Shawn Mendes & Khalid Joined By Parkland School Choir In Emotional 'Youth' Performance At Billboard Awards

“I’ve never experienced goosebumps like that on stage before – it was really really special...”

Monday, May 21, 2018 - 12:34

Shawn Mendes and Khalid delivered a powerful, heartfelt performance at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, performing their new song “Youth” off of his upcoming May 25th album “Shawn Mendes”.

The duo were joined by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School choir from Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed in February this year, in a striking statement both in tribute to the victims of gun violence, and a protest against US gun laws.

WATCH SHAWN MENDES' INCREDIBLE 'IN MY BLOOD' MUSIC VIDEO HERE:

View the lyrics

Help me, it's like the walls are caving in
Sometimes I feel like giving up
But I just can't
It isn't in my blood

Laying on the bathroom floor, feeling nothing
I'm overwhelmed and insecure, give me something
I could take to ease my mind slowly
Just have a drink and you'll feel better
Just take her home and you'll feel better
Keep telling me that it gets better
Does it ever?

Help me, it's like the walls are caving in
Sometimes I feel like giving up
No medicine is strong enough
Someone help me
I'm crawling in my skin
Sometimes I feel like giving up
But I just can't

It isn't in my blood
It isn't in my blood

I'm looking through my phone again, feeling anxious
Afraid to be alone again, I hate this
I'm tryna find a way to chill, can't breathe, oh
Is there somebody who could help me?

It's like the walls are caving in
Sometimes I feel like giving up
No medicine is strong enough
Someone help me
I'm crawling in my skin
Sometimes I feel like giving up
But I just can't

It isn't in my blood
It isn't in my blood (oh)

I need somebody now
I need somebody now
Someone to help me out
I need somebody now

Help me, it's like the walls are caving in
Sometimes I feel like giving up
But I just can't

It isn't in my blood
It isn't in my blood, oh, oh
(Oh, oh, oh)

It isn't in my blood
I need somebody now
It isn't in my blood
I need somebody now
It isn't in my blood

Writer(s): Geiger Teddy, Friedman Scott Harris Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com

Mendes spoke in interview afterwards that: “It meant everything...Honestly, obviously our hearts go with everyone affected by what happened. We’re very, very overdue for a change and I felt like tonight was super impactful and I was just super honoured to be able to do that with them.”

The pair were introduced by Kelly Clarkson who, in light of the Sante Fe High School shooting on Friday, did so with a heartfelt call for change – rejecting the idea of starting with a moment of silence, stating instead “I’m so sick of moments of silence – why don’t we do a moment of change? Why don’t we change what’s happening?”

Khalid wore a t-shirt advocating US gun control that read “protect our guns”, with guns crossed out and “children” written underneath, where Shawn and the Highs school choir wore the new official “Youth” merchandise, the proceeds of which go to March For Our Lives.

On using their collaboration for positive change, Shawn stated: “Khalid and I together, I mean, we’ve been friends for a couple years and we have this really, really awesome relationship and we wanted to take something that was tackling the world and I think it was just very natural with us.”

Check out Mendes and Khalid's BBMA performance of “Youth” here.