Entertainment Music Elton John Encourages Shawn Mendes Not to Believe His Own Hype: 'We're Just Human Beings' The pop icon spoke candidly about fame while chatting with Shawn Mendes as he covers VMAN magazine By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 19, 2020 05:25 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Elton John. Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage Elton John is sharing some words of advice about stardom and fame. While speaking with Shawn Mendes as he covers VMAN magazine, the 73-year-old pop icon told the "In My Blood" crooner, 22, to be cautious of fame and letting the idea of celebrity get to his head. Detailing that he believes people will "live in a bubble" once they become famous, John told the young pop star, "I've always tried to live out on stage, and I've never come back to my home and pretended to be Elton." "Even more so now that I have a family and two children," he continued. "I've never believed the myth." Shawn Mendes Says 'Every Song I Ever Wrote' Is About Camila Cabello in Documentary In Wonder George Pimentel/Getty; Kevin Mazur/WireImage Noting that he believes it benefits him that he lives in England and not in America — where he says "people idolize stars" and "put them on huge pedestals" — John added that it isn't a thing normal for individuals to do. "I think it's a dangerous situation," he said. "I've seen it happen to so many people, where they become trapped by their own persona and start to believe they are invincible. We're just human beings who play music and entertain people." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Shawn Mendes on VMAN. Ben Hassett Mendes, in turn, thanked the "I'm Still Standing" musician and shared that seeing him be able to keep going over the years inspires him to be able to do the same. "You have to have the biggest heart to continue going and giving the amount of love that you have given," he said. "There are a lot of moments where I feel, as an artist, that this is a lot; to be Shawn Mendes is hard," the star added. "When I look at someone like you, who has kept going with so much love and humility, and has the time to get on the phone with me for an hour and do this among a million other things, I think [to myself], 'It's possible to do this.'" RELATED VIDEO: Alessia Cara Learned Self-Care from Shawn Mendes While On Tour: 'He Knows How to Keep it Zen' During their chat, Mendes also shared that his soon-to-be-released single with Justin Bieber — titled "Monster" — ties in with what he and John discussed about "how society wants to put celebrities up on a pedestal." "But as much as they want to do that, they want to celebrate the fall," Mendes added. Shawn Mendes. Ben Hassett Describing that he wrote the song "a long time ago," Mendes shared that he crafted the tune during a time where he was "afraid of everything." "It was a time when I was really afraid of my industry and afraid of my craft and afraid of everything," he told John. "I didn't have control. Everyone else had control over me. I think it just ended up becoming a metaphor for a bigger thing; that we all put pressure on each other as humans to be great, to be perfect." Mendes' cover story appears in VMAN 45, which is now available for pre-order.