"Treat You Better" was released as the lead single from the album on June 3, 2016. The music video was released on July 12, 2016. It features a storyline where Mendes would like to help the girl in an abusive relationship, and he can treat her better. The song currently has almost two billion views on YouTube. Since its release, "Treat You Better" has peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Mercy" was serviced to US top 40 radio stations as the second single from the album on October 18, 2016. "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" was released as the album's third single on April 20, 2017. The song debuted at number 7 in the United Kingdom, becoming his highest debut in the country. It also debuted in the top ten in Australia and Denmark. The iTunes version of both the standard and deluxe versions of Illuminate were reissued with "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" as track one upon the single's release.
Promotional singles
Along with the pre-order of Illuminate, "Ruin" was released as the album's first promotional single on July 8, 2016. Its music video was released on July 18, 2016. On July 28, 2016, "Three Empty Words" was released as the second promotional single from the album. "Mercy" was released as the album's third and final promotional single on August 18, 2016. Its music video was released on September 21, 2016, receiving over 200 million views. It features Mendes in a car which is filling up with water and it also features Mendes trashing a room with guitars, a drum-set and a piano.
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Writing for Rolling Stone, Joe Levy noted "Illuminate mixes professions of romantic agony like "Mercy", with nice-boy valentines like "Treat You Better" and bedroom come-ons like "Lights On."" For Jon Reyes of Idolator, " most noticeable change, aside from the tight music hall sonics, is the subtle infusion of sex into the lyrics. He's graduated from songs like "Kid In Love" to fare like "Lights On" and "Patience." Both ballads paint clear pictures of behind-closed-doors moments, and the sexual nature of the lyrics doesn't qualify as innuendo by any means." Associated Press listed it at number 5 on their best albums of 2016. Billboard listed the track "Don't Be a Fool" at number 90 for the best deep cuts from 21st century pop stars.
Accolades
Commercial performance
Illuminate debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 145,000 equivalent album units, of which 121,000 copies were pure album sales. It became Mendes' second number-one album in the US and his best sales week. Mendes achieved his second No. 1 at 18 years, two months and seven days old, becoming the fifth artist to score their first two No. 1 albums at such a young age, following Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff and LeAnn Rimes. In addition, Mendes is the first artist to have their first two full-length studio albums hit No. 1 since 5 Seconds of Summer bowed at No. 1 with Sounds Good Feels Good and their self-titled debut album, and the first male artist to claim the distinction since 2015, when ASAP Rocky bowed atop the list with At. Long. Last. ASAP, following 2013’s Long. Live. ASAP. In his native Canada, the album debuted at number one with 21,000 total consumption units, of which 17,000 were album units sold, surpassing the highest one week sales total reached with his last album, Handwritten. Illuminate also picked up 3.8 million audio on-demand streams, the second highest total of the week, trailing only Drake's Views.
Track listing
The album originally did not feature "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" until the Illuminate World Tour began.
