “Where Were You in the Morning?” and the Ed Sheeran-influenced “Fallin’ All in You”.

Another highlight was the performance of “Youth”, where Mendes slipped in an interlude on the power of youths and their potential in changing the world, which in hindsight felt oddly powerful given the student protests across Indonesia in late September.

The following “If I Can’t Have You” also retained the upbeat mood, while “Why” got Mendes up close and personal with the front row, before closing with “Mercy” in another sing-along.

The encore was served with a cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You”, which felt a little downcast compared to Mendes’ repertoire of love songs. However, the last notes segued seamlessly to “In My Blood”, ending the night on a rather high note with a shower of confetti, smoke and even more screaming.

With an impressively enthusiastic response from Indonesian crowds for a debut performance, Mendes might find himself receiving a very warm welcome every time he sets foot in the country.

After this Jakarta stop, Mendes jetted off to the Philippines for a Manila concert on Thursday.

Say my name: The concert setlist comprises Shawn Mendes’ greatest hits, with the exception of Coldplay's "Fix You" in the encore.

— Photos courtesy of @Nareend