Shawn Mendes debuts music video for 'Mercy'

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Shawn Mendes debuted the music video for his new song, "Mercy," which soared to 200,000 views in its first hour.

"I can't believe the view count," Mendes said, "especially since everyone's in school."

Mendes, 18, boasts a No. 1 debut album, four platinum singles, and a sold-out tour, all before the release of his second album Illuminate, out Friday.

Illuminate, Mendes said, was influenced by a mix of his own romantic endeavors and John Mayer's 2006 album Continuum.

The video for "Mercy," which is at nearly 3 million views two days after its release, features Mendes in two settings -- alone in a studio space, playing the drums, guitar and piano, and trapped in a car that is slowly filling with water.

Mendes pleads to his love, singing "Please have mercy on me/Take it easy on my heart."