Ahead of his highly anticipated performance in Luxembourg, Jason Derulo revealed details about his latest tour, collaborating with Michael Bublé, and his approach to music in an exclusive interview with Today Radio's Sam Steen.
Jaaason Deruuulo – admit it, you just sang that in your head! Yes, RTL Today caught up with the one and only Jason Derulo ahead of his much anticipated show at the Rockhal on 29 February. In conversation with Today Radio's Sam Steen, Derulo talked about how his most recent release initially started out as a Christmas Day project, glitches on stage, and being a world recorder holder.
Back on tour
The American singer, songwriter, and dancer rose to global fame in 2009 after releasing his debut single 'Whatcha Say'. Since then, the now 34-year-old has released four studio albums, with a fifth one in the pipeline.
Despite enormous success – including 18 platinum hits, 250 million singles sold, and over 100 million followers on social media speak – Derulo has stayed down-to-earth and is still eager to please his fans with every single performance.
His latest tour, the 'Nu King World Tour', will officially kick off in Stockholm on 22 February, after which he makes four more stops before taking the stage in Belval. And fans can expect much more than just a simple concert, says Derulo:
"I mean it's been five years since I've been on tour, and this is my biggest tour as of yet and I'm thankful to the fans and everybody that decided to come. We put a lot of work into this thing and I have some of the best teammates that one can ask for, you know, some of the best dancers and choreographers in the world, and some of the best musicians on the planet, you know. And we've cultivated a show that is very cinematic, very theatrical, and it's a spectacle. I believe it's one of the best shows in the world."
Setting world records with Michael Bublé
Derulo is set to release his latest studio album on 16 February, so just in time for Luxembourg fans to start learning the lyrics ahead of his performance in the Grand Duchy. 'Spicy Margarita' is the first single off the album and has already been released a couple of days ago.
Derulo recorded this song together with Michael Bublé, although that was not exactly the plan from the get-go of their collaboration. Derulo had initially contacted Bublé to work on a joint Christmas song.
They eventually started looking through the Great American Songbook, an extensive catalogue of popular songs from the 20th century, in search of inspiration. And that is how 'Spicy Margarita' came about – a playful version of Dean Martin's classic 'Sway'.
And while they were at it, the duo simultaneously set a new record by mixing the world's biggest margarita during a promotional social media campaign.
About the new album as a whole, Derulo had this to say: "You know the world is in a very dark place and I feel like now is the time for a record that makes us feel good." So, be sure to expect a number of upbeat and lighthearted tracks when you finally get your hands on 'Nu King'.
A busy bee
The musician is also very active in other domains of life, including business ventures and regularly giving his millions of social media followers a glimpse behind the scenes. Nevertheless, this year he wants to focus entirely on music: "That's where my heart lies, that's where this all started, right?"
When it comes to success, Derulo does not have a secret recipe, saying it is always a mixture of many things.
But, one thing would be particularly important, to keep reinventing himself and keep putting in the work: "Success is never a destination, success is rented, right? You can be successful today and then tomorrow not be successful."
