Carpenter – Shawn Mendes: Forgotten Demo 2018

In the summer of 2018, Los Angeles buzzed with the energy of young pop stars carving their paths. Sabrina Carpenter, then 19, was riding the wave of her third album, Singular: Act I, while Shawn Mendes, 20, was cementing his status as a global heartthrob with his self-titled album. Their orbits had crossed before—shared festival lineups, mutual friends in the industry—but what few knew was a fleeting collaboration that could have reshaped their careers. A demo, recorded in a single night, was meant to be a chart-topping duet. Instead, it became a forgotten relic, buried by a rift no one saw coming.

Sabrina and Shawn’s connection was rooted in camaraderie. Both had navigated the pressures of teen stardom, transitioning from Disney roots to mainstream music. By 2018, rumors of a closer bond swirled, fueled by paparazzi shots of them grabbing coffee in LA. Fans speculated about a romance, but those close to the pair insist it was professional respect that brought them together. According to a studio engineer who worked with Sabrina, the idea for a duet came from their shared label, Island Records, eager to capitalize on their chemistry.

The recording session took place in July 2018 at a tucked-away studio in West Hollywood. Sabrina, fresh off a tour, arrived with handwritten lyrics, her voice still raw from the road. Shawn, guitar in hand, brought a melody he’d been tinkering with for weeks. The song, tentatively titled Hold the Night, was a mid-tempo ballad about fleeting love under city lights—a nod to their shared LA nights. “It was magic,” the engineer recalled. “Sabrina’s rasp blended with Shawn’s warmth like they’d sung together for years.”

For six hours, they poured their hearts into the track. Sabrina’s verses were introspective, hinting at her struggles with fame’s isolation. Shawn’s chorus soared, his vulnerability matching her intensity. By dawn, the demo was complete, a rough but luminous gem. Their team was ecstatic, envisioning a single that could dominate radio and streaming platforms. Plans were sketched for a music video, a joint performance at the VMAs. But then, silence.

What derailed the project remains a mystery to all but a few. According to an insider, tensions arose during post-production. Sabrina, a perfectionist, wanted to refine her vocals, feeling they didn’t capture her evolving sound. Shawn, under pressure from his own album cycle, pushed for a quicker release. The disagreement, initially minor, escalated when creative control became a sticking point. “Sabrina felt Shawn’s team was sidelining her vision,” the insider said. “Shawn thought she was overcomplicating it.” Neither was wrong, but pride got in the way.

By August, communication broke down. Emails went unanswered; calls were dodged. The demo was shelved, locked in a hard drive at the studio. Label executives, frustrated but unwilling to force the issue, moved on. Sabrina threw herself into Singular: Act II, while Shawn focused on his world tour. Fans, unaware of the lost duet, continued to ship them, oblivious to the rift. The only trace of the collaboration was a cryptic Instagram post from Sabrina that summer—a photo of a microphone with the caption “Some songs stay in the dark.”

The fallout wasn’t just professional. Sabrina, who valued trust in collaborations, felt betrayed by the abrupt end. Shawn, grappling with his own insecurities, later confided to a friend that he regretted not fighting for the song. Both were too stubborn to reach out. By 2019, their paths diverged—Sabrina leaned into her theatrical pop sound, while Shawn embraced introspective acoustic vibes. The demo, a snapshot of their shared potential, faded into obscurity.

Years later, the story resurfaced. In 2023, a studio intern leaked a 30-second clip of Hold the Night on a fan forum, sparking a frenzy. The snippet—Sabrina’s haunting “Don’t let the stars fall” layered over Shawn’s gentle strumming—was enough to ignite demands for a full release. Neither artist commented, but sources say Sabrina was blindsided, having buried the memory. Shawn, now more reflective, reportedly reached out to her, proposing they revisit the track. Whether they will remains unclear.

The forgotten demo is more than a lost single; it’s a testament to what might have been. For Sabrina, it was a lesson in standing her ground. For Shawn, a reminder of collaboration’s fragility. Fans still hold out hope, scouring old interviews for clues. In a 2024 podcast, Sabrina hinted at “songs that got away,” her smile wistful. Shawn, in a separate interview, called 2018 “a year of almosts.” The demo, locked away, waits for its moment—one night’s dream that could still light up the charts.