“Who else is at the top of the charts globally without being signed? It’s f–king crazy.”Įver since he was a kid, Jason Derulo (born Jason Desrouleaux in 1989, to Haitian parents) has been turning heads. You have to be able to move and mold with me,” he says. “I have a creative vision that is unlike any other artist.
He’s also a free agent for the first time in more than a dozen years, following a falling-out with Warner Records, and positioned to be firmly in control of the next stage of his career. Now, with four tracks released in the span of six weeks and a massive new online following, the 30-year-old Derulo has a stronger grasp of trends driving the industry than ever. “It’s important to reinvent yourself as much as possible, otherwise people just get tired of it,” he tells Billboard - laughing as he adds, “I’ve tried everything under the sun at least three times.” He’s evolved consistently over the years, maturing from a reliance on glossy hooks to creating trendsetting global sounds alongside some of the now-premier hitmakers in the industry, while also building a more recognizable presence for himself outside of music along the way. It’s the latest career resurgence from Derulo, who has made a habit of refusing to allow his name to fade from the mainstream. 1 on Spotify’s Global Top 50 chart during the weeks of August 6 and August 13, while topping the songs charts in Canada, Australia and many countries across Europe. And beyond the United States, “Savage” has had even more success: it registered as No. “Savage Love,” the bouncy, horn-blaring beat first created by 17-year-old producer Jawsh 685, has landed Derulo his first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2015, and makes him just one of ten artists to accomplish the chart feat in each of the first three decades of the 21st century. His success on the app has also resulted in his biggest chart hit in a half-decade. And thanks to collaborations on the platform - enlisting fellow creators to complete short skits and popular dance routines - with Smith and D’Amelio, as well as other TikTok fixtures, Derulo’s following is still growing exponentially. That puts him in the app’s top dozen creators, along with Will Smith and the app’s top user, Charli D’Amelio.
Since he started posting on the platform regularly at the end of 2019, his follower count has skyrocketed from 6 million - a number that carried over from Musical.ly, which was acquired by Chinese media firm ByteDance in November 2017 and absorbed by TikTok nine months later - to more than 33 million. And while other artists are currently struggling to connect live with fans during the pandemic, Derulo is multiplying his fanbase in real time with TikTok, racking up millions of views every time that he posts a clip.
Jason DeRulo's 10 Best Quarantine TikToksįor the last 12 years, Derulo has been a singing, dancing top 40 magnet with a suave demeanor, an iconic self-identifying intro (which has recently returned after a long hiatus) and a steady adaptability to the latest trends driving pop music. senior manager of artist relations and music partnerships, spent more than two hours driving home three of the most important facets to success - have fun, be consistent, and collaborate - with Derulo listening intently to every word. The 15-second clip, like countless others on his page, shows off his impressive physique and slick rhythm - as well as the inspiration-filled entryway of his Los Angeles home, with blown-up images of Prince, David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Barack Obama and others adorning the walls.įour months earlier, right before California enforced its first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Derulo met with TikTok representatives at his home to discuss best practices on the app. Take his July 22 TikTok video, which previewed his latest single, “Take You Dancing.” Decked out in glistening jewelry, a tank top and ripped jeans, he greets users with a wink and a pearly white smile before breaking into a choreographed lip sync routine - intermittently smizing, shimmying and flexing at the camera along the way.
It’s hard to take your eyes off Jason Derulo - and he knows it.