Having shot to fame with the monster hit Whatcha Say, many were quick to write off Jason Derulo as just another one-hit wonder. However, such suggestions were quickly dispelled thanks to the success of his follow up single In My Head, which netted him his first UK No 1.
In London to promote his self-titled debut album, Jason is grateful to see his hard work paying off. ‘I have been doing this since I was five,’ reveals the Florida native who honed his natural talent at performing arts school. At the age of eight, when most children are living out their cartoon fantasies, Jason was busy penning his first song Crush on You. ‘I was used to singing songs, so one day I decided to make one because I wanted to impress this girl in my class. Then it carried on from there. I was like this is not that hard – so I continued to write songs.’
Although his attempts to impress his classmate fell on deaf ears, Derulo’s songwriting skills continued to blossom. By his late teens he was crafting songs for a number of stars in the music industry including Lil Wayne, Cassie and Danity Kane. After composing hit tunes for A-listers, Derulo finally bagged a hit of his own with the instantly addictive Whatcha Say. The song inspired by the infidelity of his brother, describes a cheating boyfriend begging for his girlfriend’s forgiveness. It sold over four million copies worldwide – while his brother is now engaged to the woman the song was written for.
Despite being a hit with the ladies, Derulo claims to have never cheated on a partner – but he’s suffered the heartache of being cheated on himself. ‘I have been cheated on before, I know how it feels. If I’m not into a girl and if I’m not being taken care of then I’ll be by myself. It is OK to be single and mingle.’ Yet he doesn’t rule out the possibility of finding someone special. ‘A girl can come and change all that – you never know.’ That said, the multi-talented singer has extremely high standards with the beautiful Megan Fox at the top of his list. Don’t let the competition put you off too much, though, ladies, because you have one thing the Transformers star lacks that is guaranteed to have him going crazy – an English accent. ‘They are amazing – the accent just does the trick when they speak to me,’ gushes a smiling Jason.
With two multi-platinum records under his belt and fresh from supporting Lady Gaga on tour, Derulo is taking success in his stride. ‘My life has been like boot camp. I have been preparing for this a long time – I’m ready. I think it takes a special kind of person to deal with so much. People say I’m doing what I love but it’s not all what I love. Doing 50 interviews is not what I love, but I know what it takes to get to a certain point, and I will do whatever it takes.’ While the amount of interviews may have come as a surprise, becoming everyone’s favourite cousin was something he was more prepared for. ‘Family members have been popping out left, right and centre, but I expected it. Only my immediate family have my number and they won’t just give it out,’ he explains.
At the minute, everyone wants a piece of Jason. Women have been getting their claws into him – literally. ‘The craziest thing that happened was that I got attacked,’ he pauses, as he struggles to conceal his delight at girls fighting to get a hold of him. ‘I had a wife beater [vest] on. It started off with one girl then another girl joined in – they were like ripping my skin trying to get this thing off, and I have a scar on my back.’ With plans for a UK tour on the horizon, female fans this side of the pond might soon have their chance to lay hands on Jason Derulo.
Interview by Mark-Anthony Malcolm
