"Stitches" is a song by Canadian singer Shawn Mendes for his debut studio album, Handwritten (2015). It was initially released to iTunes via Island Records on March 16, 2015 as the first pre-order exclusive track and was subsequently serviced to radio via Republic Records on May 5, 2015 as the album's third official single.[2] "Stitches" is the first song by Mendes to appear on a Billboard airplay chart, debuting at number 36 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart in June 2015, and eventually reaching number one. It became his first top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100, charting at number four.[3] "Stitches" also reached the top 10 on the Canadian Hot 100, peaking at number 10. It also topped the Slovenian SloTop50 Chart, Scottish Official Charts Company, UK Singles Chart and German Singles Chart and reached the top 5 in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
"Stitches" is the first major single recorded by Shawn Mendes after being signed to Island Records. The song was composed in B♭ minor with a tempo of 150 beats per minute and a time signature of 4
4.[5] Mendes's vocals span one and a half octave, from D♭3 to an A♭4 belt after the bridge which continues into the chorus. It was written and produced by Danny Parker, Teddy Geiger, and Daniel Kyriakides, and recorded by Mendes in 2014. After that, it was initially released to iTunes via Island Records on March 16, 2015 as the third pre-order exclusive track and was subsequently serviced to radio via Republic Records on May 5, 2015 as the album's third official single.[2]
One of the music videos takes place in a parking garage where Mendes is repeatedly filmed being thrown into uncontrollable stitches of laughter by an unseen emotional force.[